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The Intelligent Entrepreneur: How Three Harvard Business School Graduates Learned the 10 Rules of Successful Entrepreneurship [Hardcover]

Bill Murphy
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)

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Book Description

October 12, 2010

Written with the cooperation of Harvard Business School, an instructive and inspiring book for anyone who dreams of starting a highly profitable business

In 1998, three Harvard Business School graduates—two men and one woman—turned down six-figure salaries at big corporations, bet on themselves, and launched their own new companies. By their ten-year reunion, their audacity had paid huge dividends. They'd made many millions of dollars, created hundreds of jobs—and left their mark on the world.

Based on dozens of interviews with highly successful entrepreneurs, Harvard Business School professors, and HBS alumni, The Intelligent Entrepreneur tells the compelling and instructive story of how these three young founders developed ideas, assembled teams, built ventures, and achieved their dreams. Along the way, they learned that starting great companies requires much more than a ferocious work ethic or good timing. Their hard-won insights—distilled into ten key rules—will help anyone become a successful entrepreneur.

What they teach you at Harvard Business School is that intelligent entrepreneurship can be learned. In that spirit, Bill Murphy Jr. uses a unique combination of vivid storytelling and lucid instruction to show would-be entrepreneurs how to improve their odds of creating dynamic, lasting businesses.


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Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Murphy, author and reporter, coordinates with the Harvard Business School, which teaches that entrepreneurship can be taught and learned. The author tells the stories of three 1998 MBAs who started their own businesses, which became successful in 10 years. With extensive interviews of Harvard professors and alumni, the author showcases these three entrepreneurs because they journeyed relentlessly from launching their businesses, through mistakes and failure, then recovery and achieving success, learning important lessons along the way. Murphy presents his 10 rules of successful entrepreneurship, make the commitment; find a problem, then solve it; think big, think new, think again; you can’t do it alone; you must do it alone; manage risk; learn to lead; learn to sell; persist, persevere, prevail; and play the game for life. This is an excellent, thought-provoking overview of entrepreneurship (also serving as an infomercial for the Harvard Business School and its faculty) that uses actual cases to describe the challenges of starting a business and realizing success. --Mary Whaley

Review

“An excellent, thought-provoking overview of entrepreneurship… that uses actual cases to describe the challenges of starting a business and realizing success.”—Booklist
 
“An unusual hybrid work of self-help, business and narrative nonfiction… Murphy’s explication of the [ten] rules is detailed and clear…and the narrative chapters are compelling… The degree of cooperation Murphy received from his subjects—as well as their classmates, professors, business partners and employees—is astounding and greatly enriches the book.”--Kirkus Reviews
 
“Bill Murphy’s book captures the reality of entrepreneurial endeavors by detailing how three graduates of HBS found opportunity, acquired the resources they needed, and committed heart and soul to their venture.  Entrepreneurship is messy, an emotional and financial rollercoaster.  This book serves as an invaluable guide to those who might follow in the footsteps of these remarkable young entrepreneurs.”--William Sahlman, Professor, Harvard Business School
 
The Intelligent Entrepreneur is full of invaluable advice, and it highlights the ways that thoughtful people actually go about learning the ideas and developing skills required to be successful entrepreneurs.  Bill Murphy’s book shows that entrepreneurs who take an informed and intelligent approach to launching new companies can vastly improve their chances of ultimate success.”--Joseph Lassiter, Professor, Harvard Business School 

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 352 pages
  • Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.; First Edition edition (October 12, 2010)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0805091661
  • ISBN-13: 978-0805091663
  • Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 1.3 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #680,134 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Bill Murphy Jr. is an author and journalist in Washington, DC. With Jon Burgstone, he is the coauthor of "Breakthrough Entrepreneurship," (available on Amazon at amzn.to/bkpb1). Previously, Murphy wrote the books "The Intelligent Entrepreneur," and "In a Time of War."

A former trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice and an army veteran, Murphy worked as the lead reporting assistant to Bob Woodward of The Washington Post on "State of Denial" and "The Secret Man." He also reported from Iraq for the Post.

He's always looking for the next great thing to write about---so if you have an idea, email him at billmurphyjr@gmail.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 14 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Insider's view about three successful entrepreneurs October 13, 2010
Format:Hardcover
Bill Murphy's work is a terrific narrative weaving in between three entrepreneurs (Chris, Marc, and Marla) and their respective companies. All three had graduated from Harvard Business School in the late 1990s then worked in the San Francisco Bay Area during the waning dot-com era. All three resisted Wall Street temptations and wanted to run their own show. Readers will enjoy the agonizing decision-making points along the journeys that the entrepreneurs made and they will appreciate Murphy's 10 rules. I certainly did. Having a big idea is really just the beginning. Actually executing it to a successful exit is the true test. It doesn't hurt to have access to capital and the Harvard connection. One of the three entrepreneurs has sold two companies while netting close to $30 million, while the other two are still growing their ventures to close to $100 million in annual sales. They have truly succeeded when many failed. We can all learn from them.
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14 of 17 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Good concepts but be aware of context July 24, 2011
By GeorgeS
Format:Hardcover
Bill Murphy does an interesting job of following three success stories in entrepreneurship and coming away with 10 important takeaways, using specific examples and illustrations. However, there are two BIG caveats that aspiring entrepreneurs need to be aware of when reading this book. First, these businesses were all started in a positive economic climate when VC capital was amply available. Second, the entrepreneurs all came out of Harvard Business School, which they not only were admitted to but could afford (we're talking north of $100K). While Murphy underlines that he did not want to choose people who came from wealth, being a Harvard MBA carries a lot of weight with investors and also offers fantastic highly paying 'plan b' employment opportunities (e.g. investment banking, consulting) as well as a fantastic network of faculty and successful students.

If you're not a Harvard MBA, and/or aren't living in times of ample capital, these stories will not give you a truly accurate picture of the gravity of the risk that most entrepreneurs face going out on their own. You're probably not going to be in the same situation as Marla who had an offer from McKinsey to come back and take a six figure salary if her business failed, or Marc who could have easily gotten a job in a VC firm or i-bank without any problems (and who also had started another business prior to getting his MBA). You'd be better off reading some rags to riches stories if you really want to get a sense of the character it takes to get out there and take chances. That said, reading this book you'll be in a position to judge where the privileged background was value added and where it was not. You'll also get a little insight into Harvard business school which may be of interest for those either in b-school or aspiring to go.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Good, But..... November 5, 2012
Format:Hardcover
Length: 1:19 Mins
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars Fun and illuminating
This book shatters my previous assumptions that graduates from prestigious colleges find their success the easy way. Read more
Published 1 month ago by George Kanchanavaleerat
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic read for aspiring entrepreneurs
The book is a terrific tale of what is takes to pursue a dream in business, work for oneself, and figure out how to crush it in varied rigorous business environments.
Published 9 months ago by GolfBalls
4.0 out of 5 stars The Emotional Entrepreneur
Bill Murphy's book "The Intelligent Entrepreneur" are in the spirit of Harvard Business School, and are three cases studies of three HBS graduates who become successful... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Jiang Xueqin
5.0 out of 5 stars Very well written, must read
The book is very inspiring and apt for anyone wanting to be an entrepreneur. It covers a range of issues faced by entrepreneurs and motivates you to never give up. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Upneet
5.0 out of 5 stars Good Book!
This book is great mix between entertainment and education. The odd chapters walk you through the decisions made by three to-be entrepreneurs, and the even chapters provide insight... Read more
Published 14 months ago by ychibani
3.0 out of 5 stars HBS grads succeed against all odds!
I recently finished reading The Intelligent Entrepreneur, a dryly named tale of three HBS graduates' lucrative venture into business ownership. Read more
Published 16 months ago by JP
5.0 out of 5 stars Well-written and instructive
This book made learning about entrepreneurship interesting and engaging. The author approaches the stories of Marla, Mark, and Chris as exactly what they are: stories, and the... Read more
Published 17 months ago by Mark
2.0 out of 5 stars Slow, long stories at first but interesting insights starting at...
If you like long storytelling, this is the book for you. From writing b-school application essays to review job opportunities after b-school, you will know everything about about... Read more
Published 21 months ago by BadPanda
5.0 out of 5 stars Information that is accurate, insightful, and valuable
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.

Harvard Business School (HBS) teaches its business classes by having students read, analyze, and discuss case studies. Read more
Published 21 months ago by rlweaverii
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book and Great Insights
While some commenters have (correctly) complained about how the book is basically an HBS advertisement, I still think the book is worth checking out. Read more
Published 24 months ago by S. Scogin
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