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Imperial Library
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Index
COVER
TITLE PAGE
COPYRIGHT
DEDICATION
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION THE STARTUP CHEAT CODE
How the Valley Fooled Us All
CHAPTER 1: THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE (FROM A LOT OF $#*% STORMS)
“Oops, I Accidentally a Startup”
When You’re in Debt to the Truth, the Interest Rate Sucks
Transparency Is Hard, but It Works
CHAPTER 2: WHY THE STARTUP WORLD HATES ON SERVICES (AND WHY YOU SHOULDN’T)
How to Escape the Services Hamster Wheel
Wait, So Some Money Is Worth More Than Other Money?
I’d Like Some Services, Please
How to Push Your Product
Consulting Isn’t the Enemy; Biased Thinking Is
CHAPTER 3: GREAT FOUNDERS DON’T DO WHAT THEY LOVE; THEY ENABLE A VISION
CEO Is a Real (Shitty) Job
Passion Does Not a Manager Make
How to Be a CEO in 6 Easy Infuriatingly Challenging Steps
The Best Leaders Know When to Lead—and When Not To
CHAPTER 4: BEWARE THE PIVOT
Execution Is More Malleable Than Market, Model, and Idea
The Switching Costs Can Kill You
Some Unorthodox Tips on Choosing Your Market and Your Idea
CHAPTER 5: STARTUPS CARRY THEIR FOUNDERS’ BAGGAGE
The Outsized Influence of Founders
“Never Leave Me” Is a Weird Thing to Say to an Employee
It’s Hard to Pick the NFL’s Draft Order if You’ve Never Played Football
If You’ve Got Strong Roots, Might as Well Grow Tall
Know Thyself: Not Just a Biblical T-Shirt Slogan
CHAPTER 6: DON’T RAISE MONEY FOR THE WRONG REASONS OR FROM THE WRONG PEOPLE
I Mean, You Don’t *Technically* Sign the Deal in Blood
How VCs Lose, Even When They Win
CHAPTER 7: SO YOU’VE DECIDED TO ASK COMPLETE STRANGERS FOR MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
No Such Thing as a Free Round of Funding
CHAPTER 8: FOUNDING A TOP 5 PERCENT STARTUP MAY NOT MAKE YOU RICH
Even Successful Startup Founders Don’t Get Rich (Quick)
It Takes a Lot of 7s and a Long Time to Win at Startup Roulette
CHAPTER 9: SCALABLE MARKETING FLYWHEELS > GROWTH HACKS
It’s Just a Little Hacking; What Could Go Wrong?
They’re Called “Hacks” for a Reason
The Alternative: Sustainable Marketing Flywheels
CHAPTER 10: REAL VALUES DON’T HELP YOU MAKE MONEY (IN THE SHORT TERM)
Yes, but Is It TAGFEE?
We Hold These Core Values to Be Self-Evident
Values Demand Vigilance
Homogeneity Hobbles Innovation
CHAPTER 11: LIVING THE LIVES OF YOUR CUSTOMERS AND THEIR INFLUENCERS IS A STARTUP CHEAT CODE
The Case of the Disappearing Conversions
That Time We Reenacted the ’80s Classic Trading Places
If Life Swapping Isn’t an Option . . .
CHAPTER 12: GREAT PRODUCTS ARE RARELY “MINIMALLY VIABLE”
We’ll Learn a Lot Once the MVP’s Out
Do MVPs Have to Be So Minimally Viable?
The Alternative: An Exceptional Viable Product
CHAPTER 13: SHOULD YOU SELL YOUR STARTUP EARLY? YES, PROBABLY
Not That I Don’t Love Our Fifteen-Year-Old Kia, but Being a Millionaire Might Have Been Fun
The Peculiar Reality of Founder Equity
The Founder’s Gambit
CHAPTER 14: IF MANAGEMENT IS THE ONLY WAY UP, WE’RE ALL F’D
Managing Is a Skill, Not a Prize
Don’t Make Management the Only Ladder Employees Can Climb
Individual Contributors Don’t Deserve to Be Second-Class Citizens
CHAPTER 15: VULNERABILITY ≠ WEAKNESS
The Myth of the Strong Leader
If People Have to Cry in the Bathroom, You’re Fucking Up
What Safe Looks Like (and Doesn’t)
CHAPTER 16: SELF-AWARENESS IS A SUPERPOWER
CHAPTER 17: FOCUS
The (SEO) World Is Not Enough
The Seven-Hour Board Meeting
Don’t Let Aaron Sorkin Write Your Script
The Aftermath
And the Takeaway Is . . .
What Makes Focus So Hard?
AFTERWORD: CHEAT CODES FOR NEXT TIME
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
NOTES
INDEX
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