Strategic Entrepreneurism: Shattering the Start-Up Entrepreneurial Myths [Hardcover]

Jon Fisher (Author), Gerald Fisher (Author), Wallace Wang (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 2008

Every entrepreneur's dream is to create the next big name success story like Amazon.com, or Google. While everyone should dream big, the reality is that most startups fail precisely because they're trying to become the next big name success. The real secret to entrepreneurial success lies in Strategic Entrepreneurism where you design a company specifically to be acquired by a larger one.That's why the founder and CEO of several successful high-tech startup companies, multi-millionaire Jon Fisher, has written down his success principles. Strategic Entrepreneurism shows entrepreneurs how to design their companies towards the path of least resistance, maximum payoff, and lowest risk. Entrepreneurs will learn how to evaluate their business ideas; leverage technology to increase profits; choose strategic customers to insure their company's survival; generate revenue from their company's inception; and avoid competing against larger companies. Above all, Strategic Entrepreneurism explains the common pitfalls of starting a company and how to avoid them. These include the traps of growing too fast, focusing on the wrong product, and accepting too much funding from outside investors.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Today's need for capital efficiency makes Jon's book essential reading for all professional angel investors. -John Huston, Chairman Angel Capital Association
--Angel Capital Association/Techcolumbus

Fisher offers much sound advice, making "Strategic Entrepreneurism" a must for business people just starting up. --Entrepreneur Magazine

"Jon is a gifted entrepreneur." -Ray Lane

--Former President, Oracle Corporation

From the Author

The most acquisitive companies in the world must use formulaic processes to buy and integrate so frequently.  An entrepreneur's understanding of these processes increases the chance of a successful exit.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 152 pages
• Publisher: Select Books (September 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590791894
• ISBN-13: 978-1590791899
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #731,696 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Title should be: "how to start and sell an enterprise software company", October 20, 2009

By 

Simon M "Another guy" (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Strategic Entrepreneurism: Shattering the Start-Up Entrepreneurial Myths (Hardcover)

I read this book over the last week as I'm about to embark on starting my company. My intent is to start an internet-based business, so this book was definitely seemed n interesting read.

The good:
- Quick, easy read
- Simple and good concepts (ie you *don't* need to be first mover!)

The bad:
- This guy started his own enterprise software company and he wants you to as well. He talks incessantly about the value of an enterprise customer over selling to the consumer space. Yet he doesn't touch on the downside: if you get that one company and they walk you are screwed!

- His examples are not correct a good chunk of the time. For example: he uses Apple as a success model for differentiating from Microsoft by building their own machines, conveniently omitting the fact Apple may have made a HUGE mistake by not licensing their OS to compete with windows from day 1.

- His laser-like focus on acquisition misses another path: grow your successful business and keep running it, or IPO and exit yourself. He highlights the sale exit but cleverly dismisses the others.

- He makes high-level blanket assertions like "build your product with your customer". Okay, great idea. How do I do that? Who do I call? He doesn't touch on the nuts and bolts at all.

I found this book to be useful about 40% of the time, and filled with platitudes the rest. I'm glad I read it at the library.

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Luckily this was a fast read!, January 14, 2009

By 

Buzz K (California) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Strategic Entrepreneurism: Shattering the Start-Up Entrepreneurial Myths (Hardcover)

I worked for a start up that competed directly with Jon's company and basically crushed it in the marketplace. He never even mentioned us and the product he touted was only partially implemented by Wells Fargo, another thing he did not mention. I have been with five different companies that either went from private to public or in one case, the company that crushed Bharosa in the market, got sold. We went from standing start to over 8000 financial institution customers and 100 million users in less than 3 years. But, beyond all of this, the content of the book is so thin, it could have been 50 pages instead of 150. Luckily for me, I read the entire thing while watching a Warriors basketball game during time-outs, other breaks in the action and half-time. The "vision" of going after Wells instead of BofA because Wells was the recognized technology leader is BS since the real reason is that we had already signed BofA. In fact, BofA had surpassed Wells as the web banking technology leader once Wells was acquired by Norwest, with only the name remaining.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must read during the planning phase of your startup!, October 28, 2008

By 

G. Krueger - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Strategic Entrepreneurism: Shattering the Start-Up Entrepreneurial Myths (Hardcover)

Strategic Entrepreneurship does an amazing job of implicitly describing the new way to launch a venture. I am currently launching a high tech business and the info was amazing. I found myself scribbling notes on how the advice related to my business and came away with some great ideas. It was a quick read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I only wish I would have read it a little sooner when we were still in the planning stages!