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Entrepreneur America: Lessons from Inside Rob Ryan's High-Tech Start-Up Boot Camp

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Several years ago, an article in Inc. magazine generated so much interest that it led to the publication of a book, Semper Fi, in which Dan Carrison and Rod Walsh advocate a "business boot camp" based on a model provided by the U.S. Marine Corps. In his own book, Ryan provides a number of invaluable "lessons" which can be learned by those who attend his High-Tech Start-up Book Camp in Montana. (Actually, these same "lessons" can be of great value to anyone else who is also involved with launching or developing a start-up company.) Ryan organizes his material within seven chapters, following an approach "built on my years of negotiating the peaks and valleys of running (and financing) a successful company. [He founded Ascend Communications in 1989. Under his leadership, its revenue climbed from $16-million to $1.3-billion in five years and was eventually purchased by Lucent Technologies for $22-billion in 1999.] It's a carefully staged process that beings with building the proper team and ends with managing your board of investors." In Chapter 1, Ryan discusses several types of Entrepreneurial Wannabes. In subsequent chapters he guides his reader through the "carefully staged process" and concludes with an Epilogue in which he explains why only a few start-up companies make it and why most others don't.

With all due respect to Ryan's insightful comments and recommendations, one of this book's greatest benefits is derived from the series of questions which he poses. For example, after a 3,000-mile journey from Boston to meet with Ryan at his Roaring Lion, one entrepreneur set up to present a slide presentation. Before it began, Ryan asked "Why would anyone want your product? What is the application? What is the value proposition to the customer? Who is the customer? Is anyone else doing this stuff, and are they successful?" You get the idea. Ryan seems to have too much respect for others' time and energy (as well as for his own) to beat around the proverbial bush. Throughout the book, he gets right to the point. Actually, to a number of separate but interrelated key points.

This book reminds me of O'Toole's The Executive's Compass in the sense that reading that book is no substitute for partcipating in an Executive Seminar sponsored by the Aspen Institute. Similarly, reading Ryan's book is no substitute for participating in his boot camp in Montana. (I hasten to add, neither he nor O'Toole makes such a claim.) My own rather extensive prior experience with start-ups and already-ups suggests that it is extremely difficult to get honest (preferably frank) feedback from family members and friends. (Perhaps they do not want to hurt feelings. Perhaps they feel unqualified to express an opinion. Whatever.) As a result, the most important questions are often not asked...and therefore not answered. Ryan asks all manner of such "tough" questions, as previously indicated, and then (when he deems it appropriate) suggests some possible answers. If the unexamined life is not work living, the unexamined business idea is not worth developing.

Although Ryan may not have had this objective in mind when writing this book with Phaedra Hise, it can also be of substantial value as a "reality check" for decision-makers in well-established businesses. Their answers to the cluster of questions may once have been correct when formulated but that is not necessarily true now.

Whoever you are, whatever the size and nature of your organization, regardless of its location amidst what Adizes calls "corporate lifecycles", this book offers an "intellectual boot camp" in which I urge you to engage your mind ASAP.

I must admit that I hadn't heard of this book or Rob when I started looking for advice on VC funding. However, as soon as I read the first few pages I knew I had a winner.

This book is an absolute must read for anyone that is starting up a business. The information is vital to helping you nail down your value proposition, figuring out what is the core of your business, and how to continue the growth. I originally thought it was a book on how to get funded, but I found it was much more.

Being a marketer myself, I noticed the suttle "soft-sell" of the entreprenuer America program...however, it was so convincing I want to attend!! Our company is in the beginning stages of putting together a capital campaign, and I would love to have Rob show us the way.

With an MBA from a top 5 school, countless certificates from "how-to" seminars, and a huge library, I thought I was a solid "entreprenuer"...but this book quickly proved I still have a lot of growing to do....time for me to get more "guts and brains", and less "dreams".

Highly recommended!!!

Rob Ryan is not just some 'guy' spouting off about 'how to succeed in getting funding for your buisness'. Rob has REALLY been 'there' ... and still is THERE!

He's a MAJOR success: well worth emmulating. He's a living example of what he tells you in this book. It's real-world. It's applicable. BUT ..it's NOT for everyone - especially those who "can't handle the truth"!

If you are serious about developing entrepreneurial ventures, whether in technology or another area, then you will need to know HOW to raise the capital. In this case, this book is 'just what the doctor ordered'.

You will not only enjoy the book, but Rob has built a great web site to compliment and augment it. The site is repleat with threaded discussions; tutorials and more. This IS a serious "HOW TO SUCCEED" book.

Get it today and begin your grandest venture yet... SUCCEED!

Rob Ryan knows what he is talking about. His style is free of fluff, full of useful real-life examples and very much to the point. He walks you through all the essentials of building a viable business and gives you extremely practical checklists for each stage.

Here are some of the questions you will find an answer to: What are the core values of an entrepreneur? How do you measure up? When are you ready to talk to venture capitalists? How to think about your business idea? How to find out if you will have customers? When to approach them and how to talk to them? How to test your new product? How to grow your business? How to differentiate from your competition? How to blow away your competition? ...and many more.

Keep in mind, though, that this book is written for technology entrepreneurs and may not be equally applicable for every industry. As for myself, this book immediately claimed a prominent place in my library and I am using it very frequently.

Conclusion: Buy this one; you will not be disappointed!

It's very seldom that I get this excited about a book, but "Entrepreneur America" is without a doubt one of the few books that every aspiring high-tech entrepreneur should read. (Actually, it's a pretty good read regardless of the business you want to be in!)

Most of the entrepreneurs whom I've encountered over the years have not taken steps either to focus their business or do their market research. This book drives home the importance -- and the process -- of clarifying your thoughts, thereby allowing you to develop a business plan that is logical, defensible, unique, and coherent, not to mention -- fundable!

Do not write your business plan or approach even one venture capitalist without reading, understanding, and implementing the lessons to be learned from this book.

Rob has managed to create a book which at the same time provides essential advice on how to create a company and is also highly entertaining. He has done a very creative job of producing entertaining metaphors ("keys to the goldmine", "monkeys spinning in the treetops") to elucidate the guidance he provides. Creating a real company requires executing quickly to solve critical problems of fund raising, finding customers, and creating positive cash flow. Rob crisply lays out what needs to be done and points to places where people commonly get lost in trying to build a sucessful business. I wish I had this book when I started my company. The book is extremely engaging and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in entrepreneurship.

If you are an entrepreneur. Do not do anything before reaqding this book. It is easy to read and understand... No business jargons or anything...

This books is a must read for anyone involved in a hi tech startup. I am with my second private technology company, and it provided some great insight into where we are, and what we need to do. For someone planning to start their own company or join someone elses, you should actively answer all of the questions put forth in the book. It will help you understand what the real chances for success are in a world full of great ideas without markets!

Rob isn't just a savvy businessman; he's an entrepreneur. The alpha-entrepreneur. Rob's mentorship has helped guide our startup, PatientKeeper, Inc. (formerly Virtmed), from a prefinanced venture to a formidable company that has reshaped the mobile computing landscape.

Much of Rob's guidance is incorporated in this book. Read it.

The book is 6 years old, yet the topics covered here is still useful for any entrepreneur to get $$ from venture capitals (VC):

1.Borrow $$ from friends/relatives to build a prototype
2.Beta test this on large and small firms, to build up clients
3.Build a better product/service based upon their feedbacks
4.Write a concise business plan with killer PowerPoint slides
5.Get the insider VC to arrange meetings
6.Answer intelligently on any VC concerns
7.Get the $$$, start the firm
8.Grow the firm for 3-5 years with track records
9.IPO and make Billion$$$

Sounds like a great formula! But this is 2007, VC is not the only game in town. They are Private Equity, Hedge Funds, Debt Financing, many other avenues to get $$$. Rob Ryan, are you contacting them?