The Start-Up J Curve

The Six Steps to Entrepreneurial Success

By: Howard Love

Narrated by: Chris Abell

Length: 7 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

A predictable pattern of success, this book provides a clear roadmap for entrepreneurs that shows them where they are and what to do in order to advance their start-up.

After founding or co-founding over 15 start-ups and investing in another 50 early stage ventures as an angel investor, author Howard Love came to understand that a start-up unfolds in a predictable pattern. The more aware entrepreneurs are of this pattern, the better able they will be to capitalize on it. Love calls this pattern the start-up J Curve. The toughest part of the endeavor is the time between the actual start of a new business and when the product and model are firmly established. The Start-Up J Curve gives entrepreneurs the tools they need to get through the early challenges so they can reach the primary value creation that lies beyond.

Love brings 35 years of start-up experience to this comprehensive guide to starting a business. He outlines the six predictable stages of start-up growth and details the activities that should be undertaken at each stage to ensure success and to avoid common pitfalls. Instead of feeling lost and confused after a setback, start-up founders and investors can anticipate the challenges, overcome the obstacles, and ride the curve to the top.

©2016 Howard Love (P)2016 Howard Love

Much more insightful than you’d think

The J curve is pretty revolutionary in the way of thinking. I’d say it’s the right way to think about a start of.

Great book

Phenomenal job going through his 6 phase process, definitely agree but as always there’s exceptions to the rules especially if your idea isn’t revolutionary

Release your product quickly, then be ready to morph.

This book was very informative, but the most helpful takeaway for me was what I learned about the Morph phase.

I have a tendency to really latch on to my initial idea and this chapter helped me understand that this mindset counterproductive. You need to be open, flexible, and willing to change directions (or morph) when the market is telling you to do so.

Not only that, but it is all but guaranteed that version 1.0 of your idea will NOT be a home run. A number of successful businesses that we know and love today started off as something completely different. Only by morphing were they able to finally find product market fit.

So let your first Idea drive you to QUICKLY produce and release a product. But then after that, you need to listen to intently to the feedback of your customers and be prepared to morph.

Knowing this, has taken a lot of the pressure of me to create something perfect in the lab that is my head. We may think I know what people want, but there is often a big difference between what we think people want, and what people are actually willing to use or pay for .

Now, my only goal is to produce a MVP (minimum viable product) as quickly as possible so I can start gathering feedback. The sooner I do this, the sooner I create a product that people love.

Massively useful, even for a seasoned founder

Startups are hard. Really hard. This book is a great guidebook to the hard times, and how to get through to the type of company we all think we're going to start. This is now on my must-read list for startups I advise, along with Ben Horowitz' the Hard Thing About Hard Things, Peter Thiel's Zero to One, and Brad Feld's Venture Deals.

This has become my favorite business book

Starts off a little slow but soon gets into a flow.

Don't begin a startup without reading this book first. You will likely regret it if you do, I know I do. My last 2 businesses flopped when I was sure they would be wildly successful. The hardest part of listening to this book was knowing we did exactly what Howard says you'll do. It was just as disastrous as he says it'll be right on queue.

must read

if you want to make it on your own it's more than worth your time to go through this book.

Great for startup

Great For start ups going through doubts and confusion. I know now I'm not crazy and there are ways to cope

amazing

What a great read for those who are undertaking a startup, and nee business venture. Relevant tooics, valuable insight. a must read!

This should be the first book an entrepreneur read

Friendly, useful and practical content, great advice material and a clear guide to immediately implement.

Good information in an entertaining format.

Information pertinent to what I'm doing right now. I almost felt like the book was written just for me.