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The Intelligent Entrepreneur: How Three Harvard Business School Graduates Learned the 10 Rules of Successful Entrepreneurship
Written with the cooperation of Harvard Business School, an instructive and inspiring book for anyone who dreams of starting a highly profitable business
In 1998, three Harvard Business School graduates—two men and one woman—turned down six-figure salaries at big corporations, bet on themselves, and launched their own new companies. By their ten-year reunion, their audacity had paid huge dividends. They'd made many millions of dollars, created hundreds of jobs—and left their mark on the world.
Based on dozens of interviews with highly successful entrepreneurs, Harvard Business School professors, and HBS alumni, The Intelligent Entrepreneur tells the compelling and instructive story of how these three young founders developed ideas, assembled teams, built ventures, and achieved their dreams. Along the way, they learned that starting great companies requires much more than a ferocious work ethic or good timing. Their hard-won insights—distilled into ten key rules—will help anyone become a successful entrepreneur.
What they teach you at Harvard Business School is that intelligent entrepreneurship can be learned. In that spirit, Bill Murphy Jr. uses a unique combination of vivid storytelling and lucid instruction to show would-be entrepreneurs how to improve their odds of creating dynamic, lasting businesses.
In 1998, three Harvard Business School graduates—two men and one woman—turned down six-figure salaries at big corporations, bet on themselves, and launched their own new companies. By their ten-year reunion, their audacity had paid huge dividends. They'd made many millions of dollars, created hundreds of jobs—and left their mark on the world.
Based on dozens of interviews with highly successful entrepreneurs, Harvard Business School professors, and HBS alumni, The Intelligent Entrepreneur tells the compelling and instructive story of how these three young founders developed ideas, assembled teams, built ventures, and achieved their dreams. Along the way, they learned that starting great companies requires much more than a ferocious work ethic or good timing. Their hard-won insights—distilled into ten key rules—will help anyone become a successful entrepreneur.
What they teach you at Harvard Business School is that intelligent entrepreneurship can be learned. In that spirit, Bill Murphy Jr. uses a unique combination of vivid storytelling and lucid instruction to show would-be entrepreneurs how to improve their odds of creating dynamic, lasting businesses.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published October 12, 2010
61 people are currently reading
2109 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
July 3, 2011
HOLY COW! This book sucked...unless you want the Harvard Business School to tell you how brilliant all their students are and that had it not been for HBS they would be nothing.
I bought a promotional manual for HBS....I was robbed
You need HBS. HBS students are brilliant. You want to be an HBS student.
....10 rules of successful enterpreneurship...I must be an idiot because I couldn't find them. I better apply to HBS.
I really hate business books that are promotional material to buy their product without giving you any advice. So unethical.
I bought a promotional manual for HBS....I was robbed
You need HBS. HBS students are brilliant. You want to be an HBS student.
....10 rules of successful enterpreneurship...I must be an idiot because I couldn't find them. I better apply to HBS.
I really hate business books that are promotional material to buy their product without giving you any advice. So unethical.
April 24, 2017
This is an excellent book which outlines three separate entrepreneurs who built companies after going to B-school.
The hard part for me was that this book was shamelessly plugging Harvard Business School the whole time. It wasn't even subtle. I kept thinking this was Bill Murphy Jr.'s application essay or something. Or maybe, the dean himself wrote this book and used the pen name "Bill Murphy Jr."
The HBS plugs actually took away from the content.
The stories about the three entrepreneurs were awesome. It documents the founding of the companies Blue Mercury, the Ladders, and Military.com and really goes in-depth.
Apparently there are 10 rules of entrepreneurship spelled out somewhere in this book but I honestly can't remember them. I feel like the subtitle was an afterthought to sell more copies.
And I'm sure it worked. I bought this book because I feel like every business section in every bookstore had this book prominently displayed and that everyone was judging me because I hadn't read it yet.
So here I am world, in your little "Intelligent Entrepreneur" club. Are you happy now? I thought so.
The hard part for me was that this book was shamelessly plugging Harvard Business School the whole time. It wasn't even subtle. I kept thinking this was Bill Murphy Jr.'s application essay or something. Or maybe, the dean himself wrote this book and used the pen name "Bill Murphy Jr."
The HBS plugs actually took away from the content.
The stories about the three entrepreneurs were awesome. It documents the founding of the companies Blue Mercury, the Ladders, and Military.com and really goes in-depth.
Apparently there are 10 rules of entrepreneurship spelled out somewhere in this book but I honestly can't remember them. I feel like the subtitle was an afterthought to sell more copies.
And I'm sure it worked. I bought this book because I feel like every business section in every bookstore had this book prominently displayed and that everyone was judging me because I hadn't read it yet.
So here I am world, in your little "Intelligent Entrepreneur" club. Are you happy now? I thought so.
February 1, 2015
It's so disappointing to embark on a non-fiction book which has a great concept, only to find it is marketing material packaged as entrepreneurship reading. I was going to save the rest of the public the pain I suffered in the first 70 pages before I gave up, by listing the '10 lessons', but I can't bear to face the book again, so apologies for that. A message to Harvard Business: This book is an embarrassment - it's a hard sell, inappropriate over-kill, and heavily elitist too. You can do better.
June 28, 2016
Oh, did you think this was a non-fiction book that will teach you at least something about entrepreneurship? Sorry, this is a 300-page long advertisement for Harvard Business School and its 3 graduates mentioned in the book. The whole budget for the book was probably funded by Harvard Business School (HBS) so you won't be able to find just one bad word about neither HBS nor its 3 alumni, which makes the content very insincere and forced.
It is unbelievable to me that the writer spends such a big effort to over-praise everything that the 3 graduates did and everything about HBS. Do you want to know more about HBS' entrepreneurship courses and instructors? Of course you do, even if you don't care. Here is a complete chapter on the history of HBS' take on entrepreneurship, a list of related courses, and a link to the webpage! Trust us, we could make the link clickable if we could, whatever it takes to get you to consider HBS, but we couldn't :( Everything is about promoting HBS. It goes to such lengths to do that that the names of other schools that accidentally come up in the story aren't even said out loud, except for a few "Stanford"s and "Yale"s here and there.
By the 5th page, I was rolling my eyes so hard that I had to take a break from the book every 10 pages. Let me illustrate:
"Marc came home one evening to find a fat envelope from Harvard Business School in his mailbox. He'd been offered a spot." - It definitely wasn't Marc who probably toiled for days crafting his essays, getting recommendations, then going through the interview process and got a sense of what his chances are. The letter appeared out of nowhere! Marc must have been shocked. *eyerolls*
"Back in grade school, all of the other kids started wearing Izod brand shirts. Marla badly wanted an Izod shirt of her own, but her mother said no." - What a terrible, heart-wrenching memory for Marla :( This is the worst thing that could ever happen to someone, ever. But she learned a very valuable lesson from this horrible accident, because she's a survivor! *eyerolls harder*
"Chris was extremely adaptable as an adult. As one example, Chris had always pronounced his last name the way the French did, like Michelle. But when he joined the Navy, his fellow officers Americanized it, like Michael. Instead of constantly correcting them, Chris simply changed the way he pronounced his name." - Can you believe this improbable solution Chris came up with? This is adaptation at its finest and a highly rare trait that can only be found in the most adaptable people on earth. *eyes finally reach the back of head*
The book takes it to the point where you cringe at every two sentences because it tries to sell everything too hard. It tries to sell the book (if right now you're in Barnes&Noble or on Amazon, please buy this book because it's different!),
tries to sell the author (I myself am kind of an entrepreneur!),
tries to sell Harvard Business School (you must know that HBS is the universal center for entrepreneurship education! and this book is related to HBS! they paid me a lot!)
tries to sell the three entrepreneurs' stories (they made mistakes but they recovered from them so quickly that nobody even noticed! they were amazing people from HBS! but of course everybody from HBS is amazing so what am I even talking about!).
There is also this big conflict: The author claims you can start from nothing and still be a successful entrepreneur, yet he writes a book about Harvard Business School graduates, who had a massive amount of contacts through their alumni network and a brand name which would open the doors of investor offices for them immediately.
Near the end of the book I was almost convinced that HBS was the only place an entrepreneur should go if they want to succeed in being an entrepreneur. What. A. Big. Load. of. BS. If you'd like to learn about entrepreneurship, your best bet is to go out there and start a business. Your second best bet is to read about successful people who didn't go to business school. Only your less-than-average bets should include reading about privileged Harvard Business School graduates.
It is unbelievable to me that the writer spends such a big effort to over-praise everything that the 3 graduates did and everything about HBS. Do you want to know more about HBS' entrepreneurship courses and instructors? Of course you do, even if you don't care. Here is a complete chapter on the history of HBS' take on entrepreneurship, a list of related courses, and a link to the webpage! Trust us, we could make the link clickable if we could, whatever it takes to get you to consider HBS, but we couldn't :( Everything is about promoting HBS. It goes to such lengths to do that that the names of other schools that accidentally come up in the story aren't even said out loud, except for a few "Stanford"s and "Yale"s here and there.
By the 5th page, I was rolling my eyes so hard that I had to take a break from the book every 10 pages. Let me illustrate:
"Marc came home one evening to find a fat envelope from Harvard Business School in his mailbox. He'd been offered a spot." - It definitely wasn't Marc who probably toiled for days crafting his essays, getting recommendations, then going through the interview process and got a sense of what his chances are. The letter appeared out of nowhere! Marc must have been shocked. *eyerolls*
"Back in grade school, all of the other kids started wearing Izod brand shirts. Marla badly wanted an Izod shirt of her own, but her mother said no." - What a terrible, heart-wrenching memory for Marla :( This is the worst thing that could ever happen to someone, ever. But she learned a very valuable lesson from this horrible accident, because she's a survivor! *eyerolls harder*
"Chris was extremely adaptable as an adult. As one example, Chris had always pronounced his last name the way the French did, like Michelle. But when he joined the Navy, his fellow officers Americanized it, like Michael. Instead of constantly correcting them, Chris simply changed the way he pronounced his name." - Can you believe this improbable solution Chris came up with? This is adaptation at its finest and a highly rare trait that can only be found in the most adaptable people on earth. *eyes finally reach the back of head*
The book takes it to the point where you cringe at every two sentences because it tries to sell everything too hard. It tries to sell the book (if right now you're in Barnes&Noble or on Amazon, please buy this book because it's different!),
tries to sell the author (I myself am kind of an entrepreneur!),
tries to sell Harvard Business School (you must know that HBS is the universal center for entrepreneurship education! and this book is related to HBS! they paid me a lot!)
tries to sell the three entrepreneurs' stories (they made mistakes but they recovered from them so quickly that nobody even noticed! they were amazing people from HBS! but of course everybody from HBS is amazing so what am I even talking about!).
There is also this big conflict: The author claims you can start from nothing and still be a successful entrepreneur, yet he writes a book about Harvard Business School graduates, who had a massive amount of contacts through their alumni network and a brand name which would open the doors of investor offices for them immediately.
Near the end of the book I was almost convinced that HBS was the only place an entrepreneur should go if they want to succeed in being an entrepreneur. What. A. Big. Load. of. BS. If you'd like to learn about entrepreneurship, your best bet is to go out there and start a business. Your second best bet is to read about successful people who didn't go to business school. Only your less-than-average bets should include reading about privileged Harvard Business School graduates.
August 12, 2020
I was looking for a business strategy kind of book and this one clearly not the answer. Unlike what the title says, I think this book more like biographies of 3 Harvard MBAs, telling the journey they went through in building a business. It's such a very inspiring book and full of basic but important notes and advice on how to build your own business. I find it very useful to learn through others' experiences and their vital decision on problems that define the future of their company.
June 26, 2019
Bill Murphy Jr., if you're reading this- fantastic job! I found this to be the most compelling book on entrepreneurship that I've read to date. I'm the kind of person who needs to see people's experiences, so following three people's journeys through entrepreneurship was really helpful to me. It kept my attention throughout the entire read and it also built my confidence to see these 3 go through what I'm currently going through now. I'm three years into my entrepreneur journey, and again, this book was the most helpful to me thus far. Highly recommend.
June 20, 2015
This book follows three Harvard Business Schools alums as they build their respective start ups into million dollar companies. I enjoyed every page so the low average score is a bit disappointing but I give it 5 stars.
Read
September 29, 2017The book is about 3 Harvard business school graduates give advice and rules on successful Entrepreneurship. they each tell their own story on how they think the best way to run a business is and they each have different opinions
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 15, 2010
Loved it. Three great stories of gifted entrepreneurs starting and growing incredibly successful companies. Many lessons learned.
August 27, 2011
This book started out fairly well. However, I kept being annoyed that this felt more like an add for HBS than a serious book. In the end, it was more an airport book than a real reference.
April 7, 2021
"The Intelligent Entrepreneur" by Bill Murphy Jr.
Quick Take: An in-depth story of three successful entrepreneurs and ten entrepreneurial lessons gleaned from their experiences. Overall, I enjoyed this book.
Longer Take:
Not the best entrepreneurship book I have read, but I found it an enjoyable read overall.
The Intelligent Entrepreneur tells the true stories of three entrepreneurs from the Harvard Business School class of 1998 who started fours businesses within ten years of graduating. The author then details ten rules of intelligent entrepreneurship from their experiences.
Several reviewers have criticized this book as a 300-page advertisement for HBS. Because the three interviewees all attended HBS, there is bound to be a bunch of such propaganda. But I did not find it took away from the quality of the story.
Definitely not a strategy book. The author combines long stretches of telling the entrepreneurs stories with the lessons he felt would help someone looking to take the same journey. Written to teach mainly soft skills and enable the reader to learn from other's experiences.
Some of My Favourite Quotes:
"…anyone who is willing and eager to learn the rules of successful entrepreneurship can enjoy a great advantage."
"…get over the greatest myth about entrepreneurship – the false notion that all you really need is the one truly great idea."
"…to become a successful entrepreneur, you've got to make a total commitment to the goal."
"Read about the great entrepreneurs and their successes. …But read them with a grain of sale, and remember that no matter how shiny their legend, these men and women are more like us than they are different."
"People want to believe. They. They want to believe in you. They want to believe in your company. And your job is to simply give them the opportunity to believe."
"…there will always be luck, both good and bad. The key is persisting long enough to take advantage of the good fortune that does come your way."
"…recognize that you're choosing a way of life that very few others have the guts to pursue."
Top Entrepreneurship Lesson: Some ties bind successful entrepreneurs together. Learn those skills and attributes, and you increase your chances of finding success.
www.druid.biz
Quick Take: An in-depth story of three successful entrepreneurs and ten entrepreneurial lessons gleaned from their experiences. Overall, I enjoyed this book.
Longer Take:
Not the best entrepreneurship book I have read, but I found it an enjoyable read overall.
The Intelligent Entrepreneur tells the true stories of three entrepreneurs from the Harvard Business School class of 1998 who started fours businesses within ten years of graduating. The author then details ten rules of intelligent entrepreneurship from their experiences.
Several reviewers have criticized this book as a 300-page advertisement for HBS. Because the three interviewees all attended HBS, there is bound to be a bunch of such propaganda. But I did not find it took away from the quality of the story.
Definitely not a strategy book. The author combines long stretches of telling the entrepreneurs stories with the lessons he felt would help someone looking to take the same journey. Written to teach mainly soft skills and enable the reader to learn from other's experiences.
Some of My Favourite Quotes:
"…anyone who is willing and eager to learn the rules of successful entrepreneurship can enjoy a great advantage."
"…get over the greatest myth about entrepreneurship – the false notion that all you really need is the one truly great idea."
"…to become a successful entrepreneur, you've got to make a total commitment to the goal."
"Read about the great entrepreneurs and their successes. …But read them with a grain of sale, and remember that no matter how shiny their legend, these men and women are more like us than they are different."
"People want to believe. They. They want to believe in you. They want to believe in your company. And your job is to simply give them the opportunity to believe."
"…there will always be luck, both good and bad. The key is persisting long enough to take advantage of the good fortune that does come your way."
"…recognize that you're choosing a way of life that very few others have the guts to pursue."
Top Entrepreneurship Lesson: Some ties bind successful entrepreneurs together. Learn those skills and attributes, and you increase your chances of finding success.
www.druid.biz
August 4, 2023
I bought this book on a whim at the local thrift store, hoping for some tips on being an entrepreneur, running a business, and being self-employed. I did get some of that in the end but had to read through a bunch of detailed stories about the journeys of endurance, perseverance, and smart decision-making (and some setbacks) of other successful entrepreneurs. I guess the approach of the author is teach by example, which makes sense, but I'd rather get the version where the strategies are at the forefront and the examples are in a more supportive role.
This book is like an entrepreneur biopic. If you are someone who has some extra time (most entrepreneurs do not), this is for you. Or, leave this one on your nightstand for some nighttime reading and for quiet time before falling asleep. Don't spend quality awake and focused time reading this. Or you can just skip to chapter 20 where the real content started (at least for me.) However, if you want to read some inspirational stories about successful entrepreneurs, this one is for you. The writing is general clear, but sometimes the details of the biographies and the journeys of the entrepreneurs can get hard to keep track of.
This book is like an entrepreneur biopic. If you are someone who has some extra time (most entrepreneurs do not), this is for you. Or, leave this one on your nightstand for some nighttime reading and for quiet time before falling asleep. Don't spend quality awake and focused time reading this. Or you can just skip to chapter 20 where the real content started (at least for me.) However, if you want to read some inspirational stories about successful entrepreneurs, this one is for you. The writing is general clear, but sometimes the details of the biographies and the journeys of the entrepreneurs can get hard to keep track of.
April 14, 2019
Very interesting read. Follows the story of 3 entrepreneurs who graduated from the 1998 Harvard business school and over the course of 15 years started 4 different companies. Details how they started them, along with the challenges they faced. Really encouraging read as it motivates you to start a company and work towards your own goals. Has 10 basic rules to follow:1. Make the commitment. 2. Find a problem, then solve it. (do not find a solution, and they search for a problem). 3. Think big, think new, think again. 4. You can’t do it alone. 5. You must do it alone. 6. Manage risk. 7. Learn to lead. 8. Learn to sell. 9. Persist, persevere, prevail. 10. Play the game for life. The rules basically explain themselves. Good book for anyone contemplating starting or wanting to start a business or startup of their own. Really made me think hard about some of my passions and desires to start a business in a new light.
November 9, 2020
A great book. Gives you a proper image the difficulties that entrepreneurs have to go through to achieve their goals. Totally recommended to read/listen.
I didn't give this book five stars because:
1. It would have been better that author mentioned the key strengths of entrepreneurs in his opinion first, let the reader identifies them along the way.
2. The book is written for the IT industry/.COM entrepreneurs. It would have been good to narrate other entrepreneurs' stories in other industries. Some challenges may be similar, but some completely different.
I didn't give this book five stars because:
1. It would have been better that author mentioned the key strengths of entrepreneurs in his opinion first, let the reader identifies them along the way.
2. The book is written for the IT industry/.COM entrepreneurs. It would have been good to narrate other entrepreneurs' stories in other industries. Some challenges may be similar, but some completely different.
October 21, 2021
Good book, especially for following a 'Case Method' about three successful entrepreneurs who have been trained through the case method. Of the many publications on entrepreneurship, most focus on retail-type businesses such as a franchise. This is a unique book that focuses on high-value, big-business entrepreneurship. That takes a different attitude, preparation, and effort.
Some ideas are not completely formed. Also, much effort was also put to perpetuate the HBS myth. That was not necessary.
Some ideas are not completely formed. Also, much effort was also put to perpetuate the HBS myth. That was not necessary.
December 6, 2022
Really enjoyed this book. Followed the journey of 3 Harvard grads to successful businesses within different fields around the boom of the internet. Along the way, lessons were incorporated in blocks throughout the story of the 3. The only thing holding me back from a 5 star rating is the credibility of the author. He never really started a business of his own, but just compiled tons of data and stories on 3 successful entrepreneurs. Realistically I would give it a 4.5 if I could. Great book, great advice. Definitely recommend.
April 21, 2019
The author has done a lot of research and hard work to bring this book into life. He is trying to make an impact on us by sharing some valuable principles to be followed while we come up with our own business, one day. He narrates what went wrong and what went right for the intelligent entrepreneurs whom he describes throughout book. Their stories are so inspiring and we can learn a lot from the their successes and failures. I highly recommend this book.
December 31, 2022
4/4.5/5. This is a no-BS book about entrepreneurship, a far cry from the subpar entrepreneurship/business books that fill the internet and business shelves in book stores. By actually examining 3 case studies of successful companies from start to finish and the behaviors of the 3 people who created them (from high school to beyond), you actually see what works. Gained really great lessons from this + enjoyed it a lot.
Read
December 26, 2019This started off a little slow for me, but by the end I was all in and totally engrossed in the stories of the 3 entrepreneurs this book follows.
My favorite part of the book is the level of detail offered of some of the business people's first steps and how their business got off the ground.
I walked away with several ideas for my own business. Recommended.
My favorite part of the book is the level of detail offered of some of the business people's first steps and how their business got off the ground.
I walked away with several ideas for my own business. Recommended.
February 13, 2020
I’m giving this 3 stars just because it’s cool to hear about the stories of successful entrepreneurs.
But dear mother of god ... this book gave me feelings of physical nausea with the astronomical emphasis on Harvard Business School at every turn.
I’m so glad I’m finally finished. Will not read again.
But dear mother of god ... this book gave me feelings of physical nausea with the astronomical emphasis on Harvard Business School at every turn.
I’m so glad I’m finally finished. Will not read again.
January 16, 2021
Very good insights on real entrepreneurial stories to relate to. Book could have been condensed by 40% if we reduced the praise on HBS. Would have appreciated a recap on the 10 rules to send the reader home with the lesson.
July 4, 2023
Solid book exploring what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur. I enjoyed following the stories of the Marla, Marc, and Chris and the ups/downs of their companies. Makes me want to start my own company someday, still in search of an idea though.
March 20, 2019
Great stories and easy to follow. Did not get 5 stars because of strong HBS promotion.
June 24, 2020
Inspirational
Very inspiring book with real life examples on how to go about building an enterprise
This is a must read for aspiring entrepreneurs
Very inspiring book with real life examples on how to go about building an enterprise
This is a must read for aspiring entrepreneurs
June 5, 2021
I would recommend it to anyone who is planning to start or has just started a business, insightful, clever and a pleasure to read.
July 19, 2021
Nice stories overall.
January 23, 2022
Great book. Entrepreneur or not it's a great read. I've gained some insight on what I will be taking away from this book forsure!
July 12, 2025
A very insightful book masterfully put together by Bill Murphy.
February 2, 2012
Done in a Harvard Case Study meets Patrick Lencioni (except with real people) meets the 10 Rules, this book is well-written, informative, and interesting.
As an added bonus, the Audible audiobook featured an hour interview with the author, Christopher Michel, Mark Cenedella, and Marla Malcolm Beck.
Speaking about the audiobook, the book is read by two authors, one while following the entrepreneurs, and one while discussing the rules and learning points throughout. Narrator 1 reminds me of Robert Stack in narrating Unsolved Mysteries, Narrator 2 reminds me of Emilio Estevez. :-)
At first the book felt like a promo for Harvard Business School but didn't feel that way as the book continued. HBS MBS or not, you can be an entrepreneur.
One improvement I would like to see - all three companies were heavily online entities. Perhaps that's where all business is headed and there were chosen for relevancy but a bit more diversity of businesses might have been good. I appreciated that the information went all the way up to 2009 - it's easy for these books to focus on many years in the past.
I'm grateful for the audiobook bookmark feature as there are several practical, actionable tips, suggestions, and encouraging quotations I've already referenced many times!
The 10 Rules follow parts of the entrepreneurial life cycle. Great tool to determine where you are in the process and what steps to take next.
As an added bonus, the Audible audiobook featured an hour interview with the author, Christopher Michel, Mark Cenedella, and Marla Malcolm Beck.
Speaking about the audiobook, the book is read by two authors, one while following the entrepreneurs, and one while discussing the rules and learning points throughout. Narrator 1 reminds me of Robert Stack in narrating Unsolved Mysteries, Narrator 2 reminds me of Emilio Estevez. :-)
At first the book felt like a promo for Harvard Business School but didn't feel that way as the book continued. HBS MBS or not, you can be an entrepreneur.
One improvement I would like to see - all three companies were heavily online entities. Perhaps that's where all business is headed and there were chosen for relevancy but a bit more diversity of businesses might have been good. I appreciated that the information went all the way up to 2009 - it's easy for these books to focus on many years in the past.
I'm grateful for the audiobook bookmark feature as there are several practical, actionable tips, suggestions, and encouraging quotations I've already referenced many times!
The 10 Rules follow parts of the entrepreneurial life cycle. Great tool to determine where you are in the process and what steps to take next.
September 8, 2013
In my previous job, I worked with dozens of salespeople who heralded Glengarry Glen Ross, as the quintessential film noir that you *had* to see if you were serious about a career in sales. In this book, Bill Murphy Jr.’s does an admirable job in providing readers with insights into the unique experiences of 3 classmates from Harvard Business School’s class of 1998 who, shortly upon graduation, take the plunge to become entrepreneurs.
Launching a startup requires you to be both the “Big Idea Person” (visionary) as well as the “Get Stuff Done Person” (executor) in the early periods, and demands an indefatigable persistence and mindset. I followed the euphoria and hardships each faced, and the dogged determination that often leaves the entrepreneur feeling isolated and uncertain about the choices they’ve made. Overall, this is a wonderful narrative of the key rules of successful entrepreneurship.
Favorite quotes and takeaways:
* “Being an entrepreneur is about saying, ‘I know this doesn’t exist. This segment isn’t being addressed. But I can go do it.’”
* Think and plan for bigness. Approach everything with a “Why can’t we…?” mentality.
* “As soon as you become an entrepreneur, you become a salesperson...You’re persuading people to give you money, join your company, and buy your product.”
* Credibility = Competence + Integrity.
Launching a startup requires you to be both the “Big Idea Person” (visionary) as well as the “Get Stuff Done Person” (executor) in the early periods, and demands an indefatigable persistence and mindset. I followed the euphoria and hardships each faced, and the dogged determination that often leaves the entrepreneur feeling isolated and uncertain about the choices they’ve made. Overall, this is a wonderful narrative of the key rules of successful entrepreneurship.
Favorite quotes and takeaways:
* “Being an entrepreneur is about saying, ‘I know this doesn’t exist. This segment isn’t being addressed. But I can go do it.’”
* Think and plan for bigness. Approach everything with a “Why can’t we…?” mentality.
* “As soon as you become an entrepreneur, you become a salesperson...You’re persuading people to give you money, join your company, and buy your product.”
* Credibility = Competence + Integrity.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews