The Agile Start-Up

Quick and Dirty Lessons Every Entrepreneur Should Know

Jeff Scheinrock, Matt Richter-Sand

• Publisher: Wiley
• Year: 2013
• Print ISBN: 9781118548264
• eBook ISBN: 9781118744482
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Business General
• Index: Business

An inspiring and impactful compilation of the most important lessons of entrepreneurship

The tools of a digital age make it easier than ever to start a new business. And with billion-dollar IPOs and acquisitions making weekly headlines, the potential rewards are enormous. But even with all of the advantages and resources that today's entrepreneurs have access to, the likelihood of any one business succeeding is slim. That's why you need the simple, clear lessons found in The Agile Startup.

Engaging and informative, The Agile Startup doesn't offer step-by-step instructions on how to build a better mousetrap. Instead, it shows you how to build companies that continually adapt to the "real" world. Along the way, you'll discover you're not alone in your entrepreneurial endeavors, and that almost every challenge a startup can face has already been faced, and overcome, by someone in the past.

• Contains lessons culled from decades of creating successful companies, which includes possessing a flexible mindset
• Provides valuable insights, based on a market-driven philosophy, regarding launching and managing products, businesses, and brands
• Written by two authors who have a combined sixty-plus years of startup experience and understand the reasons behind their successes and failures
• A companion Website contains supplementary material that allows you to learn in a hands-on fashion long after closing the book

The journey of a startup is daunting. Think about everything that has to be overcome and you'll quickly see that the odds are stacked heavily against you. But with The Agile Startup as your guide, you'll learn exactly what it takes to succeed in your entrepreneurial endeavors.

Chapter 1

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Agile Philosophy

From idea to sales, a startup’s launch path is invariably convoluted and confusing. Regardless of industry or idea, successful entrepreneurs share a common philosophy that helps them navigate the tempestuous sea and build thriving businesses. The lessons in this chapter capture the philosophy of the Agile Entrepreneur and create a solid foundation to build upon. It will help you frame your thinking and maximize your discovery process.

There are two overriding themes that emerge in this chapter. First, the best entrepreneurs realize that they don’t have all of the answers. They’re able to walk the fine line between being focused yet agile, and visionary yet reactive. This crucial theme is carried throughout the book, especially in the next section on feasibility.

Second, founders understand that starting a company is not about dreaming, it’s about doing. This is the biggest factor that differentiates the winners from the losers. Some people plan, others act. The best founders are quick to make decisions and then act immediately. They realize that few decisions are final, which means it’s almost always better to act first and plan later.

As you read through this chapter, look for these themes and apply what you can to your startup immediately.

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

Rule #1

Rule #1 in entrepreneurship is to have fun. As Dale Carnegie said, “People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing.” If you’re having fun, it’s immediately obvious to everyone around you. You spring out of bed in the morning instead of snoozing for an hour. You are constantly smiling, and grateful for even the smallest things. More importantly, having fun actually makes you a better entrepreneur. Enjoying the process makes it easier to commit wholeheartedly, and fully immerse yourself, both prerequisites to success. This will allow you to push through the hard days, fly past the boring days, and overcome the obstacles that every founder experiences. If you’re not having fun, what’s the point?

Chapter Contents | Next

What’s Your Why?

Without a doubt, starting a company is one of the hardest things that you’ll do in your life. In fact, most entrepreneurs looking back say that they wouldn’t do it again if they knew how hard the road would be. Getting a company off the ground takes years of discipline, dedication, faith, and follow through. There will be months (or years) of total uncertainty, causing you to doubt that you can even pull it off. If you want to succeed, you have to keep moving the ball forward. All entrepreneurs encounter this backbreaking resistance to one degree or another, and most quit on the five-yard line. To make sure you see it through, you better have one hell of a reason as to why you’re starting this business, and it needs to be more than just money. Perhaps you’re trying to make the world a better place. Or maybe it’s that the old way of doing things is too painful. Possibly you want to be in charge of your own destiny. Whatever your reason, you need to have an inspiring vision that will get you through the dark times and help you live by Rule #1.

What’s your why?

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You Are Wrong

It’s pretty much guaranteed that whatever solution you have in mind today, you are wrong and it will change. Only by going through a process of learning and discovery with potential customers, industry experts, suppliers, and partners will you arrive at the right solution. In battle, this is known as the fog of war. In business, it’s the fog of startups. Just as no battle plan ever survives contact with the enemy, no business plan ever survives contact with the customer. The landscapes and minefields—in both—are constantly changing and evolving.

The process of cutting through the fog is called customer development, which helps you approach your market with an open mind. The key here is to be honest with yourself. It’s all too easy to tell little white lies that allow you to ignore reality and stay in your comfort zone. What separates naïve dreamers from great entrepreneurs is an eagerness to grapple with reality and react accordingly. Of course, you have to start with what you believe to be the best solution, but your vision will undoubtedly change as you move forward—probably drastically.

When you admit that you won’t get it right the first time, you immediately open yourself up to a process of learning and discovery. You seek input and feedback as you go through the customer development process. While the feedback won’t always be what you want to hear, it is absolutely essential to finding product-market fit and building a thriving company.

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Heaven . . . and Hell

Building a successful business from scratch is nothing short of amazing. Think about everything that...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Contents
• Title
• Copyright
• Why You Should Read This Book
• The Entrepreneur’s Life Cycle
• Chapter 1: Agile Philosophy
• Chapter 2: Make It Feasible
• Chapter 3: Customers and Competition
• Chapter 4: Making Money
• Chapter 5: Marketing
• Chapter 6: Team
• Chapter 7: Pitching Your Startup
• Chapter 8: Investors
• Chapter 9: Building the Business
• Chapter 10: What to Know Before You Go
• Conclusion
• Acknowledgments
• Recommended Reading
• About the Authors
• Online Course Offer
• Bonus Material for eBook Readers
• Index