It’s not easy being the founder of an entrepreneurial venture, especially when you’re talking about the world of tech start-ups. While entrepreneurs in this field have a passion for, and expert knowledge in, their particular innovative product or service, dealing with the various aspects of starting, growing, and profitably exiting a business can be daunting.
Nobody understands this better than author David Shelters. With over fifteen years of entrepreneurial experience as a founder, cofounder, or financial advisor to numerous tech start-ups in both the United States and Asia, he’s gained valuable insights into this endeavor. And now, with Start-Up Guide for the Technopreneur, he shares them with you.
Engaging and informative, this book―organized to reflect the natural sequence of events experienced by entrepreneurial ventures―puts the elements of finance and strategy in proper perspective, and will help you avoid the dangers inherent in business start-ups in general and dealing within the realm of venture capital in particular. Along the way, it skillfully addresses issues that could allow you to take your enterprise from incubation and progressive stages of development to ultimately achieving optimum financial success with a highly profitable exit.
Start-Up Guide for the Technopreneur:
- Presents a realistic picture of what can be expected from prospective investors and teaches how to identify valuable business partners
- Explores how to craft a business plan from a strategic financial perspective
- Discusses the essential elements of successfully raising funds
- Examines the importance of formulating an overall financial strategy for your business
- Covers the four stages of negotiation: prenegotiations, due diligence, actual negotiations, and concluding negotiations
- Reveals how to establish an investment-grade organization
- And much more
Designed to be a thought-provoking, mentoring resource, Start-Up Guide for the Technopreneur + Website will empower you to realize your full creative potential and achieve maximum profit from your hard work and sacrifices.
From the Back Cover
Praise for Start-Up Guide for the Technopreneur
“The job of the first-time founder isn’t easy. You wear a dozen hats at once―often for the first time. Finance is a crucial part of entrepreneurship, but few founders wear the CFO hat with confidence. This book teaches you to think like a CFO―and like an investor. It’s like having an experienced, sympathetic start-up CFO whispering in your ear, explaining the financial implications of every decision you make. If you plan to raise funding, then this book belongs on your bookshelf next to The Art of the Start, The Startup Owner’s Manual, and Venture Deals.”
―Meng Weng Wong, serial entrepreneur, angel investor, and cofounder of JFDI Asia
“Shelters’s Start-Up Guide for the Technopreneur is a refreshing and realistic approach to start-up finance for any non-finance entrepreneur. Easy to understand and chock- full of practical, usable advice.”
―Cory Brown, VP Product Development, Pronto Marketing
“Attention aspiring entrepreneurs, this one is for you. A must-read, step-by-step guide to master the art of financial planning and fund raising for any start-up that will boost your chances of success exponentially.”
―Peter Kopitz, cofounder and Managing Director of Zalora, Rocket Internet Thailand
“David has written an excellent guidebook for tech start-up founders to rely on while building―and learning how to build―their first ventures. His insight into the minds on the financial side of the table is especially useful to any technopreneur. I wish I had a guide like this in my first few start-ups! Still, it holds a great deal of valuable information even for seasoned serial entreprenuers. Few resources, if any, have adequately approached this angle―David has done an excellent job of shedding light on the world of financing for geeks!”
―Efraim Pettersson Ivener, founder and CEO of eKita (www.ekita.co)
Start-Up Guide for the Technopreneur puts an emphasis on practical application. To that end, this book provides readers with exclusive access to a companion website filled with supplementary materials, allowing you to continue learning in a hands-on fashion long after closing the book.
About the Author
DAVID SHELTERS provides investment banking, business brokerage, and financial advisement services through his company, Karon Business Consulting. He is also an active participant in the local tech entrepreneurial scene, presenting at numerous BarCamps and other tech conferences. Shelters currently mentors several local software start-ups and is the in-house financial mentor at Hubba, a co-working space in the heart of Bangkok. He has over fifteen years of entrepreneurial experience as a founder, cofounder, or financial advisor to numerous tech start-ups in both the United States and Asia. Shelters has a BA in history and political science from the State University of New York at Albany, an MS in international affairs from Florida State University, and has completed the coursework for a master’s in international business studies at Georgia State University. David regularly blogs at www.financeforgeeks.com.
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