The Intelligent Entrepreneur

By: Bill Murphy Jr.

Narrated by: Fred Berman, L. J. Ganser

Length: 12 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

Written with the cooperation of Harvard Business School, here is an instructive and inspiring book for anyone who dreams of starting a highly profitable business.

In 1998, three Harvard Business School graduates - two men and one woman - turned down six-figure salaries at big corporations, bet on themselves, and launched their own new companies. By their 10-year reunion, their audacity had paid huge dividends. They'd made many millions of dollars, created hundreds of jobs, and left their mark on the world.

The three entrepreneurs: Marc Cenedella (TheLadders.com), Marla Malcom Beck (Bluemercury.com), and Chris Michel (Military.com, Affinity Labs).

Based on dozens of interviews with highly successful entrepreneurs, Harvard Business School professors, and HBS alumni, The Intelligent Entrepreneur tells the compelling and instructive story of how these three young founders developed ideas, assembled teams, built ventures, and achieved their dreams. Along the way, they learned that starting great companies requires much more than a ferocious work ethic or good timing. Their hard-won insights distilled into 10 key rules that will help anyone become a successful entrepreneur. What they teach you at Harvard Business School is that intelligent entrepreneurship can be learned. In that spirit, Bill Murphy Jr. uses a unique combination of vivid storytelling and lucid instruction to tell would-be entrepreneurs how to improve their odds of creating dynamic, lasting businesses.

This audiobook includes an exclusive roundtable discussion with Marc Cenedella, Marla Malcom Beck, and Chris Michel.

©2010 Bill Murphy (P)2010 Audible, Inc

Critic reviews

• Audie Award Winner - Best Business/Educational Audiobook, 2011

"This is an excellent, thought-provoking overview of entrepreneurship... that uses actual cases to describe the challenges of starting a business and realizing success." ( Booklist)

"Narrators Fred Berman and L.J. Ganser split the narration, chapter by chapter, with one delivering the true-life accounts of three entrepreneurs who attended HBS while the other delivers the theoretical lessons to be learned from attending HBS." ( AudioFile)

HBS and Beyond

A good study of the essential characteristics and skills of a successful entrepreneur. The reading was as much about the Harvard Business School???s curriculum and the influential contacts resulting from attending such a fine institution as it was about actually selling your idea and forming a startup company. It was difficult to separate the two. I often asked myself while reading, how could I do this without having HBS behind me. One of the three protagonists stated the problem early in the book when she wondered how one got on that super highway of business success when you cannot find an on-ramp. The answer seemed to be an MBA at HBS. Of course, Mr. Murphy makes a good case that more is required than education. Good contacts aren???t enough, either. An entrepreneur had to have a drive and passion for starting a successful operation. Entrepreneurship can be learned. He gives his 10 rules of successful entrepreneurship. The book tells the stories of 3 successful entrepreneurs and alternates the odd-numbered chapters telling their stories with even-numbered discussing the principles and applications of building successful companies.

It's a great buy and a great listen!

This book really "pushed me over the edge". I've had slumbering ideas for years, but now I've taken the first couple of steps towards creating my dream. This is not just a book for HBS alumni - their advantage is rather in their personalities, their stubborness and their willingness to work hard. I could really see that having a MBA from Harvard could be a burden if you considered becoming an entrepreneur - it's too easy to get a really good, safe, prestigious and well-paying job.
The Intelligent Entrepreneur is easy to listen to, it's inspiring - and the three individuals that we follow along are all different - we can each and every one find ourselves in them.
Get it!

Excellent book for every entrepreneur!

Would recommend this book to every future and current entrepreneur. I would also recommend this book to all business students

Entrepreneurs life

Great book! Especially for those who are just beginning their entrepreneurial journey. Real examples of an entrepreneurs decisions and life.

loved it. definitely worth a read!

cleared a lot of foggy air and concepts of entrepreneurship. talks about real people and real world problems they faced while taking up challenges in their entrepreneurship journey!!

Inspiring courage to leap

I’m about the same age as the three business leaders profiled in this book. Their stories have inspired me to take action on a business idea I’ve not been able to shake for more than 15 years. Thank you for finally helping me see how possible this big leap in life might be for me and mustering the courage inside to begin.

Well-written and very inspirational for anyone with a burning idea. Thank you for putting this call to action into the world. Your very personal stories really make new things feel possible.

Great stories - less than great learning

This book is very interestingly telling the stories of three different entrepreneurs. From this aspect, it is a good and interesting multi-biography. I like interesting biographies and believe they are contributing.

However, this is far from the book's claim for fame, which is to teach you how to be an intelligent entrepreneur. It does not do that, and if you expect that you will get very little of what you expect. In fact several other books I listened to in the last year or so are EACH doing a better job in this sense, and maybe I should mention: The Lean Startup, Venture Deals, Do More Faster, and Startup CEO.

A must read for any would-be entrepreneur

This book gives excellent insight into the challenges and psyches of successful entrepeneurs. A must read for any would-be entrepreneur.

Slow start, life changing finish

I'm trying to decide if the first eight chapters are necessary to get to know the characters. But from chapter 9 on the book is amazing, and a must read for entrepreneurs who need to understand the perseverance necessary for building a phenomenal business.
Thank you for this book!

Great listen

What made the experience of listening to The Intelligent Entrepreneur the most enjoyable?

I enjoyed how the book transitions from storytelling to narrative and uses two distinct voices for each. It really breaks up things nicely and makes for an engaging listen.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Intelligent Entrepreneur?

The case studies of the entrepreneurs is inspiring, engaging and well-told.

Which scene was your favorite?

The addition of the round-table discussion between the authors and entrepreneurs (an exclusive to the audible book) is a great way to get an even deeper erpsective on the entire book.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Too long to listen at once, plus it needs some digesting in between chapters.