Why Startups Fail: And How Yours Can Succeed [Kindle Edition]

David Feinleib (Author)

Book Description

For the want-to-be entrepreneur thinking about taking the leap, the boot-strapped entrepreneur trying to energize a business three or four years in, and the venture-backed entrepreneur trying to scale, Why Startups Fail shows you the key mistakes new ventures make—and how to avoid them. Nearly everyone has an idea for a product they could build or a company they could start. But eight out of 10 new businesses fail within the first three years. Even only one in ten venture-backed startups succeeds, and venture capitalists turn down some 99% of the business plans they see. The odds appear to be stacked against you! But entrepreneurs often make the same avoidable mistakes over and over. 

Why Startups Fail can help you beat the odds and avoid the pitfalls and traps that lead to early startup death. It’s easy to point to successes like Apple, Google, and Facebook. But the biggest lessons can come from failure. What decisions were made, and why? What would the founders have done differently? How did one company become a billion-dollar success while another—with a better product and in the same market—fail? Drawing on personal experience as well as the wisdom of the Silicon Valley startup community, serial entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and blogger Dave Feinleib analyzes companies that have come and gone.

In short, powerful chapters, he reveals the keys to successful entrepreneurship: Excellent product/market fit, passion, superb execution, the ability to pivot, stellar team, good funding, and wise spending. In Why Startups Fail, you’ll learn from the mistakes Feinleib has seen made over and over and find out how to position your startup for success. Why Startups Fail:

• Shows venture-backed startups and boot-strappers alike how to succeed where others fail.
• Is equally valuable for companies still on the drawing board as well as young firms taking their first steps.
• Takes you through the key decisions and pitfalls that caused startups to fail and what you can learn from their failures.
• Covers the critical elements of entrepreneurial success.

What you’ll learn

• Avoid the key mistakes that cause startups to fail 
• Pitch, raise money, and recruit
• Find the right market
• Build world-class products that people will use
• Outrun the competition
• Know when to stay the course and when to pivot

Who this book is for

Why Startups Fail is for the aspiring entrepreneur who wants to avoid the key mistakes that have caused hundreds of thousands of companies to fail. Why Startups Fail will appeal to venture-backed technology entrepreneurs. It will also appeal strongly to boot-strappers and those who have, by hook or by crook, survived their first three or four years and are starting to hit speed-bumps. It’s an excellent choice for entrepreneurs who want the know-how to make themselves and their companies successful for the long term.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

David Feinleib is an investor, adviser, and serial entrepreneur. As an entrepreneur and venture investor, he has been responsible for investments totaling more than $100 million. His passion for entrepreneurship goes back to his childhood when he started writing and selling software programs at age 12. Feinleib later joined Microsoft, where he became the company’s youngest technical evangelist. He started four companies between then and 2005. One was acquired by Hewlett-Packard, another by Keynote Systems. After joining venture-capital firm Mohr Davidow in 2006, he became a general partner in 2009, where he led investments in consumer and software companies. In 2011, Feinleib’s love for entrepreneurship took him back to starting his own companies, while continuing to advise and invest in others. Feinleib holds a master's in business administration from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a bachelor's degree from Cornell University, where he was a Kodak Scholar. He is also an avid marathoner and violinist.

Product Details

• File Size: 724 KB
• Print Length: 198 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1430241403
• Publisher: Apress; 1 edition (December 21, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B006RM2KOY
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #216,411 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Smart writing, essential reading January 7, 2012

By Kevin Epstein

Format:Paperback

As noted in the author bio, Mr. Feinleib has spent time on both sides of the table -- as an entrepreneur and as a venture investor -- and that dual perspective alone is an invaluable one for would-be entrepreneurs. Ever wonder why a potential investor refused you and chose someone else? Ever get funny looks from experienced executives when you asked what you were doing wrong? Mr. Feinleib lays out a clear checklist of "gotchas" to consider. Will this book make you a success? No. That's still up to you. But if you have the introspection and personal honesty to look in a mirror and say "is this me, am I making these mistakes", Mr. Feinleib's work provides an excellent self-help guide to asking and answering those questions. A strongly suggested read for any would-be entrepreneur!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A book on how not to run a startup August 15, 2012

By Evgeni Stavinov

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I borrowed this book from a local library, but liked it so much that decided to buy a copy.

It's quite different from lots of other books covering similar topics. It's organized as a collection of 1-2 page articles or short case studies on what not to do when running a startup.
I've been working in the tech industry for over a decade, including a couple of successful Silicon Valley startups, and already encountered with most of the things mentioned in the book: lack of focus, when to pivot, avoiding small markets, product-market fit, turnover, lack of capital, etc. But still, it's convenient to have all that material available in a concise, structured, and easy-to-reference form.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Book December 10, 2012

By Rich

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

A must read for anyone starting a business. I require my students to read it and strongly suggest that the entrepreneurs whom I coach read it. Follow the teachings of the book and you have a chance at success. Fail to follow and you'll have almost certain failure.