My Start–Up Life – What a (Very) Young CEO Learned on His Journey Through Silicon Valley

Foreword By Marc Benioff.
<p>Introduction.</p>
<p>1.0 My Dot–Com Life Begins.</p>
<p>Brainstorm: Who Knows What Could Happen If You Raise Your Hand?</p>
<p>Brain Trust: Take Responsibility, by Heidi Roizen.</p>
<p>2.0 Nature or Nurture? A San Francisco Upbringing.</p>
<p>Brainstorm: All the Fuss About Passion and How to Tap into Yours</p>
<p>3.0 The First Axiom of Business: Find a Need and Fill It.</p>
<p>Brainstorm: The Fringe–Thoughts List: Where Most Great Ideas Develop.</p>
<p>Brainstorm: Feedback, Feedback, Feedback.</p>
<p>4.0 Comcate Is Born: The Nuts and Bolts of Starting a Business.</p>
<p>Brainstorm: The Business Plan Myth 28</p>
<p>Brainstorm: Why Some People Get More Stuff Done (and Start Real Businesses).</p>
<p>5.0 First Meeting with a VC (It s All About the Network).</p>
<p>Brainstorm: The Power of Mentors.</p>
<p>Brainstorm: When to Ask a Dumb Question.</p>
<p>Brain Trust: Taking Mentor Relationships to the Next Level, by Brad Feld.</p>
<p>6.0 Signing Up Early Customers: Selling the Sizzle and the Steak.</p>
<p>Brainstorm: Asking Questions: There s a Right and a Wrong Way.</p>
<p>Brainstorm: I Have a Strategic Plan. It s Called Doing Things.</p>
<p>7.0 Confronting Failure . . . and Bouncing Back.</p>
<p>Brainstorm: Building Resilience A Transferable Quotient.</p>
<p>Brainstorm: How to Create and Leverage an Advisory Board.</p>
<p>8.0 Hiring an Interim CEO: My First Big Mistake.</p>
<p>Brainstorm: Three Sure Ways to Maximize Luck.</p>
<p>9.0 The Hunt for a COO: Recruiting a Top Team.</p>
<p>Brainstorm: The Art of Courtship.</p>
<p>Brainstorm: How to Overcome Fear of Failure.</p>
<p>10.0 Life as a Road Warrior: Making Memorable Sales Pitches.</p>
<p>Brainstorm: Presentations Worthy of Obsession.</p>
<p>Brainstorm: Pricing in an Early–Stage Company.</p>
<p>Brain Trust: Life Is a Sales Call, by Jeff Parker.</p>
<p>11.0 I m a Sophomore: Balancing Work, School, and Life.</p>
<p>Brainstorm: Redefining the Entrepreneurial Lifestyle: Sleep, Nutrition, Exercise.</p>
<p>Brainstorm: Being a Corporate Athlete.</p>
<p>Brain Trust: A Life That Works, by Chris Yeh.</p>
<p>12.0 A Silicon Valley Life: Building Me, Inc.</p>
<p>Brainstorm: Networking 101.</p>
<p>Brainstorm: Networking 202.</p>
<p>Brainstorm: Every Cold Call Can Be Warm Rich First–Time Interactions.</p>
<p>Brainstorm: Creating and Projecting Brand "Me."</p>
<p>13.0 The Product Development Process: Cheap, Good, or Fast?</p>
<p>Brainstorm: Dare to Be Mediocre: Good Is the Enemy of Perfect.</p>
<p>14.0 It s a Frugal, Frugal World: Bootstrapping Through the Inevitable Cash Squeeze.</p>
<p>Brainstorm: Asking for Money Versus Asking for Advice.</p>
<p>15.0 The Long, Hard Slog: Achieving Scale.</p>
<p>Brainstorm: A Relationship–Based First Business.</p>
<p>Brainstorm: Getting More Good Revenue and Less Bad Revenue.</p>
<p>Brain Trust: Keep Slogging Away, by Carol Rutlen.</p>
<p>16.0 Fulfilling the Mission, One Customer at a Time.</p>
<p>Brainstorm: Make Meaning: What Gets You and Your Employees Up Each Day?</p>
<p>17.0 The Road Ahead: Leaders of the Flat World.</p>
<p>Brain Trust: How to Think About the Future, by Sean Ness</p>
<p>18.0 What Will You Be Shouting When You Reach the Grave?</p>
<p>Brainstorm: Entrepreneurs Are Optimists.</p>
<p>Brain Trust: Let Your Heart Guide You, by Timothy J. Taylor.</p>
<p>Appendix A: What s Next.</p>
<p>Appendix B: A One–a–Day, One–Month Plan to Becoming a Better Entrepreneur.</p>
<p>Appendix C: Ben s Reading List.</p>
<p>Acknowledgments.</p>
<p>Endnotes.</p>
<p>The Author.</p>