The Unicorn's Shadow Combating the Dangerous Myths That Hold Back Startups, Founders, and Investors

"Not every successful startup was created by a hoodie-wearing genius spending long nights working out of his garage, argues Mollick, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School who specializes in innovation and entrepreneurship . . . . By examining a wealth of evidence and academic studies, the author moves beyond jargon and accepted wisdom to highlight the issues that startup founders need to consider and the obstacles they may have to overcome. For example, he illustrates why having a youthful founder can sometimes hinder, rather than help, a company's chances at success; puts paid to the notion that there's one specific entrepreneurial personality type; shows why chasing venture capital cash may not be the right choice for every startup; and explains how a company's culture can be set (for better or for worse) in its earliest days. Along the way, he offers concrete, evidence-based advice that will help would-be founders achieve their goals. There's useful information here for readers at all stages of the startup journey, including those who are struggling to find an 'it' idea that will wow both customers and investors. Mollick includes a nuanced dissection of the idea- generation process, showing how to come up with business concepts by looking at 'the means at their disposal'-what knowledge or connections they already have-rather than focusing on where they want to end up. Readers will come away with a better understanding of startup myths as well as a framework that they can use to "match the expectations of the monomyth where you can, while pushing the boundaries in areas that matter to you . . . . Convincingly punctures some pervasive misconceptions about startup success." (Kirkus Reviews)