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EVERYTHING STARTED AS NOTHING: How to Win the Start-up Battle
Early stage investor Bhaskar Majumdar reveals why it is critical for entrepreneurs to have an ‘everything started as nothing’ attitude to innovate and create value.
Bhaskar gives a masterclass on how to plan, build, sustain and grow a start-up, and stay miles ahead of competition with the ‘everything started as nothing’ mantra. This book is an account of what works and what does not in the Indian start-up ecosystem from someone who has had a front row seat as the ecosystem emerged to become the third largest in the world.
Leveraging real anecdotes and stories from entrepreneurial ventures across a vast spectrum including the technology sector, agri and small-scale businesses, manufacturing as well as the social sector in India, Bhaskar highlights the emergence of winning scalable businesses in today’s ruthless marketplace. The business entrepreneurs featured have succeeded by focussing on solving unique country specific problems rather than aping successes from other markets. Apart from his own experience of the start-up world, Bhaskar also shares stories of Abhinay Choudhari (co-founder of Big Basket), Amod Malviya (co-founder of udaan, fastest Indian unicorn), celebrity chef and entrepreneur Sanjeev Kapoor, Phanindra Sama (co-founder of redBus), Anand Deshpande (Founder and CEO of Persistent Systems), Rajesh Jain (India’s first Internet billionaire) among others.
This book is for those who seek to create ‘everything from nothing’.
Bhaskar gives a masterclass on how to plan, build, sustain and grow a start-up, and stay miles ahead of competition with the ‘everything started as nothing’ mantra. This book is an account of what works and what does not in the Indian start-up ecosystem from someone who has had a front row seat as the ecosystem emerged to become the third largest in the world.
Leveraging real anecdotes and stories from entrepreneurial ventures across a vast spectrum including the technology sector, agri and small-scale businesses, manufacturing as well as the social sector in India, Bhaskar highlights the emergence of winning scalable businesses in today’s ruthless marketplace. The business entrepreneurs featured have succeeded by focussing on solving unique country specific problems rather than aping successes from other markets. Apart from his own experience of the start-up world, Bhaskar also shares stories of Abhinay Choudhari (co-founder of Big Basket), Amod Malviya (co-founder of udaan, fastest Indian unicorn), celebrity chef and entrepreneur Sanjeev Kapoor, Phanindra Sama (co-founder of redBus), Anand Deshpande (Founder and CEO of Persistent Systems), Rajesh Jain (India’s first Internet billionaire) among others.
This book is for those who seek to create ‘everything from nothing’.
- GenresBusinessNonfiction
198 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 10, 2021
4 people are currently reading
75 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
March 28, 2021
Everything Started As Nothing by Bhaskar Majumdar is an insightful guide on the coveted field of entrepreneurship. As the title suggests, any startup always begins from a zero, from nothing. But what it takes to reach the top, what the success journey essentially entails, forms the crux of this book.
This highly enjoyable non-fiction book explores several factors responsible for the building of a successful startup. The author himself is a seasoned corporate executive and a serial entrepreneur. That goes on to explain the efficacy of this book as it contains nuggets of wisdom coming from an experienced professional. Not just this, the book also has bits and bytes of advice from other people who started from nothing and went on to achieve greater heights in their respective businesses.
The book busts the myth that startup life is all magnificent. It candidly explains that there is a lot of grind going into a successful venture. Moving ahead, it chalks down a few other pointers including-
1. Picking the right co-founders for the business
2. The learning never stops in the entrepreneurial journey. Pivot or perish.
3. Be prepared to put your idea in front of the world and test the waters
4. The beginning might be tough but once you're in, trust your instincts
5. Hire the right people
6. Vision is important and so is execution
7. Entrepreneurs don't fail, businesses do
Reading business non-fiction might not be a smooth read for all. However, if you're looking forward to having your own business or maybe, want to explore the facts behind entrepreneurship, do consider reading this thoughtfully presented book. Its lucid writing and accessible narrative would keep you thoroughly engaged while filling you in with some vital information.
This highly enjoyable non-fiction book explores several factors responsible for the building of a successful startup. The author himself is a seasoned corporate executive and a serial entrepreneur. That goes on to explain the efficacy of this book as it contains nuggets of wisdom coming from an experienced professional. Not just this, the book also has bits and bytes of advice from other people who started from nothing and went on to achieve greater heights in their respective businesses.
