Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future

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Brad Feld, Jason Mendelson

"An engaging guide to excelling in today's venture capital arenaBeginning in 2005, Brad Feld and Jason Mendelson, managing directors at Foundry Group, wrote a long series of blog posts describing all the parts of a typical venture capital Term Sheet: a document which outlines key financial and other terms of a proposed investment. Since this time, they've seen the series used as the basis for a number of college courses, and have been thanked by thousands of people who have used the information to gain a better understanding of the venture capital field.Drawn from the past work Feld and Mendelson have written about in their blog and augmented with newer material, Venture Capital Financings puts this discipline in perspective and lays out the strategies that allow entrepreneurs to excel in their start-up companies. Page by page, this book discusses all facets of the venture capital fundraising process. Along the way, Feld and Mendelson touch on everything from how valuations are set to what externalities venture capitalists face that factor into entrepreneurs' businesses. Includes a breakdown analysis of the mechanics of a Term Sheet and the tactics needed to negotiate Details the different stages of the venture capital process, from starting a venture and seeing it through to the later stages Explores the entire venture capital ecosystem including those who invest in venture capitalist Contain standard documents that are used in these transactions Written by two highly regarded experts in the world of venture capital The venture capital arena is a complex and competitive place, but with this book as your guide, you'll discover what it takes to make your way through it"--

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Ro Khanna

If you trust what you hear in the news, America is in trouble. We've moved our manufacturing overseas. We've lost our competitive edge to China, Germany, Japan, and Brazil. We've entered our final days as an econonic leader. Don't believe it! This provocative book from a former deputy assistant secretary of commerce will explode the myths you've been fed by the media and reinforce your faith in American ingenuity. Author Ro Khanna takes you inside Washington's economic think tanks and onto the front lines of the most innovative companies in the nation. You'll discover: How small and large businesses are spurring innovation and growth. Why the accepted wisdom about American manufacturing is wrong. How America can stay ahead of lower-cost factories in China and Brazil. Why manufacturing is so important to our national security and future. How to keep the best jobs, companies, and opportunities here in America Despite everything you've heard about the economy, one fact remains: America continues to be a world leader in manufacturing. Some of the world's best products are still being made here. The world's greatest innovations are still being developed by Apple, Google, and countless others. This book will prove to you that smart companies are staying ahead of the curve--and you can, too. You'll learn how a fourth-generation business, the Globe Manufacturing Company, customized its firefighting suits to beat foreign competitors. You'll discover how Vitamix worked with clients like Starbucks to produce a superior coffee blender. And you'll hear behind-the-scenes stories from the American steel industry, aerospace companies, the defense technology sector, and other worldclass leaders. You'll also learn why companies like Solyndra fail--and what lessons we can take from them. This is more than a book. It is a wake-up call that will spark debate, shatter beliefs, and inspire action in every American who wants to succeed in the future. This is Entrepreneurial Nation.

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Ben Horowitz

Venture capitalist Ben Horowitz offers an unvarnished, brutally honest look at what it takes to lead a company through catastrophic crises, layoffs, boardroom conflicts, and market crashes.

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Michael J.C. Martin

"While innovation may be the lifeblood of technology based industry, it does not guarantee success to the individual firm within it. The ability to bring useful and desirable products to market in a timely, cost-effective fashion requires the unique talents of managers armed with an arsenal of modern principles and methodologies specifically geared to the technology invention and innovation process. But even in technology based firms, many managers have only scant technical background, while scientists and engineers may have little or no management training. And courses on managing technology based firms are currently taught only in a meager handful of universities." "This book grew out of Michael J.C. Martin's experiences developing and teaching courses in managing technological innovation-entrepreneurship to business, engineering, and science students. It provides a dynamic framework within which managers from virtually any professional background can develop efficient, highly productive work systems guaranteed to maximize a high-tech firm's competitive edge. Throughout, the emphasis is on leveraging a company's strategic advantage. To that end, the author provides a host of "battle-tested" tools of the trade, including technology development programs, industry- and market-specific strategic plans, R & D project planning techniques, socioeconomic forecasting and market analysis techniques, and techniques for matching company capabilities with customer and product demands." "All of the tools and techniques presented are applicable to the development of a broad range of products, from small high-tech consumer goods to large and complex systems such as aircraft and heavy weapons technology." "An indispensable survival tool in today's hypercompetitive international high-tech marketplace, Managing Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Technology Based Firms is must reading for industrial engineers, project managers, and R & D managers."--Jacket.