Down to Business: 51 Industry Leaders Share Practical Advice on How to Become a Young Entrepreneur

By: Fenley Scurlock, Jason Liaw

Narrated by: Fenley Scurlock, Jason Liaw, Full Cast

You have a start-up idea but ... where do you go from there? Two teen entrepreneurs bring together 51 influential business leaders for Q&As about starting a business, finding success, and, yes, making money.

Fifteen-year-olds Fenley Scurlock and Jason Liaw had both started businesses by the time they'd reached middle school. In this groundbreaking book, these young entrepreneurs interview leaders involved with brand-name businesses like MasterClass, Hallmark, IKEA, Parachute, and more.

They ask questions every burgeoning exec wants to know: How can I get started? Is college worth it? What skills do I need? How did YOU make it big?

In a book that's unlike any book out there--for kid or adult entrepreneurs--Fenley and Jason give readers access to leading innovators, inventors, and executives as they tell their stories and provide tips to a new generation of bosses.

Critic reviews

"A many-voiced chorus of encouragement for business-minded readers." —Kirkus Reviews

True Diversity with Interviews

Fenley Scurlock and Jason Liaw spoke at the Wharton Innovation Summit in Fairfax, Va. So I’m lucky in that I’ve met them before beginning this book. They are dynamic speakers and their Q&A was one of the sessions everyone spoke about the rest of the day. And their book lives up to the quality of their presentation. It’s in the style of a Q&A with a full cast reading the Q&As the authors did with entrepreneurs around the global.

If you are looking for true diversity with successful entrepreneurs speaking directly and honestly about what they learned in their business, this is the book for you. While Fenley and Jason said they wrote the book for young people dreaming of being an entrepreneur, it’s a great read (or listen!) for a professional of any age (especially if you are secretly dreaming of finally launching a business).

Highest recommendation.

Got a teen with a dream to start a business?

I make my living educating and mentoring children and teens, and I gotta hand it to them on this one. Such an amazing resource written by young people for young people! It’s such an easy and accessible read, and it really has so much crucial info for kids/teens preparing to move into the workforce. And I love the diversity of brands/CEO’s interviewed throughout the book. The authors obviously had a lot of ground to cover, and this seems to perfectly encapsulate the need-to-know principles of entrepreneurship. The question/answer format is a great choice too. It was cool that they used the actual author’s voices even though they are young! Can’t wait to recommend it to my students!