The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Risk and Decisions: Building Successful Early-Stage Ventures

Becoming a successful entrepreneur is impossible without accepting risk – the question is which risk to take and at what time. Expert authors Thomas G. Pittz and Eric W. Liguori draw on years of working with and in early-stage ventures to provide guidance for managing the risk associated with these decisions. Throughout this book, they offer practical, no-nonsense advice for marketing and financing your business, bringing on partners and employees, networking with key connectors, and launching your business as inexpensively and aggressively as possible. Following lean startup logic, The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Risk and Decisions: Building Successful Early-Stage Ventures cuts through to the strategically important – and emotionally charged – decisions that separate the successful entrepreneurs from the unsuccessful. It is designed to help entrepreneurs move quickly, rapidly iterate their business models based on customer feedback, and provide guideposts for managing the risks inherent in all startup ventures.

Table of Contents:
Chapter 1. ProcessI. Ideas vs Execution II. Business Plans vs. Business Models III. Prototyping IV. The Pitch V. Market Segmentation & Pivoting Chapter 2. People I. Finding and Selecting Partners II. Determining Equity & Vesting III. Building Culture IV. Hiring Employees V. Choosing Mentors Chapter 3. Networks I. Networking Fundamentals II. Navigating Networks (ESOs, community services, etc.) III. Building Networks IV. Exploiting Networks V. Maintaining Networks Chapter 4. Sales & Marketing I. Learning to Sell II. Sales Pipeline and Tracking Metrics III. Failure, Rejection, Learning IV. Guerilla Marketing V. Pricing Models VI. Branding Chapter 5. Financing I. Financial Literacy II. Bootstrapping III. Crowdfunding IV. Equity Financing V. Debt Financing Chapter 6. Nuts and Bolts I. Legal Considerations (filing your business, ownership decisions, etc.) II. Human Resource Basics (important laws & filings, etc.) III. Compliance & Business Systems IV. Tax Considerations V. Exit Strategies

About the Author :
Thomas G. Pittz has mentored numerous entrepreneurs and students at the Lowth Entrepreneurship Center of the Sykes College of Business at the University of Tampa. He transitioned to academia after two decades of industry experience, including launching two entrepreneurial ventures, and maintains an active consulting practice. He has a Ph.D. from New Mexico State University. Eric W. Liguori sits at the global forefront of entrepreneurship education. In 2019 he became the youngest person ever elected to serve as President of the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship, the largest academic organization dedicated to advancing entrepreneurship education through bold teaching, scholarship, and practice. He holds the Rohrer Chair of Entrepreneurship at Rowan University and is the Executive Director of the Rowan Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. He has a Ph.D. from Louisiana State University.

Review :
Thom Pittz and Eric Liguori have provided a no-nonsense, incredibly insightful and practical guide for entrepreneurs looking to launch and/or grow their businesses. Great insights on guerrilla marketing, the power and pitfalls of crowd funding, and understanding failure and rejection. Recognizing the massive amount of work and stress necessary to build a successful venture, Pittz and Liguori have masterfully distilled wisdom gained from working with hundreds of startups around the globe to help entrepreneurs avoid landmines and gear up for success. Great reading for anyone immersed in the entrepreneurial process! There are few resources that effectively help entrepreneurs navigate the black box of risk and decision-making along their tumultuous journey. Every aspect of that journey - whether it be marketing, financing, partnerships, HR, networking, or actually launching has unlimited landmines that can put an end to a dream. This book is a critical how-to guide for any entrepreneur at any stage to spot and disarm those landmines with expert precision. In their new book, The Entrepreneur's Guide... Thom Pittz and Eric Liguori have identified all of the key issues that entrepreneurs face in developing and growing businesses and provide critical and detailed guidance for success. I am pleased to see a major section of the book devoted to networks and networking as an entrepreneur's network of support is the foundation for entrepreneurial innovation and growth. This book is an essential tool for every entrepreneur during his startup journey. It provides a handy reference which can be reverted to based on real life experiences. An essential companion for all aspiring entrepreneurs or small business owners.