by James A. Swanson, Michael L. Baird
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Product Description
Thinking of starting your own business in high-tech? Do yourself a huge favor by reading this book first! The authors, both veterans of many start-ups, address topics vital to your start-up success, such as: - Finding start-up opportunities
- Leaving your current employer but keeping your ideas
- Protecting your intellectual property
- Managing the five critical elements of a successful start-up
- Securing start-up financing
- Dealing successfully with venture capitalists
- Writing a winning business plan
- Creating a management team
- Handling employment and compensation--who to hire and how to pay them
- Avoiding the most common mistakes entrepreneurs make
- Understanding company valuation and exit strategies
James Swanson and Michael Baird lay out all the basic concepts clearly, step by step. They demystify the start-up process with frank advice, insiders' tips, and "been there" examples. On-point case studies show you what to do--and what to avoid. An expanded list of resources steers you to help when you need it. You'll learn what it takes for you to create and manage a start-up, and the personal characteristics required to be successful in your new venture. In good economies and bad, entrepreneurs will continue to lead the way to new markets, new ventures, and new technologies. With this comprehensive new guide, you have a great start to start-up success!
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Average Customer Review:
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
 Engineering Your Start-Up, 2008-04-05
This book has a lot more meat than most other start-up books I have come across so far. In particular it has good explanations of the different financing and compensation options -- making the book useful not just for founders who may need to negotiate with venture capitalists, but also for anyone who works at a start-up (and doesn't know what the difference between stock and stock options are, or how to estimate how much what they are getting may eventually be worth). On the other hand the level of detail about how to get things done isn't always down to the cookbook level, and there is frequent advice along the lines of "have your legal department do x". That may be a good idea, but it's not always an option, and at least I'd expect some discussion about how to get good legal advice etc.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
 Sage advices throughout, 2008-01-12
As a trusting reader of the 1st edition "Engineering Your Start-up" since 1999, even I have other books in my collection, I still turn to it from time to time.
The authors graciously placed their updated materials on the Web for a long time, and I consulted the resources from time to time.
Nevertheless, I think I will buy the 2nd edition soon. Nothing beats the feeling of having a well written book in hand. In passing I'd like to say that the 1st Ed IMHO still offers sage advices tough to get elsewhere.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
Read This Before Visiting a VC, 2007-09-03
This book's special expertise is about designing the financing of your startup!
A few years ago when I did a business plan for a technology start-up, the first edition of this book was my source for planning for equity participation for founders, employees, VCs, and the public from founding through IPO. When this second edition came out, I bought it to pass along to a friend in the early stages of a startup.
If you are a technical member of a startup, you must read this unless you are already sophisticated in the financing of startups. Don't talk to a VC until you have studied this book.
The title is the key. "Engineers" and other technical types will find this a quick and interesting book. And if you are going to play "Monopoly," you must at least know the basic rules first. This is how the game is played in Silicon Valley! If you don't, you will not pass GO and will not collect $200.
6 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
 Don't Waste Your Time. There Are Much Better Books, 2007-01-01
This book is an example of what happens when you take a very specialized and difficult topic and try to make it into a book that everyone will buy. Real value and meaning are lost.
In addition, there is some dangerous advise in this book, like on p.47 where the author recommends entrepreneurs get start-up ideas from their work at previous employers--BE CAREFUL that could land you in jail. MOst companies make you sign non-compete agreements. How can the author overlook this simple and well-known point???
The book is in general outdated and written like it was thrown together based on previously written articles. Finally, the print quality is so poor and the format so unappealling that it was a struggle to read. I would only recommend this book if you can get it for $2 used like I did and only if you don't know much about starting a high-tech business.
Your best bet is "The Startup Company Bible for Entrepreneurs," by far the best book on the topic and the only book you will ever need. I've learned a lot from it and I refer back to it when issues arise.
0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
Must read for any startup founder/employee, 2006-09-07
Very informative must read for anybody starting/working at an internet startup company!
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