Book picks similar to
Building on Bedrock by Derek Lidow


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Conquer the Chaos: How to Grow a Successful Small Business Without Going Crazy


Clate Mask - 2010
    They are struggling just to keep their businesses running, let alone actually growing their companies and experiencing the success they anticipated.Conquer the Chaos speaks to you as a small business owner by making sense of the overwhelming demands on your business and providing a twenty-first century recipe for success with sanity. With engaging stories, quotes, and examples, Conquer the Chaos leads you through the six strategies you can incorporate to bring order to your business today. Find the money, time, and freedom in entrepreneurship that inspired you in the first placeSuccessfully juggle customers, prospects, management of employees, marketing, sales, accounting, and more Get from just surviving to growing your company and experiencing success Conquer the Chaos gives you the no-nonsense, ready-to-go guide that gets your business exactly where you want it to be.

Early Exits: Exit Strategies for Entrepreneurs and Angel Investors (But Maybe Not Venture Capitalists)


Basil Peters - 2009
    Very little has been written about exits - the emphasis is usually on starting, financing and growing technology companies.Most of the earlier books on exit strategies were written for business owners who wanted to retire. More recently, there have been a number of books written about exit transactions for venture capitalists. This is not surprising considering that most venture capital (VC) agreements give the VCs all of the control in deciding when and how all shareholders benefit from an exit transaction.This book is about the large number of other exits - the ones that are not driven by the VCs. Exit opportunities have changed dramatically in the past few years. Today, it’s more likely that a company will be sold without ever having an investment from a venture capitalist.Exits are also happening much earlier than before. The largest number of exit transactions today are in the under $30-million valuation range. These exits are often completed when companies are only two or three years from startup.The goal of this book is to help entrepreneurs and angel investors have more successful, more frequent and more profitable exits.

Connecting the Dots: Lessons for Leadership in a Startup World


John Chambers - 2018
    When Chambers joined Cisco in 1991, it was a company with 400 employees, a single product, and about $70 million in revenue. When he stepped down as CEO in 2015, he left a $47 billion tech giant that was the backbone of the internet and a leader in areas from cybersecurity to data center convergence. Along the way, he had acquired 180 companies and turned more than 10,000 employees into millionaires. Widely recognized as an innovator, an industry leader, and one of the world's best CEOs, Chambers has outlasted and outmaneuvered practically every rival that ever tried to take Cisco on--Nortel, Lucent, Alcatel, IBM, Dell, and Hewlett-Packard, to name a few. Now Chambers is sharing his unique strategies for winning in a digital world. From his early lessons and struggles with dyslexia in West Virginia to his bold bets and battles with some of the biggest names in tech, Chambers gives readers a playbook on how to act before the market shifts, tap customers for strategy, partner for growth, build teams, and disrupt themselves. He also adapted those lessons to transform government, helping global leaders like French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to create new models for growth. As CEO of JC2 Ventures, he's now investing in a new generation of game-changing startups by helping founders become great leaders and scale their companies. Connecting the Dots is destined to become a business classic, providing hard-won insights and critical tools to thrive during the accelerating disruption of the digital age.

Tata Log


Harish Bhat - 2012
    TATAlog presents eight riveting and hitherto untold stories about the strategic and operational challenges that TATA companies have faced, and the forward thinking and determination that have raised the brand to new heights. Among the engaging and inspiring stories told here are those of Tata Indica, the first completely Indian car that succeeded in the face of widespread cynicism; the jewellery brand Tanishq that has transformed one of Indias largest industries; and Tata Finance, which underwent several tribulations yet demonstrated the principles which Tata stands for. Written by a TATA insider, TATAlog reveals the DNA of every TATA enterprisea combination of the virtues of being pioneering, purposive, principled and not perfect, along with tremendous human effort.

The Upstarts: How Uber, Airbnb, and the Killer Companies of the New Silicon Valley Are Changing the World


Brad Stone - 2017
    Uber and Airbnb are household names: redefining neighbourhoods, challenging the way governments regulate business and changing the way we travel.In the spirit of iconic Silicon Valley renegades like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, a new generation of entrepreneurs is sparking yet another cultural upheaval through technology. They are among the Upstarts, idiosyncratic founders with limitless drive and an abundance of self-confidence. Young, hungry and brilliant, they are rewriting the traditional rules of business, changing our day-to-day lives and often sidestepping serious ethical and legal obstacles in the process.The Upstarts is the definitive account of a dawning age of tenacity, creativity, conflict and wealth. In Brad Stone’s highly anticipated and riveting account of the most radical companies of the new Silicon Valley, we find out how it all started, and how the world is wildly different than it was ten years ago.

The Alliance: Managing Talent in the Networked Age


Reid Hoffman - 2014
    Think of them instead as allies.As a manager you want your employees to help transform the company for the future. And your employees want the company to help transform their careers for the long term. But this win-win scenario will happen only if both sides trust each other enough to commit to mutual investment and mutual benefit. Sadly, trust in the business world is hovering at an all-time low.We can rebuild that lost trust with straight talk that recognizes the realities of the modern economy. So, paradoxically, the alliance begins with managers acknowledging that great employees might leave the company, and with employees being honest about their own career aspirations.By putting this new alliance at the heart of your talent management strategy, you’ll not only bring back trust, you’ll be able to recruit and retain the entrepreneurial individuals you need to adapt to a fast-changing world.These individuals, flexible, creative, and with a bias toward action, thrive when they’re on a specific “tour of duty”—when they have a mission that’s mutually beneficial to employee and company that can be completed in a realistic period of time.Coauthored by the founder of LinkedIn, this bold but practical guide for managers and executives will give you the tools you need to recruit, manage, and retain the kind of employees who will make your company thrive in today’s world of constant innovation and fast-paced change.

What If It Does Work Out?: How a Side Hustle Can Change Your Life


Susie Moore - 2017
    Susie Moore not only helps you discover your own purpose, but offers a practical guide to making it the driving force in your life and work." — Arianna Huffington Do you have a hobby or passion that has nothing to do with your nine-to-five job? Do you craft vintage jewelry, make handmade furniture, or offer expert negotiating advice to family and friends in your spare time? Then you, too, could join the 1/3 of Americans who turn their talents into a lucrative side hustle. In What If It Does Work Out? life coach and professional side-hustler Susie Moore offers expert tips and guidance to help you earn an extra source of income by doing something you love. In her energetic and encouraging style, she guides you through all of the planning stages and potential obstacles, showing how to overcome any hesitation or fear, create multiple revenue streams, and more. Susie also presents inspiring stories from fellow side hustle successes, including the founders of Spanx and MindBodyGreen. Recommended by Entrepreneur magazine as a book "entrepreneurs must read to dominate their industry," What If It Does Work Out? features all you need to take the practical steps toward living the life of your dreams. "Susie Moore has a truly special gift of making you feel like you can do absolutely ANYTHING your heart desires — and actually showing you how to achieve it. Her book is a highly practical, relatable and fun guide for anyone wanting to start or grow a Side Hustle." — Farnoosh Torabi, bestselling author and Oprah Winfrey's finance columnist "Susie Moore is a powerhouse … highly energetic, positive, generous and creative." — Bruce Littlefield, New York Times bestselling author"This book is the kick-in-the-pants side hustlers need to start living the life they want! An amazing reference for anyone who wants to not be 100% dependent on their 'day job.'" — Molly Beck, host of the Forbes podcast Two Inboxes: Interviews with the Side Hustle Generation"This book is the only resource you need to start your own side hustle. Susie covers the practical, emotional and spiritual path to becoming a success. Warning, it will make you want to put down the remote and get started right away." — Carly Pollack, Nutritional Wisdom founder and author of Finally Fullfilled"After working with Susie for more than a year, I've witnessed the incredibly positive impact her work has on our millennial readers — as well as my own personal and professional life. Her advice is down-to-earth, relatable, and encouraging, with just the right amount of tough love you need to make your goals a reality. This book is guaranteed to change your life, in the best way possible." — Locke Hughes, Greatist "Susie is an inspiration. She runs circles around the rest of us and makes it look easy. Any insight into how she does it is worth reading! For someone so accomplished to open up so candidly is an opportunity for the rest of us to learn, and one we shouldn't miss." — Libby Kane, Business Insider "Susie Moore is a light to everyone who meets her. Her immense insight and experience will help anyone who wants to craft a side hustle and live a life of freedom, security, and creativity." — Melyssa Griffin, The Nectar Collective "Launching a side hustle is no easy task, but after reading Susie Moore's book, I found it not only to be manageable but also inspirational. Susie's positivity shines throughout the entire book, helping side hustlers overcome fear and doubt to help them move forward. Great read for anyone thinking of taking the plunge." — Andrea Huspeni, Entrepreneur.com"Susie has a magic that energizes and motivates even the most jaded, 'read it all, heard it all' self-help skeptic. I'm one of those, and she's had a powerful effect on my life! Soak up all the Susie you can." — Laura Belgray"When you're starting a side hustle, you need emotional support and a confidence boost just as much as you need practical tips and tools for getting started. Susie Moore effortlessly combines both in What If It Does Work Out, making this truly the ultimate guide to getting a side gig off the ground."  — Adrian Granzella Larssen, Editor-in-Chief, The Muse

Everything is Figureoutable


Marie Forleo - 2019
    It's not that you're not hardworking, intelligent or deserving, but that you haven't yet installed the one key belief that will change everything: Everything is figureoutable.Whether you want to leave a dead-end job, heal a relationship, grow a business, master your money, or just find two free hours in your day, Everything is Figureoutable will train your brain to think more positively and help you break down any dream into manageable steps.Inside you'll learn:- How to deal with criticism and imposter syndrome- Why it's crucial that you strive for progress not perfection- How to bounce back from failure- How to overcome a lack of time and moneyYou'll also hear triumphant stories of everyday people using the everything is figureoutable philosophy to transform their life. Everything is figureoutable is more than just a fun phrase to say. It's a practical, actionable discipline. And it's about to make you unstoppable!

The 12 Week Year


Brian P. Moran - 2009
    Instead, The 12 Week Year avoids the pitfalls and low productivity of annualized thinking. This book redefines your "year" to be 12 weeks long. In 12 weeks, there just isn't enough time to get complacent, and urgency increases and intensifies. The 12 Week Year creates focus and clarity on what matters most and a sense of urgency to do it now. In the end more of the important stuff gets done and the impact on results is profound.Explains how to leverage the power of a 12-week year to drive improved results in any area of your lifeOffers a how-to book for both individuals and organizations seeking to improve their execution effectivenessAuthors are leading experts on execution and implementation Turn your organization's idea of a year on its head, and speed your journey to success.©2013 Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington (P)2014 Audible Inc.

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: Team Assessment


Patrick Lencioni - 2012
    A key component of the facilitator-lead Five Dysfunctions of a Team Workshop, the Team Assessment delivers what the name implies "a team assessment" rather than an individual self-assessment. It provides participants with an opportunity to begin exploring the pitfalls that are side-tracking their team. Easy to use, the Assessment is ideal for team off-sites, retreats, or a series of team development meetings. It will help teams of all types increase their cohesiveness and productivity.

How to Kill a Unicorn: How the World's Hottest Innovation Factory Builds Bold Ideas That Make It to Market


Mark Payne - 2014
      Today, innovation is seen by business leaders and the media alike as the key to growth, a burning issue in every company, from startups to the Fortune 500. And in that space, Fahrenheit 212 is viewed as a high-performance innovation SWAT team, able to solve the most complex, mission-critical challenges. Under Mark Payne, the firm's president and head of Idea Development, Fahrenheit 212, since its inception a decade ago, has worked with such giants of industry as Coca-Cola, Samsung, Hershey's, Campbell's Soup, LG, Starbucks, Mattel, Office Depot, Citibank, P&G, American Express, Nutrisystem, GE, and Goldman Sachs, to name but a few. It has been praised as a hotspot for innovation in publications like Fortune, Esquire, Businessweek, and FastCompany.  What Drives Fahrenheit 212's success is its unique methodology, combining what it calls Magic--the creative side of innovation--with Money, the business side. They explore every potential idea with the end goal in mind--bringing an innovative product to market in a way that will transform a company's business and growth. In How to Kill a Unicorn, Mark Payne pulls back the curtain on how the company is able to bring more innovative products and ideas successfully to market than any other firm and offers blow by blow inside accounts of how they grapple with and solved their biggest challenges.

The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation


Matthew Dixon - 2011
    The best salespeople don't just build relationships with customers. They challenge them. The need to understand what top-performing reps are doing that their average performing colleagues are not drove Matthew Dixon, Brent Adamson, and their colleagues at Corporate Executive Board to investigate the skills, behaviors, knowledge, and attitudes that matter most for high performance. And what they discovered may be the biggest shock to conventional sales wisdom in decades.Based on an exhaustive study of thousands of sales reps across multiple industries and geographies, The Challenger Sale argues that classic relationship building is a losing approach, especially when it comes to selling complex, large-scale business-to-business solutions. The authors' study found that every sales rep in the world falls into one of five distinct profiles, and while all of these types of reps can deliver average sales performance, only one-the Challenger- delivers consistently high performance.Instead of bludgeoning customers with endless facts and features about their company and products, Challengers approach customers with unique insights about how they can save or make money. They tailor their sales message to the customer's specific needs and objectives. Rather than acquiescing to the customer's every demand or objection, they are assertive, pushing back when necessary and taking control of the sale.The things that make Challengers unique are replicable and teachable to the average sales rep. Once you understand how to identify the Challengers in your organization, you can model their approach and embed it throughout your sales force. The authors explain how almost any average-performing rep, once equipped with the right tools, can successfully reframe customers' expectations and deliver a distinctive purchase experience that drives higher levels of customer loyalty and, ultimately, greater growth.