"Founders at Work: Stories of Startups' Early Days" is a collection of interviews with founders of famous technology companies about what happe... read full description
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Dec 16, 2009
Mark
rated it: 
fascinating first-hand accounts from founders of now-ubiquitous companies: hotmail, gmail, paypal, yahoo stores, hotornot, apple, etc etc. strangely, the technical aspect is rarely the most difficult part of the company - most of the founders say marketing the product was crazy hard.
interesting factoids you'll pick up from reading the book:
* hotornot was implemented in an afternoon to rate some random girl one of the founders had seen recently. the site spread virally and the More...
interesting factoids you'll pick up from reading the book:
* hotornot was implemented in an afternoon to rate some random girl one of the founders had seen recently. the site spread virally and the More...
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Aug 27, 2007
Otis
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Loved every second of this book. Each chapter is a different story of a startup founder. I read it slowly so it wouldn't end, and read many chapters twice. My biggest take was that most founders didn't necessarily know what they were doing - or even that they were on to something big. But they were all determined to start a company - that was the only thing they all had in common.
Here are some good quotes from the book:
"I'd say determination is the single most import More...
Here are some good quotes from the book:
"I'd say determination is the single most import More...
Dec 26, 2008
Michael
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it's interviews with founders of well-known startups. Apple, Hotmail, Firefox, hotornot, etc... most of the interviewees describe the process in the same way writers describe writing their first books... doing something most certain to fail... loneliness... shame you feel from your friends and family... driving in the dark... In this way, I enjoyed the book. They highlight doing something simply because you must.
it's also fun because some/most of them are clearly batshit.
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it's also fun because some/most of them are clearly batshit.
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Sep 21, 2011
Herve
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Another great book, so great I decide to write this post even if I have not finished reading it: Jessica Livingston in Founders at Work has interviewed 32 entrepreneurs about their story. The lessons are convincing, fascinating. Without asking for copyright, I copy here some quotes. The book is just a pleasure to read even if sometimes the Q&A are too specific about the start-up, but I assume it is part of the exercise. A Must-Read.
Paul Buchheit, creator of Gmail about Risk Taking
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Paul Buchheit, creator of Gmail about Risk Taking
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Mar 06, 2011
Scott
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This book is an interesting collection of interviews with the founders (or early employees) of 32 different technology startups, from Craigslist, Firefox and Flickr to Yahoo! and Apple.
Because it's a collection of interviews, the usefulness of the stories or the ease of reading vary depending on who is being interviewed (and to a smaller extent, the author's questions). Some founders are better at reflecting upon and summarizing their experiences to be generalizable to readers and asp More...
Because it's a collection of interviews, the usefulness of the stories or the ease of reading vary depending on who is being interviewed (and to a smaller extent, the author's questions). Some founders are better at reflecting upon and summarizing their experiences to be generalizable to readers and asp More...
Mar 29, 2010
Blog on Books
rated it:
Ever wondered how some of your favorite companies got started? So did author/researcher Jessica Livingston. Her interviews with over two dozen of the most successful recent entrepreneurs reveal a host of common elements essential to understanding the trials and tribulations of the startup business.
For most all of these first time entrepreneurs, the journey was significantly different than they first imagined it. Some companies (eBay, Flickr) didn't even plan to be in the business that hey More...
For most all of these first time entrepreneurs, the journey was significantly different than they first imagined it. Some companies (eBay, Flickr) didn't even plan to be in the business that hey More...
Nov 03, 2011
John
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“Founders at Work: Stories of Startups’ Early Days” is a very insightful book, full of informative material and entertainment at the same time. The book, while basically is just a large set of interviews, offers readers a very powerful and insightful look into the entrepreneurial process.
The book is a series of interviews with founders of large and successful technology companies, such as Apple, Yahoo, Paypal, and Hotmail, to name a few. The interviews are done in a very effective m More...
The book is a series of interviews with founders of large and successful technology companies, such as Apple, Yahoo, Paypal, and Hotmail, to name a few. The interviews are done in a very effective m More...