The book busts the myth that startup life is all magnificent. It candidly explains that there is a lot of grind going into a successful venture. Moving ahead, it chalks down a few other pointers including-
1. Picking the right co-founders for the business
2. The learning never stops in the entrepreneurial journey. Pivot or perish.
3. Be prepared to put your idea in front of the world and test the waters
4. The beginning might be tough but once you're in, trust your instincts
5. Hire the right people
6. Vision is important and so is execution
7. Entrepreneurs don't fail, businesses do
Reading business non-fiction might not be a smooth read for all. However, if you're looking forward to having your own business or maybe, want to explore the facts behind entrepreneurship, do consider reading this thoughtfully presented book. Its lucid writing and accessible narrative would keep you thoroughly engaged while filling you in with some vital information.
July 31, 2021
What to expect?
Expect a book meant for business owners, management professionals, and business graduates. Expect a book that brings to you both primary and secondary research data, coupled with the personal experiences of the author in the field of entrepreneurship.
Who can read?
The book is written in a language that is non-academic and reader-friendly. It is a language that is polished but at the same time accessible to a wide variety of readers. The business jargon is explained in depth. And complicated terms have been avoided to make sure that beginners can easily pick it up.
What is the book all about?
At the core of the book lies the concept - everything starts from zero. As the author takes us through the all-important steps of planning, building, sustaining, and growing a startup, we get to know the dos and don’ts, the struggles and challenges, the opportunities and strengths that a business experiences. In the process, it enlightens you about not just the data and facts, but also the success and failure stories of many known and relatively unknown entrepreneurs, enabling one to learn from their experiences.
What did I like?
At the end of every chapter, there are summary points listed in a box section that recapitulates the key points of the chapter. This section, cleverly titled “Being startup battle ready”, makes it easy and convenient for the reader to memorize and revisit the focus points of each chapter. In strictly that sense, it serves a very practical purpose.
Some more bonus points
Even though the book is written keeping in mind the Indian reader, there can be seen, many examples of international tech conglomerates like Philips, Dell, Cisco, Amazon, Google, and Facebook. This brings a sort of universality to the existing body of knowledge contained in the book.
Read the detailed review on India's No. 1 Book Blog - https://www.bookgeeks.in/everything-s...
Expect a book meant for business owners, management professionals, and business graduates. Expect a book that brings to you both primary and secondary research data, coupled with the personal experiences of the author in the field of entrepreneurship.
Who can read?
The book is written in a language that is non-academic and reader-friendly. It is a language that is polished but at the same time accessible to a wide variety of readers. The business jargon is explained in depth. And complicated terms have been avoided to make sure that beginners can easily pick it up.
What is the book all about?
At the core of the book lies the concept - everything starts from zero. As the author takes us through the all-important steps of planning, building, sustaining, and growing a startup, we get to know the dos and don’ts, the struggles and challenges, the opportunities and strengths that a business experiences. In the process, it enlightens you about not just the data and facts, but also the success and failure stories of many known and relatively unknown entrepreneurs, enabling one to learn from their experiences.
What did I like?
At the end of every chapter, there are summary points listed in a box section that recapitulates the key points of the chapter. This section, cleverly titled “Being startup battle ready”, makes it easy and convenient for the reader to memorize and revisit the focus points of each chapter. In strictly that sense, it serves a very practical purpose.
Some more bonus points
Even though the book is written keeping in mind the Indian reader, there can be seen, many examples of international tech conglomerates like Philips, Dell, Cisco, Amazon, Google, and Facebook. This brings a sort of universality to the existing body of knowledge contained in the book.
Read the detailed review on India's No. 1 Book Blog - https://www.bookgeeks.in/everything-s...
April 13, 2021
“Entrepreneurship is a state of mind. It isn’t merely about implementation of an idea. It’s about risk-taking, putting your head above the parapet and trying to create something out of nothing.”
Bhaskar Majumdar brings forward the theories, ideas, concepts, visions, and most importantly the ‘Do Nots’ in the journey of entrepreneurship. Divided; elaborated in 18 chapters the book is unputdownable; not only because of the wisdom and the first hand experiences it shares but also in terms of presentation, the versatility of text, having something for each and every one of us.
The examples it draws shall keep the readers enthralled, for they’re derived from real instances and reality appeals.
