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Steve Blank hands a new owner's manual to startup founders

xconomy.com

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Re: Steve Blank hands a new owner's manual to startup founders

#21

Post by mindcrime »

rwillystyle wrote: post #16
badclient wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For practical advice, I'd strongly recommend Nail it, Then Scale It . They go as far as including exactly call scripts / emails to send, for example. Eric's book seemed more like marketing material for lean targeted at big cos who have no idea what it is.

This looks like a rip off of Ash's Maurya's Running Lean: http://www.runningleanhq.com/

I seriously doubt Ash would have ever written "Running Lean" if it weren't for Steve. The whole notion of the "lean startup" emerged partly as a result of the influence of Steve Blank's work, on Eric Ries and others. Of course it would make sense that there would be overlap between the work of Ash and Steve (and Eric and others as far as that goes) but I very much doubt that Steve's book is in any way a "ripoff" of the book Ash wrote.

Re: Steve Blank hands a new owner's manual to startup founders

#22

Post by sayemm »

davidw wrote: post #2

I'm curious to have a look - I ordered mine a few weeks ago. I was a bit disappointed by Eric Ries' book - after reading "Start Small, Stay Small", I've grown even less interested in hand wavy, "big picture" business books, and want more practical advice of stuff I can do. I'm not a huge company that wants to hire Eric to help me 'get lean'. I'm one guy working alone with limited time, and really appreciate it when a…

Just curious... what makes Eric Ries and Steve Blank successful startup founders?

I'm just not very read-up on their backgrounds, but which companies have they started and successfully built? Anyone know?

Are they currently working on any big idea now? I think it would be really interesting to see them try to apply their own theories into practice.

Re: Steve Blank hands a new owner's manual to startup founders

#24

Post by lnanek »

ovi256 wrote: post #10
ianpurton wrote: post #4

Hey Mr Blank, kindle version please.

I saw somewhere that a kindle edition is incoming. For the older book, he refused to publish one, because he thought that it was more like a workbook, you're supposed to dogear it, take notes on the margins, color code, put postits on the pages, carry it around with you.

Hmm, well, re the last thing he wants, carrying it around; if there were a Kindle version of this it would be in the Kindle app on my phone which is with me almost constantly. A physical book, I don't think I'd bother carrying anywhere, which would probably prevent me from doing anything else to it or with it except one quick read and giving it away or having it rot on the shelf.

Re: Steve Blank hands a new owner's manual to startup founders

#25

Post by waderoush »

sayemm wrote: post #22
davidw wrote: post #2

I'm curious to have a look - I ordered mine a few weeks ago. I was a bit disappointed by Eric Ries' book - after reading "Start Small, Stay Small", I've grown even less interested in hand wavy, "big picture" business books, and want more practical advice of stuff I can do. I'm not a huge company that wants to hire Eric to help me 'get lean'. I'm one guy working alone with limited time, and really appreciate it when a…

Just curious... what makes Eric Ries and Steve Blank successful startup founders? I'm just not very read-up on their backgrounds, but which companies have they started and successfully built? Anyone know? Are they currently working on any big idea now? I think it would be really interesting to see them try to apply their own theories into practice.

You can't question either Eric Ries's or Steve Blank's chops as entrepreneurs. Read this piece we did at Xconomy, which includes the story of how Steve and Eric met and influenced one another: http://www.xconomy.com/san-francisco/2011/07/06/eric-ries-th...

Re: Steve Blank hands a new owner's manual to startup founders

#27

Post by robomartin »

For a book about startup smarts they sure are missing something very important on their site: A button to get on a list to be notified when the electronic version is out.

I have zero interest in the printed version. Lately there have been only certain books that I might consider buying in printed form. I want to buy this book but will not do so until it is available on iBooks, Kindle or ePub format. They should have had a "Want the upcoming electronic version?" button for others who share my sentiment.

Re: Steve Blank hands a new owner's manual to startup founders

#28

Post by lowglow »

robomartin wrote: post #27

For a book about startup smarts they sure are missing something very important on their site: A button to get on a list to be notified when the electronic version is out. I have zero interest in the printed version. Lately there have been only certain books that I might consider buying in printed form. I want to buy this book but will not do so until it is available on iBooks, Kindle or ePub format. They should have…

I was given a free copy of this book, and I really like some of the insights it holds for first time start-ups. It provides a lot of invaluable info that help you keep your head clear in the game.

I do really wish there was a digital copy available as this thing is HUGE (think old CCIE books) and really adds weight on top of my already heavy load of laptop, ipad, and sketchbook.

Re: Steve Blank hands a new owner's manual to startup founders

#29

Post by vlaskovits »

rwillystyle wrote: post #16
badclient wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For practical advice, I'd strongly recommend Nail it, Then Scale It . They go as far as including exactly call scripts / emails to send, for example. Eric's book seemed more like marketing material for lean targeted at big cos who have no idea what it is.

This looks like a rip off of Ash's Maurya's Running Lean: http://www.runningleanhq.com/

Emphatic no!

The seminal work from which Ash's book (and mine) sprung was The Four Steps to the Epiphany, published in 2005.

Re: Steve Blank hands a new owner's manual to startup founders

#30

Post by dchuk »

robomartin wrote: post #27

For a book about startup smarts they sure are missing something very important on their site: A button to get on a list to be notified when the electronic version is out. I have zero interest in the printed version. Lately there have been only certain books that I might consider buying in printed form. I want to buy this book but will not do so until it is available on iBooks, Kindle or ePub format. They should have…

He's repeatedly said he won't come out with an ebook version of any of his books. He wants people to use them like textbooks and write in notes and highlight things for future reference. He never created an ebook version of 4 Steps To The Epiphany either.

The button you want will literally never show up on that site.

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