10 Extraordinary Articles Every Entrepreneur Should Read
The world of business is changing before our eyes.
Industries are getting disrupted, and old incumbents are being displaced in favor of new, tech-savvy companies that grow like crazy and reach behemoth sizes.
In this rapidly changing environment, you need to constantly catch up and remain up to speed. You can’t afford to be left behind, because you might not be able to get back on track.
In order to help you with your journey as a modern age entrepreneur, I have compiled here 10 remarkable articles that will motivate you, inspire you and initiate you into a new way of building businesses.
You ARE going to be impressed by these, so please don’t skip any of them. Let’s hit it hard.
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1) The interview with the $100 million dollar man, Robert Gryn – founder of Codewise
The amazing story of how Robert Gryn, founder of Codewise, built a rapidly growing tech company.
“Starting your own business can sound real daunting, especially if you are used to promoting other people’s products as an affiliate. You know, where you simply run traffic, and collect commissions and that’s it. Yea this way of living is rewarding, you can travel wherever you want, and do as you please. But if you STOP, there won’t be any money to live off, the wheels will stop turning with you. That’s why I’ve been exploring the land of starting your own product, service or store. In other words REAL business. As I said it, this is extremely daunting, because there’s just SO MANY variables.”
2) Entrepreneurshit. The Blog Post on What It’s Really Like.
Venture Capitalist, and former entrepreneur, Mark Suster, tells it as it is when it comes to real-life entrepreneurship, and not some sweet fairy tale.
“It’s 4.50am. Sunday morning. And I couldn’t sleep. I have much on my mind since I just returned from a week on the road. 5 days. 3 cities. Late night Mexican food. Beers. Airports. Delays. I left on a Sunday. I had to miss a full day with my family, camping in the mountains. I returned home Friday night at 10pm — too late to see my kids. I’m reminded of this feeling. It’s all too familiar. It’s what life was like as an entrepreneur. I didn’t sleep much back then. I was on the road much and I internalized much of the stress so that others didn’t have to.”
3) Why every aspect of your business is about to change
Fortune Magazine did an amazing piece on how technology disrupts any industry under the sun, changing business models and affecting all businesses, including yours.
“Cars bursting into flames are never a good thing. So when a Tesla Model S ran over a metal object in Kent, Wash., in October 2013 and burst into flames, owners, potential customers, investors, and company executives got worried. When the same thing happened a few weeks later in Smyrna, Tenn., federal regulators opened an investigation. We all know what happens next: a massive recall, costly repairs at dealerships nationwide, and a painful financial hit to the carmaker. Yet none of that occurred.”
4) The Ultimate Cheat Sheet For Starting And Running A Business
Entrepreneur, author and podcaster, James Altucher, did a wildly popular post on Quora on how to start and run a business, in his own, unique way.
“No joke. This is going be a bullet FAQ on starting a business. If you’re a lawyer, feel free to disagree with me so you can charge someone your BS fees to give the same advice. If you can think of anything to add, please do so. I might be missing things. If you want to argue with me, feel free. I might be wrong on any of the items below. There are many types of business. Depending on your business, some of these won’t apply. All of these questions come from questions I’ve been asked. The rules are: I’m going to give no explanations. Just listen to me.”
5) Invisible unicorns: 35 big companies that started with little or no money
Bootstrapping is the name of the game, and this list of insanely successful companies is going to give you a new perspective on how to build and grow large companies.
“Venture capital is a hell of a drug, and it’s possible to overdose on VC, but for most founders that is a champagne problem. More often the question investors hear is “how do I get a VC to back my startup?” These founders aren’t worried about how overcapitalization will make their IPO prospects trickier — they’re scrambling to get someone, anyone, to sign their first term sheet. There’s a widespread belief among founders that venture capital is a precursor to success. VC is a common denominator of the most successful tech startups, but it isn’t a prerequisite, especially at the early stages.”
6) The Secret Tesla Motors Master Plan (just between you and me)
Billionaire entrepreneur and tech-idol, Elon Musk, shares his, not so secret, plan to turn the automobile and energy industries upside down. His vision is unmatched.
“As you know, the initial product of Tesla Motors is a high performance electric sports car called the Tesla Roadster. However, some readers may not be aware of the fact that our long term plan is to build a wide range of models, including affordably priced family cars. This is because the overarching purpose of Tesla Motors (and the reason I am funding the company) is to help expedite the move from a mine-and-burn hydrocarbon economy towards a solar electric economy, which I believe to be the primary, but not exclusive, sustainable solution.”
Venture Capitalist, and former entrepreneur, Paul Graham, shares his thoughts on what constitutes a startup.
“A startup is a company designed to grow fast. Being newly founded does not in itself make a company a startup. Nor is it necessary for a startup to work on technology, or take venture funding, or have some sort of “exit.” The only essential thing is growth. Everything else we associate with startups follows from growth. If you want to start one it’s important to understand that. Startups are so hard that you can’t be pointed off to the side and hope to succeed. You have to know that growth is what you’re after. The good news is, if you get growth, everything else tends to fall into place. Which means you can use growth like a compass to make almost every decision you face.”
An insanely detailed and valuable essay on how Amazon works and how it was designed to be one of the best companies on the planet.
“Amazon is one of our favorite examples when it comes to explaining TheFamily’s investment thesis. It is one of the oldest digital companies around. And contrary to most of its peers, from the beginning it operated a business that included tangible assets (operating warehouses, delivering stuff) and lots of employees. Amazon, which is located in Seattle, was reportedly despised in Silicon Valley for that reason: why would an Entrepreneur even bother founding a low-margin, difficult-to-scale retail business when they could make tons of money in the ad-clicking industry?”
9) All Revenue is Not Created Equal: The Keys to the 10X Revenue Club
Venture Capitalist and prolific investor, Bill Gurley, explains how there are different kinds of revenue and what qualities you should seek for it.
“With the IPO market now blown wide-open, and the media completely infatuated with frothy trades in the bubbly late stage private market, it is common to see articles that reference both “valuation” and “revenue” and suggest that there is a correlation between the two. Calculating or qualifying potential valuation using the simplistic and crude tool of a revenue multiple (also known as the price/revenue or price/sales ratio) was quite trendy back during the Internet bubble of the late 1990s. Perhaps it is not peculiar that our good friend the price/revenue ratio is back in vogue. But investors and analysts beware; this is a remarkably dangerous technique, because all revenues are not created equal.”
10) Why Software Is Eating The World
Venture Capitalists and former entrepreneur, Marc Andreessen, one of the people that literally built the Internet, explains why software is going to dominate this world. Unfortunately, the original is behind a paywall on the Wall Street Journal, but you can also find an archive on Scribd.
“This week, Hewlett-Packard (where I am on the board) announced that it is exploring jettisoning its struggling PC business in favor of investing more heavily in software, where it sees better potential for growth. Meanwhile, Google plans to buy up the cellphone handset maker Motorola Mobility. Both moves surprised the tech world. But both moves are also in line with a trend I’ve observed, one that makes me optimistic about the future growth of the American and world economies, despite the recent turmoil in the stock market.In short, software is eating the world.”
Read these ten gems, and I guarantee you, the way you see business is going to be totally different. Enjoy!