The 13th chapter in the book which talks about luck- “Luck is important, But you need to steer it” is immensely interesting and enticing. The importance of ‘humility’ in one’s journey is remarkably attributed in example and text.
My rating: 4/5
Bhaskar Majumdar brings forward the theories, ideas, concepts, visions, and most importantly the ‘Do Nots’ in the journey of entrepreneurship. Divided; elaborated in 18 chapters the book is unputdownable; not only because of the wisdom and the first hand experiences it shares but also in terms of presentation, the versatility of text, having something for each and every one of us.
The examples it draws shall keep the readers enthralled, for they’re derived from real instances and reality appeals.
The 13th chapter in the book which talks about luck- “Luck is important, But you need to steer it” is immensely interesting and enticing. The importance of ‘humility’ in one’s journey is remarkably attributed in example and text.
My rating: 4/5
July 2, 2024
Great lessons for founders anywhere on the startup journey https://www.anuradhagoyal.com/everyth...
April 6, 2021
•You are what your deep driving desire is.
As your desire is, so is your will,
As your will is, so is your deed.
As your deed is, so is your Destiny.•
Everything starts as nothing by @bhaskarmajumdarvc is a guide for all aspiring entrepreneurs. A book that will make you see a big and better picture of your vision.
This book is indeed a masterclass on how to plan, build, sustain and grow your startup with inspiring anecdotes and stories from amazing entrepreneurs.
From all the thoughts we have when we are planning a startup to the difficulties we face, the hundreds of thoughts we have, the author engagingly expressed it all. The thoughts, the lessons are practical that one could relate to.
My most favourite chapter from the book is plan before you leap, but trust your intuition when you do and Thrive in Chaos. It's a book that one must understand well, the lessons that the author shared can make a big difference in our journey if we refer to them.
I enjoyed reading being start-up battle-ready column after every chapter. The simple narration and intriguing writing style make this book a delightful read.
Overall, it's a must-read book that you are going to enjoy. A light and interesting nonfiction read that aspiring entrepreneurs must read.
As your desire is, so is your will,
As your will is, so is your deed.
As your deed is, so is your Destiny.•
Everything starts as nothing by @bhaskarmajumdarvc is a guide for all aspiring entrepreneurs. A book that will make you see a big and better picture of your vision.
This book is indeed a masterclass on how to plan, build, sustain and grow your startup with inspiring anecdotes and stories from amazing entrepreneurs.
From all the thoughts we have when we are planning a startup to the difficulties we face, the hundreds of thoughts we have, the author engagingly expressed it all. The thoughts, the lessons are practical that one could relate to.
My most favourite chapter from the book is plan before you leap, but trust your intuition when you do and Thrive in Chaos. It's a book that one must understand well, the lessons that the author shared can make a big difference in our journey if we refer to them.
I enjoyed reading being start-up battle-ready column after every chapter. The simple narration and intriguing writing style make this book a delightful read.
Overall, it's a must-read book that you are going to enjoy. A light and interesting nonfiction read that aspiring entrepreneurs must read.
March 30, 2021
In “Everything Started as Nothing”, Bhaskar Majumdar presents a multitude of experiential do’s and don’ts for budding entrepreneurs keeping in mind the Indian Start-Up ecosystem. A pioneer in his field, Majumdar is a serial entrepreneur himself and has invested across 30+ startups in India.
The paradigm shift in the entrepreneurial score that made it's presence known in the early 2011’s has only grown exponentially with the launch of Digital India and is already sought as the most fulfilling of careers.
With a brief introduction, of the current scene of start-ups in the second highest populated country, Majumdar makes an onerous attempt to answer and provide solutions that are quintessential in the Indian story. The book hence is ladened with success stories of young entrepreneurs, from all formats of the journey be it : technology, hospitality, IT,sports and more.
Entrepreneurship is often a one-way street filled with chaos, obstacles and a lot of second-guessing but the one thing you need to ask yourself is “are you comfortable in your own skin”?
“Everything Started as Nothing” is a book that is easily accessible and understandable, doesn’t go on to preach what “real entrepreneurship” should look like and the best thing about it is it doesn’t overwhelm the reader at any point. If you are someone rolling up your sleeves to venture into the world of start-ups, dismantling the structural ecosystem of the corporate world or know someone who is, this book is written for it! It is truly inspirational and motivates the reader and most importantly it is like having an one-to-one with someone with the same mindset.
