Text

America's Most Successful Startups: Lessons for Entrepreneurs

---

The diploma thesis of Max Finger and Oliver Samwer which they wrote at their university WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management.

http://www.quora.com/Where-can-I-find-Samwers-book-Americas-most-successful-start-ups-An-Entrepreneur-Handbook

Contents:

1. Introduction
1.1 Purpose of the Study
1.2 Research Design

I. CREATING A BUSINESS

2. The Opportunities
2.1 Types of Opportunities
2.1.1 Opportunities based on a Paradigm Shift
2.1.2 Opportunities based on a New Product or Business Model
2.1.3 Opportunities based on a Me-too Product
2.2 Opportunity Recognition
2.2.1 Markets that change
2.2.2 Markets that are badly understood.
2.2.3 Markets that are large
2.2.4 Markets that are fast growing
2.2.5 Markets where the Incumbent Players cannot move
2.2.6 Markets where there is little Competition
2.3 Process of Opportunity Recognition
2.3.1 Intuitive Approach
2.3.2 Analytical Approach
2.4 Refinement Process
2.5 Research Process
2.6 General Advice on the Idea Generation Process
2.7 Evaluation of a Business Idea
3. The Homework
3.1 Defining the Market Need
3.2 Defining the Customer
3.3 Defining the Market Size
3.4 Defining the Market Timing
4. The Window of Opportunity
5. The Background of the Entrepreneur
6. The Founders
7. The Role of the Founder
7.1 Management of the Company
7.2 Ownership of the Company
7.3 Building a Sustainable Business
8. The Ideal Startup

II. LAUNCHING THE BUSINESS

9. The Location
10. The Advisors
11. The Support Players
11.1 Legal Counsel
12. Intellectual Property
13. The Funding
13.1 Milestone Financing
13.2 Risk Identification and Elimination
13.3 Sources of Funding
13.3.1 Bootstrapping
13.3.2 Sources of Outside Equity
13.3.2.1 Angel Investors
13.3.2.2 Venture Capital
13.3.2.3 Corporate Investors
13.3.2.4 Initial Public Offering
13.3.2.5 Funding Strategy
13.4 Choosing an Investor
13.5 General Advice on the Funding Process
14. The Culture
14.1 Importance of Culture
14.2 Values
14.3 People
14.3.1 Recruiting People
14.3.2 Attracting People
14.3.3 Finding People
14.3.4 Keeping People
14.3.5 Dismissing People
14.4 Mission
14.5 Information Flow
14.5.1 Free flow of information
14.5.1.1 Open-door, walk-in Meetings
14.5.1.2 Sitting in Cubicles
14.5.1.3 Status Meetings and Reports
14.5.1.4 Personal Whiteboards
14.5.1.5 All-Hands-Meetings
14.5.1.6 CEO Lunches and Employee Breakfasts
14.6 Communication
14.6.1 Formal and Informal Communication
14.6.2 Direct and Open Communication
14.7 Decision Making
14.8 Result Orientation and Management-by-Objectives
14.9 Key Characteristics of a Successful Culture
14.9.1 A Team Work Culture
14.9.2 An Egoless Culture
14.9.3 A Meritocracy of ideas
14.9.4 A Risk Culture
14.9.5 A no status, no ego, blue-jeans Culture
14.9.6 A don t-let-the-others-down Culture
14.9.7 A Fun Culture
14.9.8 A Family Culture
14.10 Keeping the Culture when the Company is Growing
14.11 Leadership
14.11.1 Building a Vision
14.11.2 Building Teams
14.11.3 Reinforcing the Culture
14.11.4 Creating a Sense of Urgency
14.11.5 Qualities of a Leader
15. The Management Team
16. Technology and Market Orientation
17. The Flexibility
18. The Focus
19. The Execution
20. The Network

IIl. GROWING THE BUSINESS

21. The Partners
22. The Game for Mindshare
23. The Breakthrough
24. The First Customers
25. The Competition
26. The Growth Management
26.1 People
26.2 Processes
26.3 Management
26.4 Communication

IV. THE ENTREPRENEUR

27. The Motivation
28. The Doubts
29. The Sacriflces
30. The Qualities of an Entrepreneur
30.1 Visionary
30.2 Confidence
30.3 Team Spirit
30.4 Risk attitude
30.5 No Fear of Failure
30.6 Ability to Learn
30.7 Entrepreneurship is very personal
30.8 Sense of Reality
30.9 Persistence
30.10 Commitment
30.11 Experience
30.12 Salesmanship
30.13 Standing of an Entrepreneur
31. Summary
32. Appendix

---

Availability

No copy data

Detail Information

Series Title

-

Call Number

300 Max

Publisher

Hoboken, NJ : Gabler., 1998

Collation

179 Pages

Language

English

ISBN/ISSN

3-409-11409-2

Classification

300

Content Type

-

Media Type

-

Carrier Type

-

Edition

-

Subject(s)

-

Specific Detail Info

-

Statement of Responsibility

-

Other version/related

File Attachment

Comments

---

You must be logged in to post a comment