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Don't Startup : What No One Tells You about Starting Your Own Business
No one tells you
• Money is seldom the reason why people don’t start businesses – fear of money is.
• Failures will far outnumber successes. Make failure a friend. Become familiar with it – know how to look it in the eye and find out more about it.
• People do business with people they like and are familiar with. To most people, YOU are the business.
• There is no good or bad investor; there are only right or wrong investors.
• What makes an entrepreneur special is the bridge of intelligence between the left and the right brain, the bridge between Business and Art.
Through this never-before-seen side of entrepreneurship, Karthik Kumar explores the various emotional challenges an entrepreneur faces and also tells you how to overcome them. Don’t Startup is not about giving you the knowledge and the know-hows of starting up. It is about imparting the wisdom that Karthik has gained from his journey and how that wisdom will be the strength in yours.
• Money is seldom the reason why people don’t start businesses – fear of money is.
• Failures will far outnumber successes. Make failure a friend. Become familiar with it – know how to look it in the eye and find out more about it.
• People do business with people they like and are familiar with. To most people, YOU are the business.
• There is no good or bad investor; there are only right or wrong investors.
• What makes an entrepreneur special is the bridge of intelligence between the left and the right brain, the bridge between Business and Art.
Through this never-before-seen side of entrepreneurship, Karthik Kumar explores the various emotional challenges an entrepreneur faces and also tells you how to overcome them. Don’t Startup is not about giving you the knowledge and the know-hows of starting up. It is about imparting the wisdom that Karthik has gained from his journey and how that wisdom will be the strength in yours.
- GenresBusiness
192 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 6, 2018
29 people are currently reading
99 people want to read
About the author
Karthik Kumar
7 booksKarthik Kumar has many first generation startups, in all his avatars – entrepreneur, standup comic, film actor, speaker and now writer. But his most prized ‘startup’ avatar is being the co-founder of Evam, an arts-based entrepreneurship. You can find his latest standup comedy special on Amazon Prime, his feature films in various languages and motivational talks on Youtube, live theatre productions nowhere but live, and his first book, in your hands right now.
In Don’t Startup, he recounts the journey of going into an unknown area as an entrepreneur and the challenges posed in this voyage of business and self-discovery.
In Don’t Startup, he recounts the journey of going into an unknown area as an entrepreneur and the challenges posed in this voyage of business and self-discovery.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
May 12, 2019
I picked up Karthik Kumar’s ‘Don’t startup’ after seeing several promos on Linkedin. I wasn’t really interested in being an entrepreneur. I’m not good with numbers at all, so I figured there was no need for me to read this book. My TBR is long enough as it is. But one day, I saw his Instagram post, which advertised his book with his autograph. I still am not sure what made me reach out to him to get the coupon code for the book. It arrived soon enough and I delved into it.
A little backgrounder: I had a colleague in Aptech who was involved with Evam( way back when I worked with the company).I also met a couple of guys on a trek to Munnar who were involved with Evam. I have watched ‘The odd couple’ by Evam since I like plays. I have some old classmates( who I’m not in touch with) from my school who are friends with Karthik. I interned in RK Swamy with Suchitra Ramadurai( who I’m not in touch with) way before she became Mirchi Suchi or his wife. I’ve seen his stand-up comedy performance on Amazon Prime. And I have lived in Chennai for most of my life. So every Chennaiite knows who Karthik Kumar and Evam unless they are living under a rock. And although I almost qualify as a person living under a rock( the hermit that I am), over the last few years, I knew about Karthik Kumar and Evam.
Now to the book: I loved his definition of business vs. busy-ness. I loved the idea of ‘Takeouts’ at the end of every chapter. I especially liked the ‘Takeouts’ in the human resources chapter. I found them "oh-so-true" , and I could totally relate to it. I liked the couple of exercises he outlined. And the fact that the book is peppered with insights. I loved the words ‘Enough’ is a middle-class malady. And what he said about Research: “Research is that thing you do when no one knows what you are doing but only you know why. Research is a startup going undercover to solve its own mysteries.
I loved the chapter on ‘Conscience.’ The line “And whenever we rationalize something as normal, we tend to normalize it as rational’. Page 85 had some interesting simple experiments.
He mentions in one section of the book, “Vulnerability makes you defensive while invincibility makes you drop your defences.” I’m not sure what exactly he meant and in what context, but I have found that vulnerability works very well for me in my life. I practice it in my personal life.
If there's one thing I have to call out, it is the incorrect usage of words in certain places. On page 151, the word "lesser" is incorrectly used. The sentence reads "All this will make your authority much lesser." That made me cringe since the incorrect use of lesser is a pet peeve of mine. There are a couple of other places where I found errors, but I don't want to dwell on it.
