By Invitation Only

April 2, 2012
Maybank and Wilson, the founders of high-end online outlet Gilt Groupe, recount their rise to success with an aim to empower entrepreneurs at every levelâfrom brainstorming to building a business. After becoming fast friends during their MBA program at Harvard, Wilson and Maybank set out to combine their love of fashion with their business acumen. The result? An invitation-only online version of a trunk show (or sample sale) where customers could purchase designer items at a discounted price. Gilt Groupe launched in 2007 with a sale of Zac Posen creations, and they attracted other designers by providing a liquidation option for selling excess inventory directly and discreetly to consumers. Their success was immediate and remarkable; Gilt now ships to over 90 countries, and in 2011 the company was valued at one billion dollars. Maybank and Wilson discuss how they solved practical and strategic problems, including choosing the right new hires for their growing business and appealing to male consumers. The authors provide helpful checklists, as well as concise overviews of their respective leadership styles. In addition to being an entertaining and remarkable success story, Maybank and Wilson's tale is also practical and inspiring.

March 1, 2012
The founders of Gilt Groupe chronicle the rise of their smashingly successful fashion business. The authors met when they were undergraduates at Harvard, where they reunited for business school in 2002. Maybank had worked at eBay, where she was instrumental in launching the company's Canadian and automobile branches, and Wilson had established a solid career in the fashion business. In 2007, at the age of 30, Maybank and Wilson (with a third partner, Kevin Ryan) launched Gilt.com, an online sample sale of top-tier designer clothes at greatly reduced prices. "If shopping had traditionally been a slow, leisurely activity," they write, "it would now be competitive, addictive, urgent, thrilling." The authors describe in minute detail every decision that contributed to the launch of their business. Part of what set Gilt apart from other websites selling designer clothes was its exclusivity and, for the first time, online access to high-end brands like Zac Posen. Gilt.com is only accessible to members, who are required to give their e-mail addresses. Every day brings a new sale, and each sale lasts only 36 hours. The authors predicted, optimistically, that the company would generate $6 million in revenue its first year; it cleared $25 million. In addition to a description of their business model, the authors offer a fine combination of personal stories and direct advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. The writing is clear, but most impressive is the authors' confidence and exacting attention to every detail. Well-suited to aspiring fashionistas, entrepreneurs and those interested in the wildfire popularity of this online business.

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March 15, 2012
Bargains, samples, and flash-sale sites are words and phrases now associated with a multitude of e-commerce businesses, from HauteLook to RueLaLa. Gilt.com, however, was the first, a place online where, by invitation only, consumers could shop for a limited time among a slew of high-end luxury goods for 60-percent in savings. Gilt.com's story, told by two of its founders, is not so much a glitzy narrative as a lively documentary about how to launch a successful business. The authors, both Harvard MBAs, identify all the questions that wannabe entrepreneurs would and should ask, and they offer answers. Is this a good risk? Is it the right idea for the right time? Does it have viral potential? Is it the right stuff to hire and retain top engineers? The chatty, easy-to-read style can't disguise the authors' shrewd business brains.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)