Startup Myths and Models: What You Won't Learn in Business School

Entrepreneurs face a challenging road, and this guide debunks misconceptions about how startups work and offers hard-earned advice for every step of the journey. It provides startup models to help make thoughtful decisions about starting, growing, managing, and selling a business and mentors readers in the development of a mental toolkit for approaching challenges.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 19 September 2023
Publisher: Columbia University Press

Budding entrepreneurs embark on a daunting journey, navigating a complex terrain filled with clichés and contradictory advice. The path is further complicated by the pervasive myths and misconceptions surrounding startups, perpetuated by platitudes, conventional wisdom, and outright contradictions. In this witty and insightful guide, Rizwan Virk aims to debunk these myths and provide practical guidance for every stage of the entrepreneurial journey. Instead of relying on startup legends spun from a fantasy version of Silicon Valley, Virk presents startup models—frameworks that aid in making informed decisions about starting, growing, managing, and selling a business. Rather than offering simplistic rules, he mentors readers in developing a mental toolkit for navigating challenges based on the evolving dynamics of startup markets.

In a concise and engaging style, Virk employs snappy prose, incorporating savvy pop-culture references and real-world examples to recast entrepreneurship as a grand adventure. He identifies the potential pitfalls that lie along the way and offers valuable insights on how to avoid them. He shares the secrets of founding a startup, securing funding, hiring and firing employees, determining the right time to enter and exit markets, and assessing the value of a company. Virk draws upon his twenty-five years of experience in founding, investing in, and advising startups, as well as reflections from renowned venture capitalists and experts. His candid advice makes Startup Myths and Models an invaluable resource for both aspiring entrepreneurs and those seeking their next entrepreneurial venture.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780231194532