Mar 27, 2011
JC
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This damn book took me forever to read.
I particularly identified with Ev Williams' experience founding Blogger. Although I've obviously not had that kind of success before, I have been through being abandoned by all my friends once.
Part of what bugged me about the book was that it was about the work experiences of people at software startups similar to the one that I'm working at. It can be tiring to come back from a day at a startup office to read stories of other people wor More...
I particularly identified with Ev Williams' experience founding Blogger. Although I've obviously not had that kind of success before, I have been through being abandoned by all my friends once.
Part of what bugged me about the book was that it was about the work experiences of people at software startups similar to the one that I'm working at. It can be tiring to come back from a day at a startup office to read stories of other people wor More...
Jan 26, 2010
Gabi
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Well, this book only reinforced my prejudice that the only legitimate business degree is a BS in engineering. All but one of the founders interviewed were proper engineers. That the exception was the guy from Lycos is a funny coincidence. It was a useless search engine, talked up like crazy then sold for an absurd amount to the perfect sucker: the state-run telecom monopoly of what was at the time a booming economy, Spain. Of course the hero of the story is the MBA salesman who pulled off the tr
More...
Apr 12, 2010
Prakhar
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Is this the book to read or is this THE BOOK to read. This for every young mind out there who wants to learn about the story of the founders of companies that changed the face of Earth, at work. The work environment that these people maintain at their workplace is just what feels right. They havent went to Business schools to learn how to manage their resources, they work from their gut feeling. And the world is following them.
Jessica Livingston has not done a great job by just interviewi More...
Jessica Livingston has not done a great job by just interviewi More...
May 27, 2009
Kingsley
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Profiles a lot of Web 1.0 and 2.0 companies and their rise to mainstream media attention. Livingston does a decent job of digging up stories from the early days of these companies lives and there are trends that are consistent through all the stories: the initial idea was certainly almost always modified before it became a success, they worked really effing hard, and timing is a big deal. Some of these companies are new to me so I couldnt connect the end products with the humble beginnings, b
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Feb 20, 2008
Tom
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Founders at Work is a collection of 32 interviews done by Jessica Livingston of founders of tech companies. Many of the big names are present: Apple, Adobe, Yahoo, etc. A bunch of people have reviewed this book already, including those who are interviewed for the book, so I thought I would give my personal favorite parts of the book without trying to be comprehensive. The official site could certainly fill you in on the breadth of the book.
To me the most interesting interviews were: More...
To me the most interesting interviews were: More...
Feb 26, 2009
Simran
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What makes this so enjoyable is that there are 30 very different stories that are told. I would get to the end of one chapter, and be anxiously anticipating the next.
There is a tech bent to the book (some chapters are quite technical and will bore the non-tech crowd), but if you are interested in what happens at a startup, this is a great place to begin.
Writing this review makes me want to pickup the book again - I highly recommend it.
There is a tech bent to the book (some chapters are quite technical and will bore the non-tech crowd), but if you are interested in what happens at a startup, this is a great place to begin.
Writing this review makes me want to pickup the book again - I highly recommend it.
Jul 30, 2009
Bogdan
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I finished it with the impression that one of the target audience is people that haven't made any real steps yet, which I am one of. But there's parts I glossed over, assuming they'll make sense later, meaning that someone already down the road will find the book useful as well, for different reasons.
The writing style is not as polished as, say, one of PG's essays, but it's bearable.
Oh, and if you've read the paperback edition and are wondering who the interviewer was fo More...
The writing style is not as polished as, say, one of PG's essays, but it's bearable.
Oh, and if you've read the paperback edition and are wondering who the interviewer was fo More...
Dec 29, 2010
EOB
rated it:
Riveting deep-inside war stories from those responsible for some of the greatest computing & communications innovations in the latter 20th & early 21st century. Particularly valuable for the close-up view of managerial decision making under extreme uncertainty, and the challenges of sustaining innovation when you become responsible for building a business.
May 16, 2011
Christoffer
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Oh shit this is a boring book. After reading the first couple of founders interviews, then it just becomes a drag to read the rest. It is the same questions almost all are asked, and therefor much the same answers you get from all of them.
On top of this then the startup stories in this book are way to old to really be relevant in today's startup environment. The companies that are portrait are from before the Internet bobble, well in fact from the time when trying to convince investors More...
On top of this then the startup stories in this book are way to old to really be relevant in today's startup environment. The companies that are portrait are from before the Internet bobble, well in fact from the time when trying to convince investors More...
Aug 14, 2010
Kai
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I liked the format of interviews. it makes one feel very close to the events as they happened. I don't think anyone fathoms the sheer tenacity some founders have. Their success is well deserved. It's also amazing how certain features turn into products when initially the founder had an entirely different roadmap in mind.
Sep 14, 2008
Renjith
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Excellent read for folks who are thinking of starting something. Jessica Livingston talks to popular names in the valley on how they got there . Its very exciting to know about how luck and persistence made some of the most successful companies of our times sail through tough waters .
Since its a collection of interviews you can start reading the book from anywhere. However once you complete the book a theme emerges out of it which explains the general traits of successful startups or More...
Since its a collection of interviews you can start reading the book from anywhere. However once you complete the book a theme emerges out of it which explains the general traits of successful startups or More...
Dec 04, 2011
Cristobal
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A gem of a book. If you've ever worked at a startup or wondered what it would be like this is a book you can't afford to miss. Granted that almost all of the founders interviewed were successful in their ventures, the best lessons come from one of the few that weren't quite that successful: ArsDigita. It also gives you a very realistic (albeit scary) impression of what role Venture Capital place in this world.
Jan 13, 2012
Every entrepreneur should read this book; every family member of an entrepreneur should read selected chapters of this book. This book is to entrepreneurship what a collection of business case studies is to business management. It is an excellent book cover to cover.
Mar 24, 2010
Slavo
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Great value. I've always preferred interviews with real people rather than a subjective opinion. This book not only tries to hit a specific topic, but also intentionally tries to just provide comparison data about some of the most successful entrepreneurs.
Nov 28, 2010
Petr
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It's great to see that many great and successful people, of our time, did create great products from nothing. And it just confirm what you can read everywhere. Do what you believe in and don't let other people ruin your believes.
Jan 04, 2010
Lee T.
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Nothing earth-shattering revealed, other than the commonality of start-up founders' requirement of perseverance. Livingston did a great job with asking relevant questions & finding a diverse multiplicity of participants.
Aug 08, 2011
Fascinating account of the early days of some of the most successful tech companies in the world. A must read for entrepreneurs, engineers, or anyone interested in the recent history of tech business.
Jan 05, 2009
Joseph
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A bunch of great interviews with startup founders (old and new-school) about their early days, including lots of people we know. Fun stuff, and many stories I hadn't heard before.
May 30, 2010
Robert
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Over 30 interviews with tech company founders ranging from Ray Ozzie and Mitch Kapor to James Hong of "Hot or Not". The interview with Philip Greenspun of ArsDigital is very raw and very amusing. Joel Spolsky's advice is "So quit your day job. Have one other founder, at least. I'd sat that's the minimum bar to getting anywhere." - well, that plus have a hit blog read by developers and then sell tools for developers. Diverse, inconclusive but fascinating.
Apr 18, 2011
Victor
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Absolutely great. Some interviews can be skimmed as the founders go into too much irrelevant detail (Woz, Greenspun, woman VC) while others are very smart and concise.
May 23, 2011
Rafael
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Entrevistas sobre o começo de algumas das startups mais famosas do mundo. Começando com apple e woz, indo por paypal, hotmail, firefox entre outras.
Dec 09, 2010
Provides a great insight in history of IT success stories. Reads a bit slow and some stories seem to overlap, but overall a good read.
