The Agile Startup by Scheinrock, Jeff -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Cover Contents Title Copyright Why You Should Read This Book The Entrepreneur’s Life Cycle Chapter 1: Agile Philosophy

Rule #1 What’s Your Why? You Are Wrong Heaven . . . and Hell You Get Only 15,000 Days The Entrepreneurial Method Focus on Problems, Not Solutions Three Requirements for Success Dreamers versus Doers Get Out of the Building Business Plans Are Worthless Let Them Steal It Embarrass Yourself Fail Fast—and Often Contain Risk as Early as Possible First, Decide What Not to Do Rules? What Rules? Focus—Follow One Course Until Successful Don’t Drink the Kool-Aid Get in over Your Head There Is No Silver Bullet It Ain’t a Problem ’Til It’s a Problem Launch to Learn Resourcefulness, Not Resources

Chapter 2: Make It Feasible

Is It Feasible? ASS Out of U and Me Three Questions You Must Answer Double Your Worst Case Five Risk Factors Product 1.0—A Brochure Good Ideas, Bad Businesses Wrong Questions → Wrong Answers Vitamin, Painkiller, or Cure? Create Massive Value Why Won’t It Work? Show Me the Money Does It Pencil? Play Dumb Take a Haircut If You Build It, Will They Come? Buying Customers CLV >= 2 × CAC Cash Is More Important than Your Mother Think Like a VC

Chapter 3: Customers and Competition

Break It Down Ride the Wave Know Thy Market WII.FM—Your Favorite Radio Station Tell Me What Sucks You Can’t Boil the Ocean Reframe the Competition Make a Competitive Matrix Differentiate or Die Competition Is a Good Thing Follow the Leader Fast Followers Finish First 10× Better You Need a Moat Zero Degrees of Separation

Chapter 4: Making Money

What’s Your Business Model? The Best Source of Capital How Do You Make Money? Gross Profit Margins Prefer Variable to Fixed Go Bootstrap Yourself The First Rule to Making Money The First Dollar Is the Hardest Bottoms Up! Build a (Bad) Financial Model How Much Runway? Know Your Do-or-Die Numbers

Chapter 5: Marketing

Luck Is Not a Plan What’s Your Positioning? Hold the Presses Old Meets New Sell Wants, But Deliver Needs How Can I Help You? Turn $1 into $2+ Do It Twice Perception Is Reality Be a Guerrilla Marketer The Secret to Writing Copy That Sells Promise . . . Then Overdeliver Your Brand Talks

Chapter 6: Team

Not So Fast, Partner Get a Pre-Nup ABCs of Hiring Your Startup Is a Boat The Build/Sell Team Make Sure You’re Aligned How to Get the Best People Fire Yourself You Are Not Scalable Mess with the Vest, Die Like the Rest Delegate, Don’t Abdicate Form an Advisory Board Who’s the Boss? The Right Partner Formula Hire Slow, Fire Fast Sharing a Submarine

Chapter 7: Pitching Your Startup

Get Your Story Straight Get to the Next Step Half as Long Is Twice as Good First Rule of Elevator Pitches Get Used to Rejection Use the Use Case Make It Stick Name It and Frame It Find the Hot Buttons Fake It ’Til You Make It Be Simple, Not Simplistic Don’t Bury the Lead Back of a Business Card

Chapter 8: Investors

You Are the First Investor Got Traction? Passionate Obsessed Pigs Get Slaughtered Investors Are Not Created Equal Do You Want to Be Rich or Be King? When No Leads to Yes The Train Is Leaving the Station Calling All Angels The Lemmings Need a Leader Don’t Expect to Hear “No” Save the Best for Last Get to Your Next Milestone Fuel to the Fire A Demo Is Worth 1,000 Words Money Only Buys Time If You Want Money, Ask for Advice The Investor Triad The Day You Take an Investor’s Money What’s the Business Worth? Valuation Isn’t Everything Friends, Family, and Fools

Chapter 9: Building the Business

Nail It Before You Scale It Tipping Point Think on Paper The First Question to Ask Make Meetings Matter Hope for the Best, Plan for the Worst Expect the Unexpected Be Your Own Customer Think Big, Execute Small Forget the Mission Statement Metrics Matter Your Network Is Your Net Worth Who’s the Bad Guy? Your Reputation Precedes You Build It Like You’re Going to Sell It Be Frugal, Not Cheap When the S#!t Hits the Fan (and It Will) Know When to Fold ’Em

Chapter 10: What to Know Before You Go

Startups Are Boring Young at Heart Your Three Hats You Are on Your Own Dangers in the Moonlight The Part-Time Entrepreneur A Family Affair Congratulations, It’s a Boy! Ten Things You Should Never Do Before Starting The Five-Year Overnight Success

Conclusion Acknowledgments Recommended Reading About the Authors Online Course Offer Bonus Material for eBook Readers Index