1.
The Art of The start
Chapter1- The Art of Starting
 Make Meaning. The best reason to start an organization is to make meaning. Meaning is not
about money, fame or power. Instead, meaning is about making the world a betterplace,
increasing the quality of life, righting a wrong and preventing good from ending.
 Make Mantra. Forget mission statements,take your meaning and make your own mantra out of
it. A mantra is defined as a sacred verbal formula repeated in prayer, meditation, or incantations
such as an invocation of god or a magic spell or syllable or portion of scripture containing magical
potentialities. (Example: authentic athletic performances (NIKE) keep it short and sweet.
 Get Going. Start creating and delivering your product or service. Don’t focus on writing, pitching
and planning. Focus on building yourprototype and launch Web site or offering your services.
 Define Your Business Model. NO matter what kind of organization you’re starting, you have to
figure out a way to make money. The greatest idea, technology,product or service is short-lived
with out a sustainable business model. (1) Be specific, (2) Keep it simple, (3) Copy someone.
 Weave a Mat (Milestones, Assumptions, and Tasks). Compile a list of the milestones you need
to meet, assumptions that are built into your business model, and the tasks you need to accomplish
to create your organization. This will enforce discipline and keep your organization on track.
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Chapter2- The Art of Positioning
Positioning goes far beyond a management offsite or exercise. When done properly, it represents the
heart and soul of a new organization.
 Why the founders started the organization
 Why customers should patronize it
 Why good people should work at it
Good positioning needs to include the following:
 Positive.
 Customer-centric.
 Empowering to your employees.
 Self-explanatory.
 Targets the intended customer.
 Must showthe core competencies of yourorganization.
 Relevant to your core competencies and to the core needs of your customers.
 Long-lasting.
 Different from your competitors.
Chapter 3- The Art of Pitching
 Explain Yourself in the First Minute
 Answer the Little Man (ex: “for instance”)
 Know Your Audience
 Observe the 10/20/30 Rule. Use the following the next time you are giving a presentation:ten
slides, 20 minutes, 30-point font text.
 Set the Stage.
 Let One Person do the Talking
 Pitch Constantly
Chapter 4- The Art of Writing a Business Plan
A business plan is important to satisfy everyone (investors, directors, founders,and managers).

2.
 Limited use
 MAT is better
 The planning is better than the plan.
 Do yourpitch before writing yourplan in order to get feedback.
 Focus on the executive summary.
 People judge a plan on the exec summary.
 20 pages length
 Simplify the financials.
Chapter 5- The Art of bootstrapping
A bootstrapping businessmodel has:
 Low upfront capital requirements
 Short sales cycle
 Manage for cash flow
 Bottom up models
 Ship, then test
Chapter 6- The Art of Recruiting
When recruiting, you must look past race, education and work experience. Focus on:
 Can the candidate do what you need?
 Does the candidate believe in your meaning?
 Does that candidate have the strengths you need?
Tips:
 Hire people better than you
 Don’t disqualify because of gender, race of age
 It is best to hire candidates who posses major strengths and weaknesses
Chapter7-The Art of Raising Capital
Startups process of raising capital from outside investors,these investormay be venture capitalist,
management, foundation,government entities or any, friends, and family.
 Build a Business.The best way to get investors is to build a business immediately. How do you
build a business without money? Have a bootstrappermodel.
 Get an Intro. Have current investors,lawyers, accountants,otherentrepreneurs and professors
introduce you to investors.This way, they will learn about you from sources they respect.
 Clean Up Your Act. Get rid of obvious flaws in your system. Flaws often occur in your
intellectual property,capital structure, management team, stockofferings and regulatory
compliance.
 Disclose Everything. Don’t attempt to hide problems that can’t be cleaned up immediately. Do not
allow anything to damage yourcredibility.
 Acknowledge, or Create, an Enemy. Believe it or not, investors do not want to hear that your
organization has no existing competitors.
 Tell new lies. Here are some examples: “our project is conservative.” “Boeing is signing our
contract newt week.” And “several investors are already in due diligence”
Chapter 8- The Art of Partnering
Partnering should accelerate cash flow, increase revenue, and reduce cost.Partnership built on solid
business principles like these have a greater likelihood of succeeding.

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 Define deliverables and objectives- Revenues, reduced cost,new customers, new geographical
markets, new support programs, training and marketing programs.
 Follow up with people- Within 24 hrs. after meeting with someone, send email, send him a copy
of your new book etc.
 Do things for others- Give favors! You accomplish more when you help others and doing it with
your expecting anything in return.
Chapter 9: The Art of Branding
P’s of marketing: Product, place, price and promotion. Proselytization or evangelism represents the core of
branding for startups. Branding requires something, contagious that infects people with enthusiasm,
making it easy for them to try, asking them for him in spreading the world and building up a community
around it.
Create a Contagion- Align with a product or service that’s gold- or enhance until its gold.
Product or services are:
 Cool
 Effective
 Distinctive
 Emotive
 Deep
 Indulgent
 Supported
Chapter10- The Art of Rainmaking
For startups rainmaking is a person who generates large quantities of business and being about to sell
product or service well.
Tips for being an effective rainmaker:
 Pick the right lead generation method.
 Find the key influencer. Ignore titles. They really don’t mean much.
 Be nice to secretaries and administrative aids.
 Make yourprospect talks. This way, they’ll be able to tell you what you need to do to close the
deal.
 Ask customers to test drive yourproducts and services.
 Give your customers a slow and easy adoption curve.
 Do not be fazed when you are rejected.
Chapter11- The Art of Being a Mensch
Mensch is the Yiddish term for a person who is ethical, decent,and admirable. IT is the highest form of
praise one can receive from the people whose opinions matter.
Tips on becoming a Mensch:
 Help people
 Do what is right
 Pay back to society