Customer Reviews

Sizing Up a Start-Up: Decoding the New Frontier of Career Opportunities

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Let me preface this by saying that I'm about as "non-techie" as it gets, and I still found this book extremely readable and interesting. Rippy is an acknowledged expert in the field of tech. start ups and takes both the experienced and the lay business person on a step by step process of the birth (and sometimes death)of these burgeoning companies. Sure, there is always the chance that your IPO will make you a billionaire, but Rippy makes it clear that in more than 90% of all start ups, that is usually far from the case. He does not try to discourage anyone from entering the field, but he does provide realistic tools and methods for evaluating a company's viability at every differrent stage. Like children, these tech. start ups have an organizational birth stage, adolescence, adulthood and death. If you understand the financial implications at every phase, you will be much better equipped to make a decision in this tremendous marketplace. Even for people like me who are just small business oriented, this book provides dozens of insights into the business world, stocks, IPO's, that go beyond the scope of start up companies. In order to keep up with the technological revolution, this book should be required reading for anyone with even an eye towards the business world. The chapters on venture capitalists and the companies they fund make for particularly interesting reading. Mr. Rippy's engaging and knowledgeable style throughout make this book a winner.

Compares favorably to the better known recent book describing an Internet startup, The Leap by Tom Ashbrook, which is more of a personal journey and tells you what to expect as a participant.

In contrast, Rippy and Kursh's book gives you more analytical tools to analyze startups (they slant towards Internet startups, but it's still useful for those interested in biotech and other fields). It's not just how much venture capital money that the founders have raised, and the professional expertise of the founders (though those are both important). Before you take The Leap, read a book that actually analyzes it.

From the eyes and experiencial background of a "headhunter" engaged in executive search and a banker in my former life, I found the book a facinating exercise not only for one who is considering whether to take the leap with a START-UP or anyone uncertain with their own career choice. The process developed by Mr. Rippy allows the reader to evaluate and measure their own entrepreneurial instincts and risk tollerance which is applicable in many walks of business both "new" economy and old.

Interviewing is more of an art and than a science, however, the process the author has outined removes the happenstance and should assure a good "fit".

This book is going into my office library for reference to definitions as well as the investment banking terminlogy often confussed. Hats off to Rippey ... Well done!

Sizing Up a Start-Up is a great read for anyone considering a career move. Rippy uses quotes from start-up veterans along with his own experiences to accurately describe the work environment, management expectations and life cycle of a start-up. He ties these subjects together by asking the reader "What is your risk tolerance?" and "What do you value in a career?".

After determining if a start-up is right for you, you can then read on to gain important interviewing and salary negotiating tips. Rippy stresses the value of researching a company before an interview and gives heads-up and specific advice about what types of questions you should and should not ask in an interview. Next, Dan discusses what one could expect from a typical compensation package at a start-up. Unlike other books, Rippy takes this subject one step further and outlines strategies to not only maximize, but also value your compensation package.

As a recent graduate from a leading MBA program, I personally found this book to be insightful and helpful during my job selection process. It helped me prepare better and more though provoking questions during the interviews, negotiate better compensation packages, and more importantly, make a decision that I will be happy with in the next few years.

Sizing Up A Start-Up: Decoding The New Frontier Of Career Opportunities offer the reader invaluable, practical methods for making sound employment and career decisions in the new high-tech communications industries, with particular reference to the so called "dot.com" companies. Daniel Rippy shows how to distinguish a company poised to succeed from one doomed to collapse. Sizing Up A Start-Up is "must" reading for job seekers, and has a wealth of useful information and insight for entrepreneurs and investors considering the commercial viability of high-tech industries.

Frankly, I don't think its worth the money. Some decent facts in here but not too interesting- but it might put you to sleep.