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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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How to Start a Start-up summary
ThinkApps
The Silicon Valley Playbook for Entrepreneurs
12 mins
Brief summary
How to Start a Start-up by ThinkApps is a comprehensive guide for entrepreneurs to launch, grow and scale their businesses. It covers various aspects like raising capital, building products, hiring, marketing and more, based on the experiences of successful entrepreneurs.
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How to Start a Start-up
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Key idea 1 of 5
Start-ups need talented founders, streamlined processes and independent team members to grow.
Did you ever build a house of cards as a kid? These flimsy constructions need a strong base and consistent design if you want them to stay standing. Similarly, all start-ups need solid foundations to achieve sustainable growth. So how can you ensure you get off to a good start? By working with more than one founder.
A start-up with two or three founders stands a good chance of sustaining itself because it has multiple skill sets built into its foundation. Say one founder is a strong business developer. He’ll need a cofounder with great people skills, and perhaps another with more technical knowledge. In this way, cofounders can compensate for each other's weaknesses, creating stronger foundations overall.
Other crucial aspects in creating a sustainable start-up are simplifying and delegating. Let’s first take a closer look at how founders can boost their start-up by keeping things simple.
According to former Linkedin and Paypal executive Keith Rabois, simplifying processes can increase overall performance by 30 to 50 percent. For instance, don’t come up with a long list of growth initiatives and try to pursue all of them at once. Instead, distill that list down to three items or less. This will help everyone understand what is important and allocate their time accordingly.
Rabois also advises founders to delegate projects to employees. But this doesn’t mean assigning a team member a task and then micromanaging them every step of the way; this only slows processes and makes teams disgruntled.
Instead, it’s best to let employees take the initiative and get their creative juices flowing. Feel free to guide your team through critical decisions by explaining your perspective. But if you really want them to start innovating, you’ll need to get out of their way!
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What is How to Start a Start-up about?
How to Start a Start-up (2015) is a practical guide to founding your own company. From pitching for funding to hiring employees, these blinks offer tips, strategies and insights about the first steps a start-up should take to forge a path toward solid, sustainable growth.
How to Start a Start-up Review
How to Start a Start-up by ThinkApps (2019) is a comprehensive guide on launching a successful start-up. Here's why this book is worth reading:
- It provides expert insights and practical advice to help entrepreneurs navigate the challenges of starting a business.
- The book offers a step-by-step approach to building a sustainable company, ensuring that readers have a clear roadmap to follow.
- With its real-life case studies and insider tips, the book keeps readers engaged and motivated, making the start-up journey far from boring.
Best quote from How to Start a Start-up
Seducing your customers doesnt have to involve some glossy campaign. As long as you think about what emotions you elicit on your users face, youre heading in the right direction.
—ThinkApps
Who should read How to Start a Start-up?
- Budding entrepreneurs
- Business students thinking about their options after completing their degree
- Anyone interested in what goes on behind the scenes at start-ups
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How to Start a Start-up FAQs
What is the main message of How to Start a Start-up?
The main message of How to Start a Start-up is to guide readers through the process of creating and scaling a successful business.
How long does it take to read How to Start a Start-up?
The reading time for How to Start a Start-up varies based on individual reading speed. However, the Blinkist summary can be read in a short amount of time.
Is How to Start a Start-up a good book? Is it worth reading?
How to Start a Start-up is a valuable read for anyone interested in entrepreneurship. It offers practical advice and insights to help set up and grow a successful business.
Who is the author of How to Start a Start-up?
The author of How to Start a Start-up is ThinkApps.
What to read after How to Start a Start-up?
If you're wondering what to read next after How to Start a Start-up, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- Why Startups Fail by Tom Eisenmann
- Startup Seed Funding for the Rest of Us by Mike Belsito
- The Innovation Stack by Jim McKelvey
- A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
- The Startup Playbook by David S. Kidder
- Extremely Hardcore by Zoë Schiffer
- The Innovation Mindset by Lorraine Hudson Marchand
- The Four Steps to the Epiphany by Steve Blank
- Supercoach by Michael Neill
- The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason