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Reboot: Probably More Than You Ever Wanted to Know about Starting a Global Business
Shoes of Prey launched in 2009. It allowed people to design their dream shoes online, get them expertly manufactured, and have them shipped to anywhere in the world within two weeks. The startup broke even at two months, hit multi-million dollar revenues in under two years, raised tens of millions in funding from top-tier investors and shipped to more than 100 countries. All the metrics pointed to huge scalability. To a huge business. To a huge success.
But it didn’t succeed. In 2018 the business failed. And this is that story.
Reboot tells the truth of what it is like to be at the helm of a global business. From the high highs of besting Karl Lagerfeld on global awards to the low lows of closing the doors on your dream, join author Jodie Fox on a raw journey as she reveals for the first time the story behind the story of fashion darling Shoes of Prey.
This incredible ride will share lessons on raising capital, building a brand, finding suppliers, doing business in China and, most importantly, how to learn and grow from your successes and your mistakes and be ready every day to reboot for the next challenge.
But it didn’t succeed. In 2018 the business failed. And this is that story.
Reboot tells the truth of what it is like to be at the helm of a global business. From the high highs of besting Karl Lagerfeld on global awards to the low lows of closing the doors on your dream, join author Jodie Fox on a raw journey as she reveals for the first time the story behind the story of fashion darling Shoes of Prey.
This incredible ride will share lessons on raising capital, building a brand, finding suppliers, doing business in China and, most importantly, how to learn and grow from your successes and your mistakes and be ready every day to reboot for the next challenge.
280 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 21, 2019
20 people are currently reading
141 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 27, 2020
"You have to do everything before you're ready. That is the only way anything ever gets done."
I saw Jodie speak at an event a few years back, and I was absolutely captivated by her. She was this amazing mix of fashionista, techie, and business founder. She had — and was — it all!
When her business collapsed, Jodie openly shared the story in a very personal blog post that made the rounds in the startup community. You often hear about successful startups, but you rarely hear about those that fail, and I found her openness incredibly refreshing. I've been looking forward to reading this book ever since she hinted at it in that article.
While I think the writing could benefit from a tighter edit, I really enjoyed this book. It did not disappoint in terms of Jodie being incredibly brave and candid in sharing how she built her dream company, only to eventually watch it crumble around her.
Beyond the "lessons learned", there's also a lot of practical advice for hiring, getting funding, moving overseas, etc. Jodie also shares her personal struggles with imposter syndrome and depression — proof that you can appear to "have it all" when you're actually falling apart inside. Again, she not only shares the signs of mental health issues, but also actionable lifestyle changes she's made to avoid slipping again.
While I loved all the personal anecdotes, I feel as though the book is missing some in-depth business analysis. For example, Shoes of Prey raised millions of dollars, but there's no breakdown of how it was spent. And as you're reading along, it feels like everything is going well, until it isn't, and while that's probably what it felt like at the time, it would be interesting to have a more analytical look at exactly where/when/how it all started to break down, and why.
Regardless, I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to start a global business, or who is simply keen to understand what it takes to do it. Jodie is a force, and I look forward to seeing what she does next!
I saw Jodie speak at an event a few years back, and I was absolutely captivated by her. She was this amazing mix of fashionista, techie, and business founder. She had — and was — it all!
When her business collapsed, Jodie openly shared the story in a very personal blog post that made the rounds in the startup community. You often hear about successful startups, but you rarely hear about those that fail, and I found her openness incredibly refreshing. I've been looking forward to reading this book ever since she hinted at it in that article.
While I think the writing could benefit from a tighter edit, I really enjoyed this book. It did not disappoint in terms of Jodie being incredibly brave and candid in sharing how she built her dream company, only to eventually watch it crumble around her.
Beyond the "lessons learned", there's also a lot of practical advice for hiring, getting funding, moving overseas, etc. Jodie also shares her personal struggles with imposter syndrome and depression — proof that you can appear to "have it all" when you're actually falling apart inside. Again, she not only shares the signs of mental health issues, but also actionable lifestyle changes she's made to avoid slipping again.
While I loved all the personal anecdotes, I feel as though the book is missing some in-depth business analysis. For example, Shoes of Prey raised millions of dollars, but there's no breakdown of how it was spent. And as you're reading along, it feels like everything is going well, until it isn't, and while that's probably what it felt like at the time, it would be interesting to have a more analytical look at exactly where/when/how it all started to break down, and why.
Regardless, I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to start a global business, or who is simply keen to understand what it takes to do it. Jodie is a force, and I look forward to seeing what she does next!
December 6, 2019
Don’t let the length of time it took me to finish this brilliant book confuse you. It was such a great insight into building a business, with a transparency that few others would be brave enough to expose, that I read and reread some chapters, even taking notes (as a business owner).
Jodie writes what could have been a dry reference book into an amazing story about the incredible journey of building a business. While many on the outside looking in could see this as an “overnight success” and then a sudden failure, this book sets the record straight and guides any current and future business developers to avoid the mistakes made from lack of experience at the time.
Beautifully written, engaging, open and yet technical but perfectly explained concepts that even those foreign to the industries would understand.
I highly recommend this book and look forward to her next venture because it will undoubtedly be phenomenal next time!
Jodie writes what could have been a dry reference book into an amazing story about the incredible journey of building a business. While many on the outside looking in could see this as an “overnight success” and then a sudden failure, this book sets the record straight and guides any current and future business developers to avoid the mistakes made from lack of experience at the time.
Beautifully written, engaging, open and yet technical but perfectly explained concepts that even those foreign to the industries would understand.
I highly recommend this book and look forward to her next venture because it will undoubtedly be phenomenal next time!
November 9, 2019
Just not for me.
February 6, 2022
Reboot is such an eye opening and heart warming read. Having worked with Shoes of Prey a number of years ago, I didn't at the time realise the gravity of their achievement in the Australian start up scene or the extent of the personal turmoil that Jodie Fox was undergoing.
The personal story of Jodie Fox is told by her in a simple and straight forward language which lays bare all her vulnerabilities. I can't help but empathise with her incredible journey. This book will be especially enlightening if you're in the midst of starting your own entrepreneurial journey. Wish Jodie Fox all the best for what lays ahead.
The personal story of Jodie Fox is told by her in a simple and straight forward language which lays bare all her vulnerabilities. I can't help but empathise with her incredible journey. This book will be especially enlightening if you're in the midst of starting your own entrepreneurial journey. Wish Jodie Fox all the best for what lays ahead.
October 31, 2019
Without doubt this is one of the best “business” books I’ve ever read. It’s real and it’s honest and answers the questions to all those niggling thoughts you’re too embarrassed to ask out loud. It’s inspirational and thought provoking and it’s already helped me so much on my own entrepreneurial journey. Looking for a gift? Get this for anyone in business
April 25, 2020
Good to read the inside story of the founding of 'Shoes of Prey', an Aussie ecommerce startup that was getting a lot of buzz. I remember it getting plaudits and shout-outs at the digital consultancy I worked at in 2016. An unfortunate end, but the spirit of the thing - telling more stories of failure so we can learn and celebrate them in their own way - is definitely laudable.
May 17, 2020
I read this not as someone looking to create a startup, but as a fan of Shoes of Prey. This satisfied my curiosity about its rise and fall - and also provided some helpful insight for those in the target audience for the book.
September 22, 2021
An intimate insight into an innovative business from the inside. There's such an incredible personal journey here, and so much to learn about how hard it is to build a company.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews