Hungry Start-up Strategy

October 15, 2012
Management consultant and venture capitalist Cohan (Export Now: Five Keys to Entering New Markets) tries to even the formidable odds facing fledgling entrepreneurs, advising readers to examine with a strategic eye their chosen field of competition and thus avoid the errors that can doom a business from the start. Not just preaching to the choir, he shows how this has been accomplished by such entrepreneurs as BrewDog’s cofounder James Watt and T2 Biosystems’ CEO Joe McDonough. He also shares their accumulated expertise on such essentials as setting short-terms goals, picking the right field, raising funds, and building a team. While some figures and diagrams appear throughout the book, Cohan’s writing remains remarkably free of the consultant buzzwords and charts that can make works of this type not only challenging but unhelpful. Instead, Cohan delivers his advice in a no-nonsense, direct manner that readers will appreciate. He also explores the challenges of satisfying customers, remaining open to change, and meeting capital providers’ demands. Entrepreneurs hungry for success will welcome Cohan’s guidance on gaining the edge necessary to compete and thrive in business.