The paradigm shift in the entrepreneurial score that made it's presence known in the early 2011’s has only grown exponentially with the launch of Digital India and is already sought as the most fulfilling of careers.
With a brief introduction, of the current scene of start-ups in the second highest populated country, Majumdar makes an onerous attempt to answer and provide solutions that are quintessential in the Indian story. The book hence is ladened with success stories of young entrepreneurs, from all formats of the journey be it : technology, hospitality, IT,sports and more.
Entrepreneurship is often a one-way street filled with chaos, obstacles and a lot of second-guessing but the one thing you need to ask yourself is “are you comfortable in your own skin”?
“Everything Started as Nothing” is a book that is easily accessible and understandable, doesn’t go on to preach what “real entrepreneurship” should look like and the best thing about it is it doesn’t overwhelm the reader at any point. If you are someone rolling up your sleeves to venture into the world of start-ups, dismantling the structural ecosystem of the corporate world or know someone who is, this book is written for it! It is truly inspirational and motivates the reader and most importantly it is like having an one-to-one with someone with the same mindset.
March 23, 2021
If you wish to establish your own startup, this book is perfect for you. It teaches us how to plan, build, sustain and grow a start-up, and stay miles ahead of competition with the ‘everything started as nothing’ mantra.
✨
Packed with real life anecdotes and experiences of the established Entrepreneurs, this book will give you an insight into about how to build your own business from scratch.
One can gain immense knowledge by reading this powerful book.
✨
Written in easy language with real life stories of Abhinay Choudhari (co-founder of Big Basket), Amod Malviya (co-founder of udaan, fastest Indian unicorn), celebrity chef and entrepreneur Sanjeev Kapoor, among others, this book is an engaging read.
I personally enjoyed reading this one!!
August 12, 2021
This book is a fundae session on a typical lifecycle of a startup and its founders. Insightful, would recommend to anyone having entrepreneurship as an option in the back of their mind. Don't expect good writing though.
March 26, 2021
“Entrepreneurial success is all about enduring pain and having the perseverance. It is easy to look at successful companies in awe, but we must remember that EVERYTHING STARTED AS NOTHING” - Bhaskar Majumdar
𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 :
Everything started as nothing is a book for entrepreneurs in the Indian context and looks at the entire Indian entrepreneurial start-up ecosystem and analyses the different types of businesses that have either succeeded or failed.
In this book, you’ll find stories of Abhinay Choudhari(Co-founder of Big Basket), Phanindra Sama(Founder of Red Bus), Sanjeev Kapoor(Celebrity Chef and businessman), and many such inspiring startup founders.
𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤:
The book is divided with respect to the life cycle of a startup
The Infancy Stage
The Growth Stage
The Consolidation Stage And
The End Game
Within these 4 stages, there is a lot to learn for an entrepreneur, This book is like a holy grail for Indian entrepreneurs.
This book covers everything right from the mindset of the entrepreneur to how to raise funding, from choosing the right co-founder to choosing the right CEO, from nurturing and growing your startup into a sustainable business to letting it go at the right moment.
And it also shares the journeys of a lot of entrepreneurs who have succeeded and failed and the author has drawn some wonderful entrepreneurial life lessons from them.
𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮?
Well if you are an aspiring entrepreneur or you are an entrepreneur, then this book will give you all the necessary tools, steps, guidelines, or tricks whatever you call it, especially in the context of Indian startups.
𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 :
It’s a book that every Indian entrepreneur must-read. So if you are into business/entrepreneurial books then pick this one ASAP.
𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 :
Everything started as nothing is a book for entrepreneurs in the Indian context and looks at the entire Indian entrepreneurial start-up ecosystem and analyses the different types of businesses that have either succeeded or failed.
In this book, you’ll find stories of Abhinay Choudhari(Co-founder of Big Basket), Phanindra Sama(Founder of Red Bus), Sanjeev Kapoor(Celebrity Chef and businessman), and many such inspiring startup founders.
𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤:
The book is divided with respect to the life cycle of a startup
The Infancy Stage
The Growth Stage
The Consolidation Stage And
The End Game
Within these 4 stages, there is a lot to learn for an entrepreneur, This book is like a holy grail for Indian entrepreneurs.
This book covers everything right from the mindset of the entrepreneur to how to raise funding, from choosing the right co-founder to choosing the right CEO, from nurturing and growing your startup into a sustainable business to letting it go at the right moment.
And it also shares the journeys of a lot of entrepreneurs who have succeeded and failed and the author has drawn some wonderful entrepreneurial life lessons from them.
𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮?
Well if you are an aspiring entrepreneur or you are an entrepreneur, then this book will give you all the necessary tools, steps, guidelines, or tricks whatever you call it, especially in the context of Indian startups.
𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 :
It’s a book that every Indian entrepreneur must-read. So if you are into business/entrepreneurial books then pick this one ASAP.
April 7, 2021
I will be honest. I had no idea about entrepreneurship and how exactly does one start a startup and what all it takes. I used to think it took a lot of capital, a space, an idea and maybe some contacts but this book made me realise that it's not just that. It takes a lot more for having a startup and even more to sustain. '𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘈𝘴 𝘕𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨' is a book that helped me understand it better.
#japreviewslit
"𝘐𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪���𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵-𝘶𝘱 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘭𝘺. 𝘐𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘺𝘱𝘦 𝘰𝘧 ���𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵-𝘶𝘱 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘶𝘳, 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵-𝘶𝘱 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺."
'𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘈𝘴 𝘕𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨' seems like a guide to what works and what does not in the Indian start up culture. The book gives you an insight into what it actually takes to build a business. The author talks about his own experiences and talks to his reader about how to go about planning and building a startup from scratch and then sustaining it. He talks about people who started and failed but whose spirits and confidence in themselves never did and as per Majumdar that is what can make you.
This was the first time I read something of this sort and to my surprise I kind of liked it. I think I won't be reading more such books because even though I kind of liked it, this isn't a genre I would like to explore more of. But if you're a young entrepreneur or are planning to enter the field then you must read '𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘈𝘴 𝘕𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨' and understand that in the beginning it might feel like everything is going wrong but it will get better. You just have to give in your all and be resilient and persevere.
I recommend it to anyone who's looking for something to do with entrepreneurship.
#japreviewslit
"𝘐𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪���𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵-𝘶𝘱 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘭𝘺. 𝘐𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘺𝘱𝘦 𝘰𝘧 ���𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵-𝘶𝘱 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘶𝘳, 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵-𝘶𝘱 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺."
'𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘈𝘴 𝘕𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨' seems like a guide to what works and what does not in the Indian start up culture. The book gives you an insight into what it actually takes to build a business. The author talks about his own experiences and talks to his reader about how to go about planning and building a startup from scratch and then sustaining it. He talks about people who started and failed but whose spirits and confidence in themselves never did and as per Majumdar that is what can make you.
This was the first time I read something of this sort and to my surprise I kind of liked it. I think I won't be reading more such books because even though I kind of liked it, this isn't a genre I would like to explore more of. But if you're a young entrepreneur or are planning to enter the field then you must read '𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘈𝘴 𝘕𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨' and understand that in the beginning it might feel like everything is going wrong but it will get better. You just have to give in your all and be resilient and persevere.
I recommend it to anyone who's looking for something to do with entrepreneurship.
March 27, 2021
Everything started as nothing
Authored by Bhaskar Majumdar
This non fiction book is about how to win the startup battle.
Chances are many of my followers are right now an aspiring entrepreneur or in the early phase of their entrepreneurial journey. To be success in this one must have a planned-out journey even though in it a lot of trial-and-error steps are needed. What works for one may not work for all. But still few things are basic and knowing those can save your time and build your knowledge.
Here the chapters discuss the basic steps which one can implement in their day-to-day life to plan, build, sustain and grow their dream start up into a robust business.
Mr. Bhaskar Majumdar is a seasoned corporate executive who is a serial entrepreneur turned well known early-stage investor. He is the founding partner of Unicorn India ventures and an alumnus of IIT Kharagpur who has invested in more than 30 startups.
Young Indians have great potential in startups zone of the economy. From how to start small keeping yourself updated with your target market trends and ever so evolving needs of it to manage the financial arena, understand your competitors, hire efficient people, this book proves to an insightful read. Everything has been presented to the point and in a lucid way which makes it easy to grasp. Mr. Majumdar has done an excellent job as well by including the inspiring stories of great business leaders like co-founder of Big Basket, Udaan, redBus, Persistent systems and even presenting few strategies responsible for the foundation of tech and electronics giants like Dell, Cisco and Philips alongside references of eminent personalities like Gandhiji and Rajesh Jain who transformed India with entrepreneurial their mindset which make it a wholesome read. I recommend it to all.
Authored by Bhaskar Majumdar
This non fiction book is about how to win the startup battle.
Chances are many of my followers are right now an aspiring entrepreneur or in the early phase of their entrepreneurial journey. To be success in this one must have a planned-out journey even though in it a lot of trial-and-error steps are needed. What works for one may not work for all. But still few things are basic and knowing those can save your time and build your knowledge.
Here the chapters discuss the basic steps which one can implement in their day-to-day life to plan, build, sustain and grow their dream start up into a robust business.
Mr. Bhaskar Majumdar is a seasoned corporate executive who is a serial entrepreneur turned well known early-stage investor. He is the founding partner of Unicorn India ventures and an alumnus of IIT Kharagpur who has invested in more than 30 startups.
Young Indians have great potential in startups zone of the economy. From how to start small keeping yourself updated with your target market trends and ever so evolving needs of it to manage the financial arena, understand your competitors, hire efficient people, this book proves to an insightful read. Everything has been presented to the point and in a lucid way which makes it easy to grasp. Mr. Majumdar has done an excellent job as well by including the inspiring stories of great business leaders like co-founder of Big Basket, Udaan, redBus, Persistent systems and even presenting few strategies responsible for the foundation of tech and electronics giants like Dell, Cisco and Philips alongside references of eminent personalities like Gandhiji and Rajesh Jain who transformed India with entrepreneurial their mindset which make it a wholesome read. I recommend it to all.
March 25, 2021
Everything Started As Nothing by Bhaskar Majumdar is a rare glimpse into the mind of a true industry insider with practical data and modern business understanding applicable to any would-be entrepreneur or inventor or business person. It is an excellent handbook for those starting a business or non-profit, stressing function over form and action over planning. The lessons apply to organizations whether they're bootstrapping or seeking funding from venture capitalists or angel investors. Bhaskar Majumdar includes plenty of historical examples and first-hand experience, making this a practical real-world resource that's more valuable than a simply conceptual textbook.
Bhaskar Majumdar is a respected serial entrepreneur and well-known early stage investor. The book's lessons are relevant, concise, and entertaining. Each chapter covers a particular topic and ends with exercises. Author Bhaskar Majumdar stripped everything down to the core basic principles of being lean and agile in response to customer feedback. This is not new but is collated and distilled in a very dynamic, yet clear structured manner.
The biggest theme in the book, as the title aptly suggests, is that ambitious people should strive to create new things in the world that have the potential to move humanity forward by an order of magnitude. The major point, however, is that you shouldn’t pretend or act like you have all answers but embrace the uncertainty and develop an experimental approach to delivering a Minimum Viable Product – build, measure, learn. There is the other perspective that to truly know your value and where you're going you should start with the presumption that you will dominate the industry and your solution is a game changer. Personally, I feel you need to have both the end game as a vision and have some idea what that would look like. But also, the practical next steps on the day to day basis of how you prove and correctly position your company for initial customer acquisition is crucial.
I found Everything Started As Nothing by Bhaskar Majumdar not only great for advice, techniques and the analogous stories to help reinforce the approach, but it is an inspirational book that dares you to challenge everything and rationalise with customer validation that your vision is viable and scalable. When a book affects me it starts a chain reaction in my thought process so that I either gain a better understanding of where I need to go or may enable me to articulate what has been sitting just out of reach in my mind. This is one of those books.
Bhaskar Majumdar is a respected serial entrepreneur and well-known early stage investor. The book's lessons are relevant, concise, and entertaining. Each chapter covers a particular topic and ends with exercises. Author Bhaskar Majumdar stripped everything down to the core basic principles of being lean and agile in response to customer feedback. This is not new but is collated and distilled in a very dynamic, yet clear structured manner.
The biggest theme in the book, as the title aptly suggests, is that ambitious people should strive to create new things in the world that have the potential to move humanity forward by an order of magnitude. The major point, however, is that you shouldn’t pretend or act like you have all answers but embrace the uncertainty and develop an experimental approach to delivering a Minimum Viable Product – build, measure, learn. There is the other perspective that to truly know your value and where you're going you should start with the presumption that you will dominate the industry and your solution is a game changer. Personally, I feel you need to have both the end game as a vision and have some idea what that would look like. But also, the practical next steps on the day to day basis of how you prove and correctly position your company for initial customer acquisition is crucial.
I found Everything Started As Nothing by Bhaskar Majumdar not only great for advice, techniques and the analogous stories to help reinforce the approach, but it is an inspirational book that dares you to challenge everything and rationalise with customer validation that your vision is viable and scalable. When a book affects me it starts a chain reaction in my thought process so that I either gain a better understanding of where I need to go or may enable me to articulate what has been sitting just out of reach in my mind. This is one of those books.
April 21, 2021
This is a great book on startup ecosystem – immensely full of wisdom about business growth engine and how to scale up a startup. Right from funding to hiring to managing business without losing calm, I think the book delivers all what is needed in today’s startup pond. This book is written by Bhaskar Majumdar, an influential personality as a serial investor and entrepreneur. He has been an expert investor for startups for many years and currently he is the founder and managing partner at Unicorn India Ventures, also a seasoned media & technology executive and entrepreneur.
As I read the book in my time, I got all the underlying secrets and mechanism of starting a startup in India. Bhaskar’s prime coverage on funding is simply the great aspect of the book, because startups cannot survive without proper funding, be it angel or VC. Next, he introduces many successful tech and non-tech startup entrepreneurs to us for hot and live feed of wisdom. I keep finding wording and experience of some of the well-know entrepreneurs from companies like Big Basket, Flipkart, Housing dot Com, Eggoz, Red Bus, and many more. Reading about others experiences always fascinated me – especially success stories.
Bhaskar’s captivating style and lucid language makes this book a sort of hand guide, so that one can use it anytime. Not only this there are many startup success and failure and blunder stories for each situation that eventually I run out of memory to keep track of all…but finally it is something fruitful read. I am sure no one can share information on startups like he did. All startup guys in India must pick up this book for better results. By all standards, the book truly teaches “How to Win the Start-up Battle.”
As I read the book in my time, I got all the underlying secrets and mechanism of starting a startup in India. Bhaskar’s prime coverage on funding is simply the great aspect of the book, because startups cannot survive without proper funding, be it angel or VC. Next, he introduces many successful tech and non-tech startup entrepreneurs to us for hot and live feed of wisdom. I keep finding wording and experience of some of the well-know entrepreneurs from companies like Big Basket, Flipkart, Housing dot Com, Eggoz, Red Bus, and many more. Reading about others experiences always fascinated me – especially success stories.
Bhaskar’s captivating style and lucid language makes this book a sort of hand guide, so that one can use it anytime. Not only this there are many startup success and failure and blunder stories for each situation that eventually I run out of memory to keep track of all…but finally it is something fruitful read. I am sure no one can share information on startups like he did. All startup guys in India must pick up this book for better results. By all standards, the book truly teaches “How to Win the Start-up Battle.”
April 19, 2021
Everything Started as Nothing by Bhaskar Majumdar is not just a book on startup wisdom, rather an encyclopedia. The book is special because of its author – Bhaskar Majumdar – who is a strong personality in the startup ecosystem. Not only this, he has been an expert investor for startups for many years and currently he is the founder and managing partner at Unicorn India Ventures, also a seasoned media & technology executive and entrepreneur.
The information and insights given in the book are not only new but much of the knowledge spirals off from his personal experiences. As I read the book, I got all the nuances of starting a startup. His mega coverage on funding is simply the superb USP of the book. He has taken live and great examples to simplify the terms and explain various situations that hold up startups at many levels. From Big Basket to Eggoz to Facebook and his company Recreate Solutions and many more, references galore in the book.
Written in lucid language and captivating style, this book is like a hand guide, one can use it anytime. There are so many startup stories in the book for each situation that I run out of memory to keep track of all…but in the end it is something fruitful read. No one can share information on startups like he does in this book. I think all startup guys in India must pick up this book for better clarity on their thoughts and actions. In a sense, truly the book is something that teaches you to learn “How to Win the Start-up Battle.”
The information and insights given in the book are not only new but much of the knowledge spirals off from his personal experiences. As I read the book, I got all the nuances of starting a startup. His mega coverage on funding is simply the superb USP of the book. He has taken live and great examples to simplify the terms and explain various situations that hold up startups at many levels. From Big Basket to Eggoz to Facebook and his company Recreate Solutions and many more, references galore in the book.
Written in lucid language and captivating style, this book is like a hand guide, one can use it anytime. There are so many startup stories in the book for each situation that I run out of memory to keep track of all…but in the end it is something fruitful read. No one can share information on startups like he does in this book. I think all startup guys in India must pick up this book for better clarity on their thoughts and actions. In a sense, truly the book is something that teaches you to learn “How to Win the Start-up Battle.”
April 26, 2021
Bhaskar Majumdar is the founding partner of Unicorn India Ventures and as such, has been involved in various start-ups. In this book, he shares lessons he's learned over the years as well as stories from the founders of BigBasket, Udaan, RedBus, etc.
What I liked about the book-
1. Not many books cover the entrepreneurship space in India and so this was a good read to understand the life of a startup in this country.
2. Bhaskar covers the stories of some startups really well and it's interesting to read about such companies.
3. Bhaskar is respected in his field and his advice comes not from simple research or hearsay, but from proper business experience.
What I didn't like about the book-
1. While filled with good advice, the book lacks a well-defined structure which makes the reader feel lost at times.
2. The book could have had a better flow in terms of studying the different startups and understanding their mistakes and keys to success.
Overall, Bhaskar has done a good job in compiling his decades worth of experience and knowledge into this book using examples from well respected startups. It's a good book to understand entrepreneurship in India.
What I liked about the book-
1. Not many books cover the entrepreneurship space in India and so this was a good read to understand the life of a startup in this country.
2. Bhaskar covers the stories of some startups really well and it's interesting to read about such companies.
3. Bhaskar is respected in his field and his advice comes not from simple research or hearsay, but from proper business experience.
What I didn't like about the book-
1. While filled with good advice, the book lacks a well-defined structure which makes the reader feel lost at times.
2. The book could have had a better flow in terms of studying the different startups and understanding their mistakes and keys to success.
Overall, Bhaskar has done a good job in compiling his decades worth of experience and knowledge into this book using examples from well respected startups. It's a good book to understand entrepreneurship in India.
May 2, 2021
This shares the stories of how the entrepreneurs built their empire and what led to the establishment of new business model. It tries to tackle some of the questions like when is the right to set a start-up, how to manage the funding, how to keep the establishment way above the founder and how to minimize the risks by interviewing the dozen of all the entrepreneurs. The author also adds personal creative strategies to add onto new start up's by the budding entrepreneurs to create a unique path and achieve the initial goals of setting up a successful business. It tries to connect existing dots and analyzes the previous establishment tactics to learn from.
It tries to explain the ideas and traits put forward in establishing previous businesses and when to plunge onto taking it forward. Although it tries to put forward ideas in establishing a start up, but does not form a go to tool kit in establishing a startup. It just tries to shed light on the experiences of the established entrepreneurs.
It tries to share the knowledge and gives practical tools to handle the situations. It is a must read by everyone in business. I rate it 3.5.
It tries to explain the ideas and traits put forward in establishing previous businesses and when to plunge onto taking it forward. Although it tries to put forward ideas in establishing a start up, but does not form a go to tool kit in establishing a startup. It just tries to shed light on the experiences of the established entrepreneurs.
It tries to share the knowledge and gives practical tools to handle the situations. It is a must read by everyone in business. I rate it 3.5.
April 18, 2021
Great Book for all those who want to start their own start - up or have already done so. It covers all the dynamics of starting a start-up as well as running it successfully to becoming a big company. All the aspects such as fundraising, initial investments , role of venture capitalists, Board of directors, exiting the start-up, hiring right are covered very briefly as well as with examples. The book is more suitable for Indian consumers as its talks specifically more about the dynamics involved in India. But then quoting the book "One who can successfully so business in India , can do it anywhere else in the world. Via the examples of various Indian as well as Foreign founders and CEOs, the author presents a wide view of what it's like to be in the position.
This is like the Indian version of "Zero to One" by Peter Thiel except that it covers everything in far more detail.
The best part of this book is that it covers ABCs of starting startup and running it successfully.
Favourite quotes:-
1. "Only businesses fail, Entrepreneurs don't."
This is like the Indian version of "Zero to One" by Peter Thiel except that it covers everything in far more detail.
The best part of this book is that it covers ABCs of starting startup and running it successfully.
Favourite quotes:-
1. "Only businesses fail, Entrepreneurs don't."
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews