The Startup Playbook: Founder-to-Founder Advice from Two Startup Veterans (Techstars)

Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Contents
Foreword
Introduction
	Starting a Company Is Easy. Starting a Sustainable, Growing Business Is Hard. Really Hard.
	How This Book Is Organized
	Our Assumptions
	Who Should Read This Book?
	Let\'s Get Started
PART I: I Want to Start a Company
	Chapter 1: What Is a Startup?
		The Definition of Startup
		Startups Exist in Many Sectors
	Chapter 2: Why Start a Company?
		The Allure of Startups
		Why Should You Start a Company?
	Chapter 3: Am I Cut Out to Found a Startup?
		The First Question You Should Ask
		Roles of the Founding Team
	Chapter 4: Qualities of a Founder
		It\'s More Than Just a Job
		Habits of a Founder
		Sacrifices of a Founder
PART II: Getting Off the Ground
	Chapter 5: How Do I Know If My Idea Is Good or Not?
		An Idea Is Just an Idea
		Coming Up with Your Initial Idea
	Chapter 6: Vetting Your Vision
		Refine, Refine, and Then Refine Some More
		Who Are Your Customers?
		What Is Your Value Proposition?
	Chapter 7: Product‐Market Fit
		The Gateway to Success: Product‐Market Fit
	Chapter 8: If You Build It, They Will Come
		Can You Build a Team?
		Can You Build the Product?
	Chapter 9: Your Market
		How Will You Be Different?
		How Will You Go‐to‐Market?
	Chapter 10: Money—Getting It and Making It
		How Will You Make Money?
		Can You Get Funding?
	Chapter 11: Getting Help
		Finding Mentors
	Chapter 12: Pulling the Founding Team Together
		The Most Important Aspect of Your Startup Is the Founding Team
		Building the Founding Team
	Chapter 13: Equity Splits
		Splitting the Pie
	Chapter 14: Operating as a Founding Team
		The Complexity of Founding Teams
	Chapter 15: How Do I Form My Company?
		Creating a Legal Entity
		Organization
		Where Do I Incorporate?
		Getting a Lawyer
		Choosing a Company Name
		Founder\'s Stock
		Intellectual Property Agreements
	Chapter 16: Finance and Human Resources
		Company Hygiene—The Early Required Systems
		Insurance
PART III: Funding Your Startup
	Chapter 17: Funding Basics
		Raising Money Is a Process
		Why Do You Even Need to Raise Money?
		What It Means to Raise Money
		Glossary of Terms
	Chapter 18: Sources of Capital
		Loads of Options
	Chapter 19: Prerequisites for Funding
		Getting Capital
		Before You Raise Money
		Nail Your Strategy and Business Model
		Build the Financial Model
		Decide How Much Money You Want to Raise
		Choose Your Source of Capital
	Chapter 20: Running Your Fundraising Process
		Chances of Getting Funded
		Who Do You Target?
		Getting to Your Targets
		Accelerators
		Getting Investment Capital—Angels and VCs
	Chapter 21: Your First Investor Meeting
		The First One May Be the Most Important One
	Chapter 22: What Happens after You\'re Finished with Fundraising?
		You\'ve Got Capital. Now What?
		Failed Investment Process
		Alternatives to Raising Money
PART IV: Running Your Company
	Chapter 23: How Do I Build and Deliver a Great Product?
		The Product Is Just Part of What You\'re Selling
		Initial Product
	Chapter 24: Making Your Customer Successful
		Documentation, Instructions, and Guides
		Interactive Support
		Planning Your Future Offering
	Chapter 25: How to Get Customers
		Why Focus on a Go‐to‐Market Plan?
		Pricing Strategy
	Chapter 26: Your Marketing Approach
		Letting Potential Customers Know You Exist
	Chapter 27: Sales and Distribution Strategy
		How to Sell
	Chapter 28: You Don\'t Run Your Company, Your Culture Does
		Moving Forward
		Building Your Culture
		It\'s All About the People
	Chapter 29: Hiring and Managing Your Team
		It\'s the Most Important Thing You Do for Your Company
		Managing Your Team
	Chapter 30: Scaling the Company
		To Grow Fast, You Need to Scale
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
Notes
Index
EULA