The Entrepreneurial Venture (The Practice of Management Series) (Paperback)

by Howard H. Stevenson (Author), Michael J. Roberts (Author), Amar Bhide (Author), William A. Sahlman (Editor) "It would be difficult to overstate the degree to which there has been an increase in the level of interest in entrepreneurship..." (more)
Key Phrases: low creativity stories, capital market myopia, reverse income statement, United States, New York, Harvard Business School (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
As entrepreneurs fuel the economy with start-ups, job creation, innovation, and new technologies, the need to understand the evolving field of entrepreneurship continues to grow. Covering every phase of the entrepreneurial venture, from the basic concepts to emerging issues, this collection of readings by leading academics and practitioners is designed to serve as a handbook for entrepreneurs, as well as for teachers and students of the entrepreneurial process. Newly updated with timely material, professors will find this second edition invaluable for the richness of the cases and the accompanying questions designed to facilitate discussion.

About the Author
William A. Sahlman, Howard H. Stevenson, Michael J. Roberts and Amar Bhid are professors at Harvard Business School.

Product Details

• Paperback: 609 pages
• Publisher: Harvard Business School Press; 2 Sub edition (April 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0875848923
• ISBN-13: 978-0875848921
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #337,861 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars GOOD OVERVIEW, MISSING SOME PRACTICE, March 27, 2003

By	Denis Benchimol Minev "Amazonia" (Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil) - See all my reviews

Sahlman provides a very comprehensive volume on the current stage of knowledge of entrepreneurship as a field. In the articles, which are mainly written by a limited number of professors, all important topics related to entrepreneurship are addressed, such as finance, personality, marketing, strategy, culture, and many more. From an academic perspective, it is a 10.

However, I often felt that it was missing more on the practical side. For example, there are a few case studies, but only on certain topics. It was missing more of the "been there, done that" perspective. Definitely there were stories, but in those there was more of a strategic analysis rather than visionary or inspirational.

Overall, this is a very good book to use as reference to certain topics, especially in an academic environment.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A rigorous analysis but could use more practical input, December 13, 2002

By	Anthony (Vancouver, Canada) - See all my reviews

The 1999 edition that I read is a collection of 34 Harvard Business Review articles, class discussion papers and case studies written by the four authors (all business school professors) and a few others over the 1980s and 90s.

The chapters written by the four professors have a strong academic/pedagogic orientation. Dealing with basic issues in extreme analytic detail, they frequently belabor the obvious and often come across as though they have all the answers (chapters written by Sahlman were especially bad for this). The book does, however, provide some thought-provoking discussion and a reasonable introduction to the issues of assessing viability, planning and managing a new business, and of attracting resources. Some of the chapters not written by the professors provide a good "textbook" reference for subjects such as patent law, raising venture capital, and management technique in checklist style.

I give the book three stars for its rigorous analysis but not five because of its presumptuous tone and the fact that too many of the chapters lean toward the hypothetical. It lacks the genuine, practitioner-based input this subject deserves.

10 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Previous student and current early stage investor, April 25, 2001

By	D.M. Amis (Omaha, Nebraska) - See all my reviews

As an MBA student at Harvard six years ago, I had the opportunity to learn under Professor Sahlman. His class and his books are worth their weight in gold if you intend to either start companies or invest in them. This book brings together some of the best ideas from his colleagues.