Under the Radar: Starting Your Net Business Without Venture Capital [Paperback]

Arnold Kling (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 18, 2002

In this distinctive and timely guide, Arnold Kling, an experienced "Netstrapper" who sold his Internet company for $85 million, reveals how he and so many like him are building enduring Web companies by combining traditional entrepreneurial scrappiness with pragmatic adoption of technologies. These are the businesses--low frills and niche--that the Web was really built for. In this book he shares their success stories. Along the way he provides practical coaching on every important aspect of launching a solid Internet enterprise--from evaluating business ideas to finding the most suitable partners to raising capital. His step-by-step guide will help you map out a robust plan and launch a business that is free from market turbulence and investor control.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In an era when venture capital for a proposed Net startup is about as forthcoming as a politician caught in a sex scandal, Under the Radar by economist-turned-entrepreneur Arnold Kling offers timely advice on opening a new cyber-business without such big-time outside money. Combining experiences gleaned from his own self-funded Homefair.com (which he eventually sold for $85 million) along with examples of 25 other online enterprises also financed that way, Kling presents a practical how-to that readers with real ideas and realistic expectations could use to build viable Internet concerns, even in less-than-optimal times. Kling says there are still feasible niches for online businesses aiming between the $5 million entry level and the $1 billion minimum that satisfies venture capitalists--the "under the radar" zone of opportunity of his title--and outlines a route similar to those he and his other sources have used to fill them. One core suggestion does away with the traditional, time-consuming, and usually unproductive process of preparing and continually revising an extensive business plan; instead, he details a more effective program of 12 initial steps (developing the proper team, identifying a personal commitment threshold, recognizing operational milestones that will take you to the next level) that "netstrappers" can combine with internal and more modest funding sources to build a business that outlasts the next shakeout. --Howard Rothman --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

This book offers advice from the founder of the successful web site Homefair.com, who built up that business and sold it (along with two related businesses) for $85 million. Kling recounts his experiences as a "Netstrapper" who created a successful enterprise without venture capital by looking to smaller target markets than those required by entrepreneurs seeking such funding. The characteristics of the Netstrappers, as described by the author, are charm, talent-scouting skills, the ability to stand up to the bar, the ability to focus, and a beginner's mind. Kling also describes the nuts and bolts of establishing a company, including writing a business plan, choosing a team, brainstorming, selecting a target market, and test marketing. Bibliographic citations would have been helpful in supplementing the numerous case studies, but given the current situation with dot-coms, this volume offers readers a way to build a potentially more stable company than those relying on venture capital. Recommended primarily for public libraries, though larger academic libraries should consider. Lucy Heckman, St. John's Univ. Lib., Jamaica, NY
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books (September 18, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738207748
• ISBN-13: 978-0738207742
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #686,924 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't buy this book, March 19, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Under the Radar: Starting Your Internet Business without Venture Capital (Hardcover)

This book should be titled - "I got lucky with a web site in the '90s"

His title suggests that he has insight into how one could use true bootstrap techniques to get a company started. Yet, in one of his ten or fifeteen bullets about how to start a business successfully, he discusses the topic "when to line up funding". How under the radar is that?!

I would have been more impressed to learn that Mr Kling understood and articulated how to start a business using founding customers or how he worked the corporate banking system to gain access to lines of credit. I think Homefair was a great idea, but 99% of most net businesses today can not be started that cheaply. Same goes for the dozens of Web Design Firms he cites as success stories (Most were bought by companies like IXL, USWeb (Which became MarchFirst), Homestore and where all know where these have ended up.

I could continue about the lack of flow or organization in the book itself but I feel the description of lack of useful content is plenty for this review. I was truly disappointed with this book.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Straight example-laden talk on starting a business, October 17, 2001

By 

William T. Katz (Ashburn, VA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Under the Radar: Starting Your Internet Business without Venture Capital (Hardcover)

This is a great book for the aspiring internet entrepreneur. There is very little hand-waving here as it's loaded with real-world experiences including an in-depth look at the author's idea-to-exit experience and 25 synopses on other netpreneurs.

Some of the worst dot-com manuals provide vague obvious advice like "know your customer" together with rehashed business plan templates, inadequate & technically misguided software primers, extensive discussions on acquiring funding through VCs, and advice on how to extract your fistful of dollars. Consider this book the antithesis to such "get rich quick" manuals. It focuses on real issues that should be handled while building a profitable internet business. The chapter "Planning Your Business" was particularly helpful with its twelve steps in starting a business. The book also provides refreshing contrarian (by dot-com mania standards) advice on eschewing VC funds and not necessarily avoiding markets where you don't have domain expertise. I'll definitely be referring back to "Under the Radar" as I build my internet-based venture.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A business book worth reading, October 26, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Under the Radar: Starting Your Internet Business without Venture Capital (Hardcover)

The best thing about this book is that it's written by someone who has succeeded at the internet and yet kept his success in perspective. This is very refreshing given that the typical business/internet book is written by someone who has not succeeded on the net but thinks they know exactly how to do it. The book is very accessible to the casual reader yet substantive enough that serious practioners of the internet and business in general will find it highly instructive. The author has lots of interesting stories that help to chronicle the development of the net and how businesses have struggled to harness it. The book is somewhat textbook like in its explanation of key concepts but is never boring. It's very funny at times and always makes you think. It's like having a class with a good teacher. You enjoy yourself and learn at the same time. I highly recommend it.