You're the Boss: Three New Books Highlight Female Entrepreneurship

I'd love to read these three books featured today in the NYTimes:

• The Dressmaker of Khair Khana by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon
• Single. Women. Entrepreneurs. by Erin Albert
• Minority Women Entrepreneurs by Mary Godwyn and Donna Stoddard

Single. Women. Entrepreneurs. seems like the one I'd like the most. Hopefully my local library carries it.

Founders at Work by Jessica Livingston

Don't worry about people stealing your ideas. If your ideas are any good, you'll have to ram them down people's throats.

-Howard Aiken

This was quoted by Jessica Livingston in the introduction of Founders at Work: Stories of Startup’s Early Days, which I recently read (click here to read all my posts on this book).

I found this quote both humorous and fascinating and it makes me wonder how much truth there is to it.

I would guess that with early-stage technology, which the companies featured in Founders at Work were known for, terrific life-changing ideas would easily be dismissed by critics.

But in other situations, I would guess that the inventors' and founders' fear that someone might steal their idea isn't that far off.

Another quote that got me thinking in this book was the idea that "Companies take shape based on the personality characteristics and human interaction characteristics of the founders" -- Ray Ozzie said this in Chapter Seven but the idea was echoed throughout the book. Just one chapter back, in Chapter Six, Mitchell Kapor said, "These types of companies tend to reflect the personalities and interests of their founders. Microsoft is very much cast in Bill Gates's images; and Apple, Steve Jobs; Borland, Phillippe Kahn."

I wonder how accurate this observation is.

Anyway, lots to think about after having read this book. No interest in starting a tech company, even after reading the success stories from this book.

In case you're curious, here's the Table of Contents:

Foreword ix
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction xiii

1 Max Levchin: Cofounder, PayPal 1
2 Sabeer Bhatia: Cofounder, Hotmail 17
3 Steve Wozniak: Cofounder, Apple Computer 31
4 Joe Kraus: Cofounder, Excite 61
5 Dan Bricklin: Cofounder, Software Arts 73
6 Mitchell Kapor: Cofounder, Lotus Development 89
7 Ray Ozzie: Cofounder, Iris Associates, Groove Networks 103
8 Evan Williams: Cofounder, Pyra Labs (Blogger.com) 111
9 Tim Brady: First Non-Founding Employee, Yahoo 127
10 Mike Lazaridis: Cofounder, Research In Motion 141
11 Arthur Van Hoff: Cofounder, Marimba 153
12 Paul Buchheit: Creator, Gmail 161
13 Steve Perlman: Cofounder, WebTV 173
14 Mike Ramsay: Cofounder, TiVo 191
15 Paul Graham: Cofounder, Viaweb 205
16 Joshua Schachter: Founder, del.icio.us 223
17 Mark Fletcher: Founder, ONElist, Bloglines 233
18 Craig Newmark: Founder, Craigslist 247
19 Caterina Fake: Cofounder, Flickr 257
20 Brewster Kahle: Founder, WAIS, Internet Archive, Alexa Internet 265
21 Charles Geschke: Cofounder, Adobe Systems 281
22 Ann Winblad: Cofounder, Open Systems, Hummer Winblad 297
23 David Heinmeier: Hansson Partner, 37 signals 309
24 Philip Greenspun: Cofounder, ArsDigita 317
25 Joel Spolsky: Cofounder, Fog Creek Software 345
26 Stephen Kaufer: Cofounder, TripAdvisor 361
27 James Hong: Cofounder, Hot or Not 377
28 James Currier: Founder, Tickle 387
29 Blake Ross: Creator, Firefox 395
30 Mena Trott: Cofounder, Six Apart 405
31 Bob Davis: Founder, Lycos 419
32 Ron Gruner: Cofounder Alliant Computer Systems; Founder, Shareholder.com 427

Index 447

Don't be surprised if I post about this book again. I might even buy myself a copy.

Founders at Work: Stories of Startup’s Early Days by Jessica Livingston

I've really enjoyed Jessica Livingston's Founders at Work: Stories of Startup’s Early Days -- one of many library books I borrowed last month.

This book tells the story of startups like Firefox, TiVo, WebTV, Craigslist, Hotmail, Adobe, and others through interviews with their founders or creators.

Initially, it made me think of If at First You Don’t Succeed . . . The Eight Patterns of Highly Effective Entrepreneurs by Brent Bowers (click here to read all my posts on this book) in that both books seek to shed light on what makes entrepreneurs tick.

While Livingston interviews individuals who founded or created dot-com or other technology start-ups, Bowers talks with founders of small businesses from varied fields that include jam making, cosmetics, manufacturing and more.

The main difference in the book lies in the way each author organizes his/her book. Where Bowers organizes his book into chapters based on eight traits of entrepreneurs with stories from 40+ entrepreneurs sprinkled throughout the book, Livingston spends just her two-page introduction discussing the patterns of entrepreneurs and then spends a chapter on each person with an in-depth interview.

Call me crazy, but I much prefer the way Livingston organized her book. It is easier to follow and you learn more from each individual.

And, as you know by now, I love primary sources. so I appreciated how each chapter was an interview with a founder or creator of one or more start-ups.

Here are the patterns that Livingston found for comparison to the list by Bowers:

1. Uncertainty that they were actually onto something big.
2. Determination, especially to build things that work.
3. Perseverance through uncertainty, isolation, and sometimes lack of progress.
4. Adaptability and mental flexibility to understand what users/customers want and to change and develop their original idea.
5. Empathy for users/customers.
6. Desire to change the world and to keep building things.

Livingston doesn't assert this list as a steadfast rule (where Bowers does); she merely states that these were some of her observations from interviewing the 32 entrepreneurs featured in her book.

Back to reading!

The 100 Best Business Books of All Time: What They Say, Why They Matter, and How They Can Help You

In addition to books, magazines and newspapers, I also read ChangeThis.com.

Since ChangeThis.com was bought by 800-CEO-READ in Summer 2005, I get email updates from both companies.

Those of you who love business books may want to read the latest email I received from:

Hello Changethisers,

Hope you're well. You may not know us at 800-CEO-READ by name, but we are the folks that maintain and care for ChangeThis. And, we have news to share.

The heads of 800-CEO-READ, founder Jack Covert and vice-president Todd Sattersten, have spent the last year writing a book entitled THE 100 BEST BUSINESS BOOKS OF ALL TIME which will be available in February, 2009.

To celebrate the book's release and help you gear up for the book, we're hosting a six-month book club culminating with the release of THE 100 BEST BUSINESS BOOKS OF ALL TIME. For six months, September ’08 through February ‘09, you will receive a book a month. The first five books will be one of Jack and Todd’s picks from The 100 BEST and will cover a range of business topics, from Management and Leadership to Entrepreneurship and Marketing.

The sixth and final book will be THE 100 BEST, landing in mailboxes in early February.

To learn more, check out Todd's blog post about the about the book club:
http://800ceoread.com/blog/archives/008375.html

Or, go directly the following address to sign up:
http://800ceoread.com/products/?ISBN=COUNTDOWN100

Many thanks & best of days,
ChangeThis and 800-CEO-READ

http://www.changethis.com/
http://800ceoread.com/

Hmm, I don't know -- The Countdown Book Club: Six Months To The 100 Best Business Books of All Time gives you six books for $99. Doesn't sound like too much of a deal to me.

Still, I'd like to browse through a copy of The 100 Best Business Books of All Time. Guess I'll just look for it when it comes out in February 2009.

If at First You Don’t Succeed by Brent Bowers

After reading If at First You Don’t Succeed . . . The Eight Patterns of Highly Effective Entrepreneurs by Brent Bowers (click here to read all my posts on this book), I've updated the list of the magic eight entrepreneurial traits:

1. An aptitude for spotting and seizing opportunities that nobody else has noticed.
2. Compulsion to be in charge, a gift for leadership, a strong belief in the importance of integrity, and a hypomanic personality. A "hypomanic is fast-talking, is witty and gregarious, and has a natural self-confidence that can make him charismatic and persuasive."
3. A history of innovative activities and salesmanship dating back to childhood, usually in a family environment that encouraged that bent. Being a male with an absent father seems to help.
4. A talent for improvisation and multi-tasking, a tolerance for ambiguity, and openness.
5. Doggedness - fierce drive, energy, and tenacity (the combination of patience, persistence, and perserverance). Also, the ability to live on just four hours of sleep per night and the drive to work ninety-hour weeks.
6. Lofty ambition, optimism, idealism, passion, and enthusiasm that borders on the delusional for a product.
7. Unfailing pragmatism and a good eye for taking calculated risks.
8. Self-confidence and a knack for "falling upwards" - viewing setbacks as opportunities.

Bowers also ends his book with these lessons from other entrepreneurs:

• Know when to fold 'em.
• Try harder next time.
• Stick to what you know best.
• Make pleasing customers your number-one priority.
• Analyze what you did wrong.
• Maintain your self-respect.
• Keep a lid on spending.
• Expect no sympathy for your snafus.
• Don't assume that all publicity is good publicity.
• Realize that success isn't as important as being in the game.

While I think both these lists are useful, these two quotes that Bowers used may sum up the entrepreneur in fewer words:

If an idea does not at first seem insane, it has no hope.

-Albert Einstein

Entrepreneurs are dreamers who do.

-Judith Cone

One thing that surprised me about If at First You Don’t Succeed was the number of other books mentioned throughout the book:

• The Hypomanic Edge: The Link Between (a Little) Craziness and (a Lot of) Success in America by John D Gartner
• The Monk and the Riddle by Randy Komisar
• Integrity is All You've Got by Karl Eller
• The Great Game of Business by Jack Stack
• The Stranger by Albert Camus
• The Plague by Albert Camus
• One Man's Leg by Paul Martin

Of these, I've read The Monk and the Riddle and the The Plague (and I've been meaning to re-read The Plague and read some of Camus's other works) but will have to take a look at the others. Back to reading!

The Eight Patterns of Highly Effective Entrepreneurs by Brent Bowers

Still getting through the stack of library books I borrowed -- I'm about through reading If at First You Don’t Succeed . . . The Eight Patterns of Highly Effective Entrepreneurs by Brent Bowers.

In Chapter Four, Bowers concedes that he is attempting the near impossible with this book:

With the help of some nationally recognized experts on the topic, I am dissecting into a observable parts something that in reality can't be stripped apart: the human personality.

I feel like because the goal of the book was so ambitous, Bowers went overboard with his examples. Where five good stories would do, Bowers provides twenty -- leaving the reader feeling dizzy and overwhelmed. The book would be more successful if it focused on fewer entrepreneurs and/or was half as long as it is.

Here's a list of the interesting people featured in just the first chapter:

• J. Robert Hillier, Hiller Architecture & Obit magazine
• Greg Herro, LifeGem & Anything's Possible
• Farnam Jahanian, Arbor Networks
• Peter Amico, Airtrax, Martin Divisions Steel Products, American Consolidated Steel Foundations, Centurion Securities Services, & Titan Detective Services
• Frank Landsberger, CRT Capital
• Mark Hughes, Buzzmarketing
• Josh Kopelman, Half.com
• Sig Anderman, American Home Mortgage
• Gary Doan, Intradyn, Transition Networks, & Neo Networks
• Umang Gupta, Gupta Technologies
• Timothy Mahoney, vFinance.com
• John Heagney, Heagney Public Relations
• Charlie Horn, Promirus Group & Affordable Medical Solutions and HealthTrans
• Michael Huddy, Barrier International
• Herbert Jian, US Import & Export Company
• Cameron Johnson, SurfingPrizes.com, CertificateSwap.com, beaniebabywholesale.com, cheersandtears.com, myezmail.com, zablo.com, & trueloot.com
• Alex Lidow, International Rectifier
• James Poss, Seahorse Power Company
• Karl Eller, Eller Media
• Paul Brown, Metropolitan Pathology Laboratory Inc (MetPath) & HearUSA
• Joe Macchia, Macchia General Agency & Early American Insurance Company
• Kevin Plank, Under Armour Performance Apparel
• Luke Visconti, Diversity.com & DiversityInc Magazine
• Liz Ryan, WorldWIT
• Richard Wellman, International Airline Support Group
• Myke Templeton, Owensboro Christian Church

That's 26 people featured in fewer than 40 pages!

Some of the other folks mentioned:

• Pete Newman, Gotham Software, Inc.
• Kerry Sulkowics, Boswell Grups LLC
• Lara & Lisa Helene Meiland, Lara Helene Bridal Atelier
• Martin G Klein, Electro Energy
• Laura Gasparis Vonfrolio, Revolution: The Journal of Nurse Empowerment, CPR Associates, Oh-la-la Caterers, & Education Enterprises
• David Weistein, Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center
• Ross Levin, Accredited Investors, Inc.
• Peter Gyenes, Ascential Software Corporation
• Joan Schweighardy, GreyCove Press
• Craig Aronoff, Family Business Consulting Group
• Kirtland Poss, VisEn Medical
• Nadine Thompson, Warm Spirit Inc
• Jeff & Richard Sloan, StartupNation
• Dot Smith, Pepper Patch
• Scott Cook, Intuit
• Jack Stack, Springfield Remanufacturing Corporation

The sheer number of anecdotes doesn't add weight to Bowers arguments; instead it makes his eight traits seem like arbitrary and that he's filling pages with stories so you won't figure it out!

Still, the eight traits appear to be a useful measure if you are considering going into business for yourself. And even if the nine to five lifestyle suits you best, you'll enjoy these inspirational entrepreneurial stories -- just as long as you can keep the names straight.

Here are some of the passages I have enjoyed the most:

From Chapter Three, Nurture vs. Nature:

So which is it that makes for a successful entrepreneur? Genes or family? Nature or nurture?

Not surprisingly, the experts take a nuanced position on the matter. They remind me a bit of Franklin D. Roosevelt's comment about economists: He wished he could find one with only one arm, because all the others he had met were forever saying, "On the one hand this, on the other hand that."

From Chapter Four, Turning on a Dime:

Vonfrolio wasn't averse to making exaggerated claims to get deals done. When she came home from nursing duty one night exhausted and decided to start a business, she wrote letters to E. F Hutton and Merrill Lynch, advertising herself as a CPR instructor and sprinkling her prose with made-up statistics about death rates from heart attacks in high-pressure industries.

A few weeks later Merrill Lynch called, and Vonfrolio asked her roommate, "Do you know anybody named Merrill Lynch?" It sounded familiar, but she couldn't picture the face. Then she remembered the letters. She arranged to teach a class two weeks later. The next day, E. F. Hutton phoned. This time, she was ready with the crisp announcement, "CPR Associated." When E. F. Hutton requested classes for 500 people right away, she said she was booked solid for several weeks but could set up an appointment after that.

Then the scrambling began. Vonfrolio took a two-day course to obtain certification to teach CPR. Refused a business loan by a male bank manager, she returned a few days later and talked a female manager into approving a $10,000 personal loan by saying she had just lost 150 pounds and needed $10,000 to buy a new wardrobe. She bought mannequins and other equipment, hired ten instructors, and got her business up and running with time to spare.

From Chapter Five, Tenacity:

Brown's training schedule demonstrates an elevated form of doggedness. To succeed, he says, you have to have patience, persistence, and perseverance. "Patience is discovering that you don't have the key to your house and so you wait for your wife to arrive. Persistence is circling the house and checking all the doors and windows to see if you can get in through one of them. Perseverance is removing the hinges from the door.

"That is the bulldog mentality," he says. "The entrepreneur has to have all three of those qualities."

And from Chapter Six, Delusions of Grandeur:

If you are thinking about starting a coffee shop or Christmas tree farm because you think it might be a rewarding way to make a living, you might have a great future as a business owner, but you aren't an entrepreneur. If you are planning to open a Dunkin' Donuts franchise, you may end up selling millions of doughnuts, but you aren't really an entrepreneur. If you are hoping to amass a stable of a dozen Applebee's restaurants, you might make some serious money, but that will not make you an entrepreneur.

Entrepreneurs have grand ambitions.

Looking forward to more!

If at First You Don’t Succeed . . . The Eight Patterns of Highly Effective Entrepreneurs by Brent Bowers

Still getting through the stack of library books I borrowed -- just read If at First You Don’t Succeed . . . The Eight Patterns of Highly Effective Entrepreneurs by Brent Bowers.

I've read a few chapters of this book and I have found it entertaining if not substantive.

Bowers starts out his book with a bold statement:

This is not an ordinary business book.

And I would agree. While I've read many articles that attempt to help a bright-eyed person with a business idea determine whether he or she should go ahead and start a small business, I've never seen a whole book devoted to this topic.

And it is certainly a worthwhile topic. As Bowers tells us of our "grassroots capitalist culture":

• There are 24 million entrepreneurs in the United States -- that's 11% of the adult population.
• Fifty percent of those entrepreneurs have started their venture as a side project and the other fifty percent devote their full-time attention to their venture.
• Small businesses account for 51% of the gross domestic product (GDP) and two-thirds of new jobs.

The eight traits of entrepreneurs sound great but there's just simply no way to know if they really are the characteristics you need to successfully start your own company. Bowers certainly tries to prove the accuracy of his list of eight by devoting an entire chapter to each trait. And to prove his point, Bowers spends a paragraph to a page and a half on stories of successful entrepreneurs after successful entrepreneurs, each story embodying the spirit of that chapter's trait.

It is less than convincing.

Here are the magic eight traits, if you're curious:

1. An aptitude for spotting and seizing opportunities that nobody else has noticed.
2. Compulsion to be in charge and a gift for leadership.
3. A history of innovative activities dating back to childhood, usually in a family environment that encouraged that bent.
4. A talent for improvisation.
5. Doggedness - fierce drive, energy, and tenacity.
6. Enthusiasm that borders on the delusional for a product.
7. Unfailing pragmatism.
8. A knack for "falling upwards" - viewing setbacks as opportunities.

Still this business book is worth reading. The stories are inspirational (particularly those of the entrepreneurs who aren't widely known) and finding out if you've got these eight traits can't hurt -- even if Bowers doesn't convince you that his list is accurate.

Click here to read an excerpt.

Expect to hear more from me as I read more of If at First You Don’t Succeed . . . The Eight Patterns of Highly Effective Entrepreneurs by Brent Bowers.