Smartups: Lessons from Rob Ryan's Entrepreneur America Boot Camp for Start-Ups

by Rob Ryan

Building successful start-ups was never quite as easy as it seemed, and the changing economic climate has raised the stakes, reduced the margin of error. New entrepreneurs can't stumble into wealth on the power of half-formed ideas, or turn dreams into reality without doing a lot of homework. It's time to get smart. This book teaches would-be entrepreneurs the skills they need to get through the venture capital process with companies that will survive to grow and succeed.

Rob Ryan, a pioneer in the high-tech industry, founded Ascend Communications in 1989, and throughout the nineties provided firms with the infrastructure they needed to keep up with the rapid growth of the Internet. At the beginning of 1999, Ascend was sold to Lucent for $25 billion. Since retiring from Ascend and starting Entrepreneur America, Ryan has helped launch a string of successful companies, including Virtmed, RightNow, and Virtual Ink. All provide electronic solutions to real-world problems, meet existing rather than manufactured needs, and save their customers time and money.

In Smartups, Ryan focuses on methods he's developed over the years for building a sustainable business that makes money. He emphasizes the importance of testing ideas on customers and making sure that a product offers something new and important. Recognizing a team's key competencies is crucial, Ryan says. He also finds it necessary to take certain steps at the correct stages of a company's inception. Smartups will show you how to turn your idea into a real product, take it to investors, and get your start-up started right.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Technology

240 pages, Paperback

First published September 19, 2002

Reviews

[Matt McCormick · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is part bragging, part advertising and part information. And the information isn't really that valuable. I suppose if you are just out of university, have no business experience and are looking to raise VC money for the first time then it might be useful, otherwise don't bother.

Every chapter ends with an invitation to view the author's website. I'm sure the main motivation for the author was promoting his Entrepreneurship program at his ranch in Montana that we got to hear about every few pages.

The introduction mentioned that this book is relevant to businesses not pursuing VC so I figured I would buy and read it. However, I felt duped as there is very little that is relevant to businesses not pursuing VC money. I ended up just skimming through the last part of the book.

Give this book a pass unless you fit the target above.

[Shane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not sure what the detractors didn't get from this book. It's an incredible book that all but outlines the exact steps that Rob Ryan takes in getting the startups that he counsels on the right track to getting funding. An excellent book for anyone thinking of starting a business.

You can see my full review at: http://www.novelnaut.com/archives/sma...

[Paul · Rating 1 out of 5]

Eh gawd, this was terrible.