From Startup to Exit : An Insider's Guide to Launching and Scaling Your Tech Business

‘From Startup to Exit’ is a blueprint for aspiring and first-time entrepreneurs. As the author describes it in the book, it is like having a “virtual” seasoned advisor at the side of the founder along his or her startup journey. The book is comprehensive in the range of topics it addresses - starting with how to assess if the startup concept is a good one to navigating the technicalities of startup formation, funding, etc.It is fascinating to read about the author’s experiences from the early dotcom days where his venture was one of the first SaaS solutions to the relatively more recent venture where he rode the social media wave. The author draws on his own experiences in starting and exiting multiple successful ventures, and also brings examples of other founders that will serve as an inspiration to many.This is a must-read, especially for those embarking of any entrepreneurial journey.

All in one book for startup knowledge

This book guided me very well with my own startup. I still use it as a reference. Every aspiring entrepreneur should read it!

This book is a MUST READ guidebook for any aspiring or current entrepreneur. My kindle/audible library is packed with business books, many on how to form a startup, but From Startup to Exit is truly unique - in a class of its own.First, the book is not theoretical as it is written by a serial entrepreneur with first-hand experience and real world examples from companies he himself founded. Shirish's first company, TeamOn Systems, was acquired by RIM and the technology became the foundation for Blackberry Internet E-mail, which established mobile email as we know it today. Livemocha, Shirish's second venture, was the first company to introduce the concept of social language learning and was eventually acquired by RosettaStone. These examples are fascinating as they paved the road for technology that has become ubiquitous in our daily lives - who doesn't use mobile email on a daily basis? Further, these examples are fresh and unique to this book.Second, the author is clearly a seasoned entrepreneur as the book covers practical and tactical topics that are often skipped over in other business books. For example, this book covers topics such as how to compensate a founder who has taken the CEO position, how to build a compelling pitch to investors, how to establish a board of directors, how to file for patents/trademarks, how to determine when to go public or position your company for an acquisition. These details are essential for the success of any company and are typically not covered in other books. For an entrepreneur, this book has incredible value as it answers the questions that you might not even know you should be asking.Lastly, the book is a useful reference as it is broken up into easy to locate sections with a helpful glossary and index at the end. I've not read many books that are both entertaining and worthy of being kept on your desk as a go-to reference but From Startup to Exit achieves this feat. I wholeheartedly recommend this book and suggest this as essential reading for any entrepreneur or business professional. Five stars well earned!

Full of insightful stories, insights and tips. A must-read for anyone running their own business.

Shirish's book is a must-read for aspiring entrepreneurs and for folks curious about all the intricacies of initiating and building a new (information technology-based?) business, i.e, a tech startup. The book provides practical advice and information borne out of Shirish's experiences that is difficult to find in related literature, and is generally not taught to this level of detail in business schools. For example: how to divvy up equity with co-founders, what type of corporation attracts venture capital firms and why, the math behind cap tables and options, hidden traps of convertible notes, managing a board of directors, etc.I will also take this opportunity to give a shout out to TiE Seattle's complementary "TiE Entrepreneur Institute" which comprises of classes and workshops taught by experienced individuals on the fundamentals of building a startup - which, based on observed patterns and linkages, is likely another brainchild of Shirish Nadkarni and his colleagues. Aspiring entrepreneurs who wish to alleviate pain and suffering induced by the school of hard knocks as they build startups may want to consider reading "From Startup to Exit" sooner rather than later.

I wish I had this book when I started my own business years ago. As a first-time founder, you find yourself asking questions where mistakes can be expensive:"How should I split equity between me and my co-founders?" - Chapter 6"Is this a viable idea that I quit my current job for?" - Chapter 1"How much control should I give to investors?" - Chapter 8This book is written by a founder sharing hard-learned lessons from multiple tech companies that he started and invested in. The author gives you pointers and recommendations for when you will be faced with similar challenges in your own startup journey.Starting and building a company is hard, but with this book, that journey and your likelihood of getting it right, just became a little easier. Best $20 you will spend on your business. Thank me later when you are the next Google!

This book is well written and a good source of useful info on the startup journey. It can be used as a guide during startup planning or as a reference along the way to benchmark your progress and next steps.