A dozen lessons for entrepreneurs

Format:

Book (regular print)

Title:

A dozen lessons for entrepreneurs

Author:

Griffin, Trenholme J. author

ISBN:

9780231184823

Publication:

New York : Columbia Business School Publishing, Columbia University Press, [2017]

Physical Description:

xvii, 321 pages ; 24 cm

General Note:

Includes glossary.

Contents:

I. The founder coaches -- Steve Blank -- Bill Campbell -- Eric Ries -- II. The venture capitalists -- Sam Altman: Y Combinator -- Steve Anderson: Baseline Ventures -- Marc Andreessen: Andreessen Horowitz -- Rich Barton: Expedia, Glassdoor, Zillow -- Roelof Botha: Sequoia Capital -- Jim Breyer: Breyer Capital -- Chris Dixon: Andreessen Horowitz -- John Doerr: Kleiner Perkins Caulfield & Byers -- Peter Fenton: Benchmark -- Jim Goetz: Sequoia Capital -- Paul Graham: Y Combinator -- Kirsten Green: Forerunner Ventures -- Bill Gurley: Benchmark -- Reid Hoffman: Greylock Partners -- Ben Horowitz: Andreessen Horowitz -- Vinod Khosla: Khosla Ventures -- Josh Kopelman: First Round Capital -- Jenny Lee: GGV Capital -- Doug Leone: Sequoia Capital -- Dan Levitan: Maveron -- Jessica Livingston: Y Combinator -- Mary Meeker: Kleiner Perkins Caulfield & Byers -- Michael Moritz: Sequoia Capital -- Chamath Palihapitiya: Social Capital -- Keith Rabois: Khosla Ventures -- Andy Rachleff: Wealthfront -- Naval Ravikant: AngelList -- Heidi Roizen: Draper Fisher Jurvetson -- Mark Suster: Upfront Ventures -- Peter Thiel: Founders Fund -- Fred Wilson: Union Square Ventures -- Ann Winblad: Hummer Winblad Venture Partners.

Summary:

A Dozen Lessons for Entrepreneurs shows how the insights of leading venture capitalists can teach readers to create a unique approach to building a successful business. Griffin argues that innovation and best practices are discovered by the experimentation of entrepreneurs as they establish the evolutionary fitness of their business. The products and services created through this experimentation that have greater fitness survive, and less-fit products and services die.

Subject(s):

Businesspeople -- Case studies.

Entrepreneurship -- Case studies.

New business enterprises -- Case studies.

Success in business -- Case studies.

Genre:

Case studies.

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Salem Main Library	658.11 Griffin 2017	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

A Dozen Lessons for Entrepreneurs shows how the insights of leading venture capitalists can teach readers to create a unique approach to building a successful business. Through profiles and interviews of figures such as Bill Gurley of Benchmark Capital, Marc Andreesen and Ben Horowitz of Andreesen Horowitz, and Jenny Lee of GGV Capital, Tren Griffin draws out the fundamental lessons from their ideas and experiences. Entrepreneurs should learn from past successes but also be prepared to break new ground. While there are best practices, there is no single recipe they should follow. By better understanding the views and experiences of a wide range of successful venture capitalists and entrepreneurs, readers can discern which of many possible paths will lead to success.

With insight and verve, Griffin argues that innovation and best practices are discovered by the experimentation of entrepreneurs as they establish the evolutionary fitness of their business. The products and services created through this experimentation that have greater fitness survive, and less-fit products and services die. Entrepreneurs have always experimented when creating or altering a business. What is different today is the existence of modern tools and systems that allow experiments to be conducted more cheaply and rapidly than ever before. Griffin shows that listening to what the best venture capitalists have to say is invaluable for entrepreneurs. Their experiences, if studied carefully, teach bedrock methods and guiding principles for approaching business.

Author Notes

Tren Griffin works at Microsoft. He writes the www.25iq.com blog and is active on Twitter (@TrenGriffin). He was formerly a partner at Eagle River, a private equity firm controlled by Craig McCaw with investments in telecommunications and startups. From 1999 to 2001 he was vice president of strategy at XO Communications.In 1994, Griffin was the fourth person to join Teledesic, a global broadband satellite communications startup, which raised over a billion dollars at a valuation of more than $3 billion. Griffin previously worked as a consultant in Australia and Korea. He is the author of six other books, including Charlie Munger: The Complete Investor (Columbia, 2015).

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Griffin (Charlie Munger: The Complete Investor), a business writer who formerly worked in private equity, offers valuable lessons for entrepreneurs in this astute compilation of best practices. Griffin identifies and interviews 12 successful venture capitalists and business coaches worthy of providing singular advice, including Steve Blank, founder of Epiphany and Convergent Technologies; Marc Andreessen, cofounder of Netscape; and Mary Meeker, a partner at venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caulfield & Byers. Griffin quotes a dozen pearls of entrepreneurial wisdom from each and offers short explanations to provide context. Lessons include "recruit the best person you can who knows how to create an innovation culture" (from Bill Campbell, who transitioned from football coach at Columbia to Apple marketing v-p) and "the best entrepreneurs don't know what they don't know so they attempt the impossible" (from venture capitalist John Doerr of Kleiner Perkins Caulfield & Byers). Griffin himself prizes the contrarian approach to investing, which means going "where other investors and business founders are not looking." This perceptive guide captures instrumental advice that serious entrepreneurs would do well to adopt. (Dec.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Booklist Review

The title of this book sells itself short. This massive collection of 30-plus interviews delivers myriad lessons from the world's foremost innovators. Presenting highlights from personal interviews, Griffin notes key ideas and shares stories and tips in a conversational style. He begins with founder coaches, who he describes as those who help entrepreneurs develop as individuals. The remainder of the text focuses on venture capitalists. Each one has a different take based on the company's focus, but, fundamentally, each says that entrepreneurs need to continually focus on the process of creating, learning, and getting feedback, and to be pioneers. Interviewees include Rich Barton, who has interests in Expedia, Glassdoor, and Zillow, as well as Doug Leone, of Sequoia Capital, with interest in Rackspace. Griffin makes a point to include female entrepreneurs, such as Kirsten Green, founder of Forerunner Ventures, whose portfolio includes Dollar Shave Club and Warby Parker. In addition, the book features a glossary and a concept map.With the continued technology boom and a nation of innovators, this book is a treasure trove of wisdom that delivers a blueprint across the entrepreneurial spectrum.--Adams, Jennifer Copyright 2018 Booklist

Scott BelskySam AltmanSteve AndersonMarc AndreessenRich BartonRoelof BothaJim BreyerChris DixonJohn DoerrPeter FentonJim GoetzPaul GrahamKirsten GreenBill GurleyReid HoffmanBen HorowitzVinod KhoslaJosh KopelmanJenny LeeDoug LeoneDan LevitanJessica LivingstonMary MeekerMichael MoritzChamath PalihapitiyaKeith RaboisAndy RachleffNaval RavikantHeidi RoizenMark SusterPeter ThielFred WilsonAnn Winblad

Concept Directory	p. x
Foreword	p. xiii
Introduction	p. 1
I The Founder Coaches
1 Steve Blank	p. 9
2 Bill Campbell	p. 20
3 Eric Ries	p. 30
II The Venture Capitalists
4 Y Combinator	p. 43
5 Baseline Ventures	p. 51
6 Andreessen Horowitz	p. 58
7 Expedia, Glassdoor, Zillow	p. 69
8 Sequoia Capital	p. 78
9 Breyer Capital	p. 85
10 Andreessen Horowitz	p. 91
11 Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers	p. 101
12 Benchmark	p. 108
13 Sequoia Capital	p. 115
14 Y Combinator	p. 124
15 Forerunner Ventures	p. 133
16 Benchmark	p. 143
17 Greylock Partners	p. 151
18 Andreessen Horowitz	p. 162
19 Khosla Ventures	p. 171
20 First Round Capital	p. 180
21 GGV Capital	p. 188
22 Sequoia Capital	p. 195
23 Maveron	p. 203
24 Y Combinator	p. 212
25 Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers	p. 221
26 Sequoia Capital	p. 229
27 Social Capital	p. 236
28 Khosla Ventures	p. 248
29 Wealthfront	p. 257
30 AngelList	p. 264
31 Draper Fisher Jurvetson	p. 273
32 Upfront Ventures	p. 280
33 Founders Fund	p. 289
34 Union Square Ventures	p. 297
35 Hummer Winblad Venture Partners	p. 304
Conclusion	p. 313
Glossary	p. 315

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Summary

Summary

Author Notes

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Booklist Review

Table of Contents