Author Kevin Ready has made this journey, and more than once. He earned his MBA-Master of Bruise Acquisition-through numerous encounters with "situations," problems, black holes, bad employees, sea monsters, not enough money, and other karate chops to the organizational body. Startup illustrates in detail the lessons he learned the hard way-so you don't have to.

Backed up by stories of both his successes and failures, Ready helps readers learn shortcuts to help them do what eight out of 10 entrepreneurs can't: Build and sustain a successful start-up.

Illustrates the entrepreneurial journey from start to finish
Helps readers decide-or not-to start a business
Provides dozens of lessons learned and other takeaways budding entrepreneurs can put to use today
What you'll learn
What entrepreneurship is, and what it is not.
How to get into the skin of an entrepreneur and see the world from that perspective-before you quit your job and put everything on the line.
Key lessons that have left burn marks and abrasions on the (now very thick) skins of successful entrepreneurs.
Why building your product is only half the battle.
What the most important goals and imperatives are for any business, ensuring that you can start working on them from day one instead of stumbling into them years later and losing time, money, and opportunity in the process.
What you must know about finding, recruiting, and growing a team of dedicated employees that will share your vision and eventually take ownership of your ideas and carry them forward for you.
The advanced mind-over-business strategies for staying on top of (and inside of) the complex currents that make up your business and the market it flows within. These tools are a prime distinguishing factor for superstar entrepreneurs.
Who this book is for
This book is for anyone wishing to start a business, but especially IT workers toiling in the trenches who have dreamed of a starting a business. What's involved? What challenges can I expect? How do I survive common entrepreneurial mishaps? Once I get the business up and running, how do I keep the wheels turning profitably? How do I attract customers? How do I manage people? This book answers those questions and many more.

Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Setting the Stage for Starting a Business

Chapter 2: Operations and Decisions: Core Lessons in Execution

Chapter 3: Marketing Your Products and Services

Chapter 4: Building a Team: You Can't Do It Alone

Chapter 5: Strategic Thinking: Advanced Lessons for Founders

Chapter 6: The Exit: Letting the Business Go