Back to what I liked: "The arts is more sensorial, fun, random and thrives on imagination and even unpredictability. " Except for the disagreement of the verb with the subject in the sentence, I loved the line.
Page 157, which was on bosses was probably the chapter I could most relate to. He says "Bad bosses are responsible for every magnificent opportunity and job to suddenly seem bleak and hopeless and worth giving up. Bad bosses are mood spoilers and make you believe that you are not worth much, which, in turn, reflects on your daily life and then things all spiral downwards from there. Gosh! I want to take a printout of this page and send it to several of my former bosses. They know who they are!
I loved the bit about the inner entrepreneur. It really resonated with me. I'd like to congratulate Karthik Kumar and Evam for their marvellous journey, which led to this book!
A little backgrounder: I had a colleague in Aptech who was involved with Evam( way back when I worked with the company).I also met a couple of guys on a trek to Munnar who were involved with Evam. I have watched ‘The odd couple’ by Evam since I like plays. I have some old classmates( who I’m not in touch with) from my school who are friends with Karthik. I interned in RK Swamy with Suchitra Ramadurai( who I’m not in touch with) way before she became Mirchi Suchi or his wife. I’ve seen his stand-up comedy performance on Amazon Prime. And I have lived in Chennai for most of my life. So every Chennaiite knows who Karthik Kumar and Evam unless they are living under a rock. And although I almost qualify as a person living under a rock( the hermit that I am), over the last few years, I knew about Karthik Kumar and Evam.
Now to the book: I loved his definition of business vs. busy-ness. I loved the idea of ‘Takeouts’ at the end of every chapter. I especially liked the ‘Takeouts’ in the human resources chapter. I found them "oh-so-true" , and I could totally relate to it. I liked the couple of exercises he outlined. And the fact that the book is peppered with insights. I loved the words ‘Enough’ is a middle-class malady. And what he said about Research: “Research is that thing you do when no one knows what you are doing but only you know why. Research is a startup going undercover to solve its own mysteries.
I loved the chapter on ‘Conscience.’ The line “And whenever we rationalize something as normal, we tend to normalize it as rational’. Page 85 had some interesting simple experiments.
He mentions in one section of the book, “Vulnerability makes you defensive while invincibility makes you drop your defences.” I’m not sure what exactly he meant and in what context, but I have found that vulnerability works very well for me in my life. I practice it in my personal life.
If there's one thing I have to call out, it is the incorrect usage of words in certain places. On page 151, the word "lesser" is incorrectly used. The sentence reads "All this will make your authority much lesser." That made me cringe since the incorrect use of lesser is a pet peeve of mine. There are a couple of other places where I found errors, but I don't want to dwell on it.
Back to what I liked: "The arts is more sensorial, fun, random and thrives on imagination and even unpredictability. " Except for the disagreement of the verb with the subject in the sentence, I loved the line.
Page 157, which was on bosses was probably the chapter I could most relate to. He says "Bad bosses are responsible for every magnificent opportunity and job to suddenly seem bleak and hopeless and worth giving up. Bad bosses are mood spoilers and make you believe that you are not worth much, which, in turn, reflects on your daily life and then things all spiral downwards from there. Gosh! I want to take a printout of this page and send it to several of my former bosses. They know who they are!
I loved the bit about the inner entrepreneur. It really resonated with me. I'd like to congratulate Karthik Kumar and Evam for their marvellous journey, which led to this book!
December 27, 2018
Journey of successful entrepreneurship and how Evam has evolved from thesis that says it is not possible to get success to a brand in it own space. Many insight from Kartihik are very interesting and can help everyone at all stage of their professional as well as personal journey.
September 13, 2018
Startup is a common term these days but this wasn't the case some fifteen years back, at least in India. This is when Karthik Kumar along with his friend Sunil thought about one. Unlike others, they dreamt of something unique - a Startup which would concentrate on Stage Shows, Standup Comedy among others. This was unique for sure in the early 2000.
Through this book, he has not only talked about the journey which saw "Evam" which was founded by these revolutionary minds filed for bankruptcy couple of times but had also listed out in detail as to what had worked for them which has saw them comeback more stronger and dynamic than ever.
The book is divided into three acts(Remember, Karthik is a theatre artist and he has written screenplay for several stories/dramas) which I would say is unique. The book also has takeouts and a simple exercise at the end of each chapter within these acts.
We would have read about various elf help books and to be frank, this is the first time, I have come across a book which not only talks in detail about a startup but had also outlined as to what worked for the brand Evam. The foundation on which this was built was rock solid which has braved many uncertainties.
I would surely consider recommending this book because this contrary to its title would help any aspirant to begin a Startup(which is the sole aim of the author as well) as it talks about Time, Money, HR, Culture, Conscience, Toxic Funding, Decision Making, Success and Failure, Innovation, Dilemmas and Investor among others.
