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Summary: forget the MBS bs - this is the real world
Review: absolutely brilliant well written book.
extremely realistic depiction of what it takes to get businesses off the ground.
for every overfinanced VP led venture that succeeds MANY crash and burn. why is that? read the book adn find out.
key insights into what it takes to get a business going and run it both your way, in accordance with your vision, with a reasonable chance of success.
If would be interesting to know how many of the negative The author has - several times.
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Summary: Simple, insightful, and fun
Review: Does a book have to dense to be thoughtful? Does it have to use ten-dollar (or should I say pounds sterling) words to be smart? I don't think so.Mike and Chris do a great job of clearly describing some of the key points and milestones of building a successful business. As a business advisor, MBA graduate, and entrepreneur, I agree with Chris and Mike that business is easy. The problem is there are several key points that you must tenaciously focus on and get right to be successful. They do a great job of organizing and describing some of these key points based around an elevator pitch, a mentor, and your first customer. Other business books and scholars might describe it differently, but not in as interesting or entertaining a fashion. If you're an entrepreneur, with little time to spare, The Beermat Entrepreneur, provides you many key insights in a quick, breezy, entertaining way. Enjoy.
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Summary: This book is quite disappointing
Review: Having been exposed to innumerable pep talks, essays and books on entrepreneurship, I expected this book to be more of the same. Instead, it enters new territory, being as much a book for people who have to live and work with start up entrepreneurs as for the entrepreneurs themselves. Its strength is an analysis of the types of people needed for a successful startup team and the relationship issues that arise in moving through stages of the startup's development. There's the expected advice on managing cash flow etc. and a powerful aversion to tapping venture capital, but most importantly it offers advice on the role of entrepreneurial personalities, both bad and good, and the complexities of small group dynamics. Entertainingly written, this is not a deep or heavy book on management, nor should it be. It asks us to assess oursevles and our business plans in terms of the mentors we find and the teams we build. Highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: Great insights and practical too!
Review: Having seen Mike and Chris speak in London recently, and having read this excellent, practical guide to being a successful entrepreneur, I have to say this is a must-have for any aspiring professional businessperson. It's witty, entertaining and full of some really great stories that really are TRUE! I'd suggest this as a great gift for companies who want to kick-start their teams to really get their ideas off the ground. A terrific read!
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Summary: Total Fluff Piece
Review: I can't believe this load of fluff was published. This book wouldn'tcut it as middle school primer on business. I have no idea why some rate it 5 stars.
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Summary: It's Like Help From Your Friend
Review: I found this to be a good common sense recipe for a successful venture. The pitch is fun but powerful in its advice. I've read a bunch of these books and was left with a NSS response, but this book does a great job of putting definition to good thoughts so you can use it like a checklist. Guidance on the reduction of value-added to "improvement" versus "market dislocation" alone helped me find new passion in an idea. A well written, fun read, perfect for bringing your idea back to earth.
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Summary: Don't Waste Your Money
Review: It's been a long time since I have seen such a simplistic business book. Rigid rules about how to succeed in business always make me leery. The authors should know better than to try to apply them to business situations. The book is also unrealistic because most start-up entrepreneurs won't be able to find a mentor to guide them through every step, procure sales for them, and introduce them to wealthy and powerful allies and investors. The book is basically a fantasy of wishful thinking.
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Summary: practical guide
Review: Lots of books offer guidance on financials, business plans, etc. Few tell you how to deal with the issues and decisions you REALLY face when trying to start a company, and even fewer provide a plain English road map. This book is chock full of the advice I wish people had given me, but which I had to (painfully) learn from experience. Not too rigorous or analytical, there are other texts that offer that, but more narrative and folksy -- an easy and worthwhile read for anyone looking to build a company from an idea.
Rating:
Summary: Total Fluff Piece
Review: Mike and Chris have done it! This is an easy and fast read for individuals looking to start a business. AND, if those starting a business do not have management experience, I strongly suggest you dive right in! They really hit the nail on the head - relationships, relationships, relationships. People working with people, inside and outside of the company. First customers are important and a good sales team (person) is critical. US companies doing business with the government need to keep a watchful eye on the owner structure....51% of a business needs to be owned by a socially and economically disadvantaged individual(s) before it can qualify for 8A status. I'd also like to mimic their comments about MBAs - they're not always necessary. A sharp witted professor from the University of Maryland said it best to me: Higher education is for people without talent. When he said that, I was struck with how simple, but true this statement is. I would caution (especially Washingtonians) to keep in mind that the whole person is what should be considered, not just a decorated resume. Mike and Chris have made a bevy of good and useful points in this expose. I would highly recommend reading it!
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Summary: Fab Two!
Review: Mike and Chris have done it! This is an easy and fast read for individuals looking to start a business. AND, if those starting a business do not have management experience, I strongly suggest you dive right in! They really hit the nail on the head - relationships, relationships, relationships. People working with people, inside and outside of the company. First customers are important and a good sales team (person) is critical. US companies doing business with the government need to keep a watchful eye on the owner structure....51% of a business needs to be owned by a socially and economically disadvantaged individual(s) before it can qualify for 8A status. I'd also like to mimic their comments about MBAs - they're not always necessary. A sharp witted professor from the University of Maryland said it best to me: Higher education is for people without talent. When he said that, I was struck with how simple, but true this statement is. I would caution (especially Washingtonians) to keep in mind that the whole person is what should be considered, not just a decorated resume. Mike and Chris have made a bevy of good and useful points in this expose. I would highly recommend reading it!
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