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68th out of 81 books
—
79 voters
By Invitation Only: How We Built Gilt and Changed the Way Millions Shop
On a warm September night in 2002, former acquaintances Alexis Maybank and Alexandra Wilkis reconnected at a mixer for new students at Harvard Business School. Alexis had just ended a four-year run at eBay during the dotcom boom and bust. Alexandra had just spent three years as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch. Now they were entering the country’s top training ground...more
Hardcover, 288 pages
Published
April 12th 2012
by Portfolio Hardcover
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Gilt is the story of the founders of the website Gilt, their background and their efforts in bringing the site online. It's interesting to read about their connections, their processes and their successes. What it's not is a how to book for the average person who wants to succeed in business. The book certainly throws in some suggestions for forming a team, seeking capital and developing a business plan, but unless you are connected enough and wealthly enough to get a Harvard education and pour...more
I wonder if you've heard of Gilt Groupe? The first time I heard of it was because it was a pre-installed app on my phone (and I can't get rid of it). But I am always interested in the stories of how businesses succeed. And this book is way more than just a story.
Apart from being just a story, By Invitation Only aims to put "forth our story with the goal of offering concrete suggestions on how to handle some of the challenges that lie ahead". And yes, the book does fulfill that promise.
First, the...more
Apart from being just a story, By Invitation Only aims to put "forth our story with the goal of offering concrete suggestions on how to handle some of the challenges that lie ahead". And yes, the book does fulfill that promise.
First, the...more
What a fantastic read!
I've been a fan of Gilt Groupe for many years, and was so excited when I saw that "the A's" had written a book chronicling their adventures as they started their company from the ground up.
This book gave so many important tips, hints and suggestions as to how to not only start your own business, but how to succeed in any business. Some of these fabulous tips include loving who you're working with, maintaining relationships both big and small, and not overlooking the little...more
I've been a fan of Gilt Groupe for many years, and was so excited when I saw that "the A's" had written a book chronicling their adventures as they started their company from the ground up.
This book gave so many important tips, hints and suggestions as to how to not only start your own business, but how to succeed in any business. Some of these fabulous tips include loving who you're working with, maintaining relationships both big and small, and not overlooking the little...more
A nice light quick read. Not the hard-hitting case study type company history that I was looking for, but definitely some good tips along the way. Probably a bit discouraging for some entrepreneurs since one of the key elements of success (besides incredibly hard-working founders!) was that a key tech angel investor started the whole process and two extremely talented tech guys were already on board. The combination of a tech angel investor's rolodex and the As fashion rolodex was a powerful com...more
The saga of the two As, the blonde co-founders of Gilt Groupe, the popular private sale site. The pair, who attended Harvard Business School together have charmed lives but are also very hard workers. Together with a small team they created a site that has become one of the leaders in the growing flash sale industry. The book chronicles their fast rise and is written in a co-narrated style that has the voice switching, often mid-paragraph. The book is at its most successful when the women descri...more
I was very interested in reading this book not just because of the shopping life (designer everything!) but because I was curious how one becomes an entrepreneur (women especially). I enjoyed reading about the last-minute deals, the unexpected sales, the nerve-wracking meet ups with celeb designers etc. the stories were electrifying, but not so much the personal lives of the authors themselves. Sure, the authors pepper the books with some tips on how to start a business and how to be successful,...more
The best part of this book was the bullet point summaries of advice for starting/maintaining a business. The questions they invited the reader to ask herself were really thought provoking and I feel like I really learned from Alexis & Alexandra about the business world and the tech start-up world. I also liked this book because I was inspired to hear the story of two driven, passionate women who started a wildly successful business without sacrificing their femininitiy or the close friendshi...more
In case you are unaware, I work at a New York technology start-up. A female-run, beginning from nothing, bound to be great (fingers crossed!) start-up. And to answer some previously posed questions, no, we do not have liquor carts delivering us drinks in the afternoon, or omelet and coffee bars greeting us every morning. We have instead one cubicle space rented from a co-start up pal, a couple of macintosh laptops, and days that run from 7am to 7pm – with any luck. Can you now see why I decided...more
I like the internet. Yes, I do. I've done my share of online shopping. But I've only purchased from Gilt.com once... So when I saw this book on the firstreads giveaway on goodreads it caught my interest. I entered the giveaway and won a copy!
The book is by the company's two founders Alexis and Alexandra-- two blondes with Harvard MBAs and a love of designer sample sales. The book tells of the founding of Gilt and its days as a successful startup in 2007 through current day.
Overall I found the b...more
The book is by the company's two founders Alexis and Alexandra-- two blondes with Harvard MBAs and a love of designer sample sales. The book tells of the founding of Gilt and its days as a successful startup in 2007 through current day.
Overall I found the b...more
I wanted to read the book because I enjoy reading company histories and also because I shop on Gilt. While I liked the book, I didn’t like it as much as other company histories that I have read.
The book gives some good tips and points on how to succeed in business, not just a start up. The story itself is interesting but seemed like it kept going back and forth. It was a little hard to follow at times when it did that. Also it seemed to repeat itself sometimes. I would read a passage and think...more
The book gives some good tips and points on how to succeed in business, not just a start up. The story itself is interesting but seemed like it kept going back and forth. It was a little hard to follow at times when it did that. Also it seemed to repeat itself sometimes. I would read a passage and think...more
I enjoyed this book. I think it got off to a rocky start - their writing style requires a little getting used to. But I LOVE Gilt - and it was a lot of fun to learn how they got their start and the decisions they made each step of the way to be the powerhouse they are today. Its an interesting read, and part biography and part "how to start a business" advice. Recommend it to my fashionista / business loving friends!
I began this book not knowing anything about Gilt Groupe. I was amazed that a book about a tech start up could be so interesting and engaging! I'm not going to join Gilt, as I don't really need another tempting place to spend money, but I can appreciate what they do. My favorite aspect of the book was the discussions of marketing and creating buzz; these women are amazing. Also at networking- I admire them for putting themselves out there time and time again. I'm glad there are people as driven...more
By Invitation Only… is a great read for anyone interested in business–especially women. It offers helpful tips such as how to find the right partner for your business, how to ensure you’re getting in business for the right reasons and so on
YOU MAY FIND THE REST OF MY REVIEW HERE: http://artblt.com/2012/06/20/book-rev...
YOU MAY FIND THE REST OF MY REVIEW HERE: http://artblt.com/2012/06/20/book-rev...
This is a fairy tale and a business book all in one! Our new princesses, Alexis and Alexandra, can start a business, continue it through hypergrowth, work in fashion, be fashionable, fly around the world and still be BFFs. Very readable and likeable, not sure how applicable or general.
I thought this book shed light on how great teams are able to create & execute great new ideas. The trust each teammate had in one another was so critical to their success. Being egoless, open to criticism, quick to adapt, interested in innovation, and truly transparent seem to be key components to brilliant leadership. This book was very inspiring.
Jun 26, 2012
Barb Wiseberg
added it
Loved it - a daily deal fairy tale!
From inception to the future, the story unfolds step by step, and I loved hearing about the ins and outs of this great flash sales site.
a must read for anyone working in the daily deal arena.
From inception to the future, the story unfolds step by step, and I loved hearing about the ins and outs of this great flash sales site.
a must read for anyone working in the daily deal arena.
I checked this out of the library for a little research and found myself completely engulfed. Tagging every page and dying to take notes in the margins. This is a must buy as I know I will refer to specific sections on a regular basis. I have found new role models in these women, especially Alexandra, who spoke volumes to me.
I think this book jumped the gun, in the haste to publish something topical I think they didn't let the story fully develop -
Loved this! I'm not even a big Gilt shopper (don't get their emails) and still found this to be an interesting and quick read.
A simple roadmap for anyone with a start-up. A little cloying. Definitely self-serving. But a fun, light read.
I enjoyed this book, great insight on what its like to create a multi-million dollar business.
Mar 21, 2012
Lulu
marked it as to-read
I won this book from the first reads giveaways and I am so excited to read it. Thanks.
An excellent analysis of the life of a startup e-commerce business. Detailed but easy to read. Lots to be learnt from this book.
I think I would have enjoyed this book more if I knew ANYthing about the movers and shakers in the fashion industry. Still, I thought it was a very interesting case study of the planning, hard work, and luck that goes into a successful start-up.
Writen good. All about high fasion and making a start up company
Clearly ghostwritten, but still an important book for female entrepreneurs and disruptive technologists.
This book was SO fascinating! I work in the e-commerce industry so it was even more interesting for me, but I think it's an incredibly motivating and inspiring book and very relevant to our generation.
A great "power" book. This is a keeper for me and I`m sure I will read it again in the future!
Review copy won on Goodreads.com on 3-20-12.
Recommended by Leonie
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Mar 20, 2012 01:57pm