Each chapter has been well explained making it very much qualified to be termed as a management book as well. Should you need to Startup something or have something in your mind and do not know who to approach or how to take it further, "Don't Startup" is the book you need to read for sure....
Through this book, he has not only talked about the journey which saw "Evam" which was founded by these revolutionary minds filed for bankruptcy couple of times but had also listed out in detail as to what had worked for them which has saw them comeback more stronger and dynamic than ever.
The book is divided into three acts(Remember, Karthik is a theatre artist and he has written screenplay for several stories/dramas) which I would say is unique. The book also has takeouts and a simple exercise at the end of each chapter within these acts.
We would have read about various elf help books and to be frank, this is the first time, I have come across a book which not only talks in detail about a startup but had also outlined as to what worked for the brand Evam. The foundation on which this was built was rock solid which has braved many uncertainties.
I would surely consider recommending this book because this contrary to its title would help any aspirant to begin a Startup(which is the sole aim of the author as well) as it talks about Time, Money, HR, Culture, Conscience, Toxic Funding, Decision Making, Success and Failure, Innovation, Dilemmas and Investor among others.
Each chapter has been well explained making it very much qualified to be termed as a management book as well. Should you need to Startup something or have something in your mind and do not know who to approach or how to take it further, "Don't Startup" is the book you need to read for sure....
December 25, 2018
Don’t Startup is not about giving you the knowledge and the know-hows of starting up. It is about imparting the wisdom that Karthik has gained from his evam journey and how that wisdom will be the strength in yours. It is a Provocative book where the intent is to ignite the entrepreneur inside the reader. In this book, Karthik Kumar explores the various emotional challenges an entrepreneur faces and also tells you how to overcome them. He recounts the journey of going into an unknown area as an entrepreneur and the challenges posed in this voyage of business and self-discovery.
Most realistic book written on start-ups, with practical suggestions about hustle of Entrepreneurship from the beginning. It takes years of hard experience living the journey of building a business and fulfilling a dream, and a ton of humility to describe in such an eloquent manner.
The book is a useful guide for anyone who wants to tread the entrepreneurial journey. It starts by describing the different types of entrepreneurs and goes on to explain the various aspects in the entrepreneurial journey. Another thing I liked about this book is never get emotional when some employee leaves you for some better opportunity and always pay your workers due, never make them work for free
After each chapter it makes the reader reflect on the chapter and internalise the learnings before moving to the next. I recommend this book not only to aspiring entrepreneurs but to everyone.
Please read complete review at www.guptapriyankablog.com
Most realistic book written on start-ups, with practical suggestions about hustle of Entrepreneurship from the beginning. It takes years of hard experience living the journey of building a business and fulfilling a dream, and a ton of humility to describe in such an eloquent manner.
The book is a useful guide for anyone who wants to tread the entrepreneurial journey. It starts by describing the different types of entrepreneurs and goes on to explain the various aspects in the entrepreneurial journey. Another thing I liked about this book is never get emotional when some employee leaves you for some better opportunity and always pay your workers due, never make them work for free
After each chapter it makes the reader reflect on the chapter and internalise the learnings before moving to the next. I recommend this book not only to aspiring entrepreneurs but to everyone.
Please read complete review at www.guptapriyankablog.com
November 26, 2020
Karthik Kumar makes it clear pretty much at the start that this book is provocative. There's a lot of cynicism (online) attached to the book in terms of it being merely an abstract about a startup journey. However, looking at Evam and Karthik's journey over the years, I found the book to be more of an emotional guide and big brotherly insight into the world of startups. Its sincere in its narrative and the best section in the book are the Takeouts.
If you are expecting Trade Secrets to be shared, then you'll be disappointed. But for someone who instinctively is thinking of becoming or (not) becoming an entrepreneur, this will serve like an interesting read. I loved it as much as I like KK's stand up shows. They leave you thinking!!
If you are expecting Trade Secrets to be shared, then you'll be disappointed. But for someone who instinctively is thinking of becoming or (not) becoming an entrepreneur, this will serve like an interesting read. I loved it as much as I like KK's stand up shows. They leave you thinking!!
February 23, 2020
This was a decent quick read overall for anyone madly interested in entrepreneurship on what to avoid and how to do as opposed to what to do. Its almost like telling you 'what someone doesn't tell you about marriage when getting into one' instead of the cliché ones they do.
The intent and content of this book are in the right place but the flow is a bit incoherent in places. Love the takeouts after each chapter and the best articulated is Karthik's point of view on success versus failure. This piece is just too honestly and beautifully written. I will revisit this book again once i re-read Lori Greiner's classic - Invent It, Sell It, Bank It!
The intent and content of this book are in the right place but the flow is a bit incoherent in places. Love the takeouts after each chapter and the best articulated is Karthik's point of view on success versus failure. This piece is just too honestly and beautifully written. I will revisit this book again once i re-read Lori Greiner's classic - Invent It, Sell It, Bank It!
December 16, 2020
Don’t StartUp by Kartik Kumar
The whole book is about the startup Evam which author started after some failures in other startups. End of each chapter he summarises the learnings which I liked (Takeouts).
The novel is easy to understand and has practical advice to young entrepreneurs.
Its a couple of days read. Some pages can be skipped depending on what one likes.
The best thing about the book is instead of tips and tricks, it talks about the journey which author took as co-founder of art startUp Evam.
My rating: 4/5
All the Best.
Dr. Mayank Mishra
Author (Diary of a Ph.D. Student: To be or not to be)
The whole book is about the startup Evam which author started after some failures in other startups. End of each chapter he summarises the learnings which I liked (Takeouts).
The novel is easy to understand and has practical advice to young entrepreneurs.
Its a couple of days read. Some pages can be skipped depending on what one likes.
The best thing about the book is instead of tips and tricks, it talks about the journey which author took as co-founder of art startUp Evam.
My rating: 4/5
All the Best.
Dr. Mayank Mishra
Author (Diary of a Ph.D. Student: To be or not to be)
April 29, 2019
Intrinsic view point from an entrepreneur
The book tries to summarise the experience of the author when starting up in India(especially in the arts domain) was not considered a big thing. After many ups & downs, the startup saw its way through and finally generated enough revenue to self sustain. The journey in itself was enlightening for the author and the readers alike!
All in all, any aspiring entrepreneur should find experiences extremely helpful and build on it.
The book tries to summarise the experience of the author when starting up in India(especially in the arts domain) was not considered a big thing. After many ups & downs, the startup saw its way through and finally generated enough revenue to self sustain. The journey in itself was enlightening for the author and the readers alike!
All in all, any aspiring entrepreneur should find experiences extremely helpful and build on it.
August 14, 2019
I read this book few months back!
Wonderful read !
I just made a review in Youtube channel - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U33ee.... What I love in this book?
the book has some honest ideas and this is how you should start a company. There are many software companies out there dunno what they want to do and no focus. This would be an eye opener for new startup company including mine!
Wonderful read !
I just made a review in Youtube channel - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U33ee.... What I love in this book?
the book has some honest ideas and this is how you should start a company. There are many software companies out there dunno what they want to do and no focus. This would be an eye opener for new startup company including mine!
January 16, 2020
Decent quick read but leaves few gaps
Interesting points to reflect in your own journey. But somehow it still leaves you incomplete in getting out a single message from the story. A good book, nonetheless, to read through, reflect, add few action items and move on. Maybe just like a startup :)
Interesting points to reflect in your own journey. But somehow it still leaves you incomplete in getting out a single message from the story. A good book, nonetheless, to read through, reflect, add few action items and move on. Maybe just like a startup :)
May 28, 2020
It's simple, guides you for your startup journey, and unique too.
October 12, 2020
Quick read that doesn't go deep. Was hoping the examples with Evam would be more detailed.
July 3, 2021
Must read book for young entrepreneur, it's such a underrated book, please read ASAP.
February 15, 2023
Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant
September 17, 2024
Needs more meat to it as it lacks necessary details
July 21, 2020
A one time read.. a bit dry and not so engaging as the business decisions or problems or related were not described much - just like "we had a problem, I trusted so & so, it didnt happen, we had a tough time, good that we came out with more knowledge, failure isnt bad" and so on; at some point you start skimming automatically.
I read this right after Alok Kejriwal's "Why I stopped wearing my socks" which was relatively much engaging as we go on on a journey with him, the problems he faced, the decisions he had to make and the effects of those.
Anyways, not an outright bad book by any means. Give it a quick read, may be you might pick up something.
I read this right after Alok Kejriwal's "Why I stopped wearing my socks" which was relatively much engaging as we go on on a journey with him, the problems he faced, the decisions he had to make and the effects of those.
Anyways, not an outright bad book by any means. Give it a quick read, may be you might pick up something.
January 14, 2021
The author himself is a founder of a start-up and in this book he tried to teach some business lessons with the help of his own experience.
It is not indepth.
It is not indepth.
August 22, 2022
Refreshing read.
Read
September 28, 2018Must read for entrepreuners.
Most realistic book written on startups, with practical suggestions. Based 15 year experience Karthik Kumar has articulated well, three stages startup to grownup. Takeouts after each chapter captures the message clearly. One of the best books I read in recent times.
Most realistic book written on startups, with practical suggestions. Based 15 year experience Karthik Kumar has articulated well, three stages startup to grownup. Takeouts after each chapter captures the message clearly. One of the best books I read in recent times.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews