Start Small, Stay Small

A Developer's Guide to Launching a Startup

By: Rob Walling

Narrated by: Rob Walling

Length: 4 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

Start Small, Stay Small is a step-by-step guide to launching a self-funded start-up. If you're a desktop, mobile, or web developer, this audiobook is your blueprint to getting your start-up off the ground with no outside investment. This audiobook intentionally avoids topics restricted to venture-backed start-ups such as: honing your investment pitch, securing funding, and figuring out how to use the piles of cash investors keep placing in your lap.

This audiobook assumes:

• You don't have six million dollars of investor funds sitting in your bank account
• You're not going to relocate to the handful of start-up hubs in the world
• You're not going to work 70-hour weeks for low pay with the hope of someday making millions from stock options

There's nothing wrong with pursuing venture funding and attempting to grow fast like Amazon, Google, Twitter, and Facebook. It just so happens that most people are not in a place to do this. Start Small, Stay Small also focuses on the single most important element of a start-up that most developers avoid: marketing. There are many great resources for learning how to write code, organize source control, or connect to a database. This audiobook does not cover the technical aspects developers already know or can learn elsewhere. It focuses on finding your idea, testing it before you build, and getting it into the hands of your customers.

©2010 Robert Walling (P)2010 Robert Walling

Great account by someone who did it

It’s great to read a book about startups that was written by someone who actually created a startup.

Also, there is little motivational filler; a lot of the advice is immediately applicable.

That fact that it’s narrated by the author is a cool bonus.

Great job to Rob Walling.

Great Audi with Real Actual Advice I can use

I was having a hard deciding if I should build a generic saas or micro saas and after listening to this audio book I know which direction to take!

Good insights for starting a business.

Great book for someone who wants to start a small business. The author shares tips, insights, costs and time estimations for entrepreneurs.

Please release an updated version

Good book but the details are getting dates. I’ll buy the next version if it’s written.

Spot on, no filler material

The rare business book that manages to compress concrete knowledge without all the fluff. Debunks venture myths and replaces them with hands on advice.

A bit outdated now

Useful recommendations about what your priorities should be when you have an idea for a piece of software, I think it needs to be updated as a lot of tactical suggestions mentioned aren’t really relevant anymore or have changed significantly since the book came out

The most practical book I’ve ever heard read

Most books tell you all the possible methods of doing something but never tell you which is the BEST method. Rob actually pulls back the cover on building a SaaS business. This book is a true blueprint with additional information for situational differences. While the book has some old references like website examples, the fundamental principles and advice still apply. I’m going to listen to this book again to the strategy for my product.

Truly thought provoking

A lot of quality information in this book. Lots to think about in terms of direction. I want to go with my programming career. Thank you very much for an excellent book Rob.

Old but essentials are still valuable

This book was written a long time ago in tech years and the examples and tools are dated but the essence of the book is still true and very helpful.

Exactly what I was looking for

Being very tired of the traditional marketing / business books written and narrated by obnoxious smug hustlers, this is exactly the down-to-earth nuts and bolts book for regular people that I've been looking for all this time. Some of the examples are a bit outdated, and some advice may not apply so well anymore as the technology and social media landscape has changed quite a bit since the publication of the book, but all the basics still hold true. If Rob Walling ever publishes an updated and expanded version of this book, I will buy it without hesitation!