Press Go!
Lessons Earned
by a Serial Entrepreneur
A Note from Me to You
I’ve been a serial entrepreneur for more than thirty years, and a storyteller my entire life. Press Go: Lessons Earned by a Serial Entrepreneur captures the lessons I’ve learned and earned along the way and punctuates them with stories that I hope make them easier to remember.
If you are contemplating launching your first startup, my book describes what that’s like—not just how to get started, but what it feels like to be an entrepreneur: the highs and lows; the passion that drives you and the sacrifices that you’re sure to make; the fear of failure that motivates you; and the excitement and pride that accompany a success.
For the new entrepreneur or “intrapreneur,” I’ve compiled the knowledge that I’ve acquired across the forty-some startups that I’ve worked with. Reflecting on the questions that I faced at different stages of their growth, I’ve arranged what I’ve learned about launching, marketing, selling, scaling, and exiting to help you find your answers.
If, like most of my clients, you are a serial entrepreneur, you know that we all have much more to learn. We’ll never master entrepreneurship, but we can always get better at it. I’m certain that you’ll recognize many of the challenges I’ve faced, and perhaps I can provide a few new ways of thinking about them.
And if you are a casual reader, curious about the world of entrepreneurship and looking for a business book that’s fun to read, I hope that Press Go takes you there, and that you enjoy reading my stories as much as I enjoy telling them.
Whatever your reason for picking up this book, I thank you for including me in your journey.
Reviews
Entrepreneurs don’t get second chances. I’ve seen Bill help many entrepreneurs anticipate challenges and overcome them to launch and scale successful startups. Any would-be entrepreneur who is searching for practical ways to turn dreams into reality must read this book.
Mark Fuller, founder/CEO ROSC Global, co-founder/Chairman/CEO Monitor Group; member World Economic Forum and Massachusetts Governor’s Council on Economic Growth and Technology
Bill Seibel is an economic national treasure. He has evolved from his outside-of-Pittsburgh working class roots to become one of the world’s most respected voices in entrepreneurship. He understands the full cycle of migrating ideas into companies and companies into billion-dollar investor-delighting, employee inspiring and customer expectation exceeding juggernauts. Bill is an amazing story teller. His book should be required reading at every business school, engineering and computer science program on the planet.
Thornton May, Futurist, Educator, Author of “The New Know”
Bill’s rich and colorful stories make this a business book that I found more enjoyable than any novel I’ve read over the last year. Not only do I recommend it for entrepreneurs at any stage of their journey, but also for general managers whose job it is to continuously generate excitement and innovation within their organization.”
David Abdow, President and CEO, Babson Global, Inc.
Not only does this book give you an inside look at what it takes to build a special company from the ground up, it also takes you on a heartfelt journey full of entertaining, incredible stories that help you grasp the pitfalls and triumphs of entrepreneurship. I would recommend Press Go to anyone trying to hatch a start-up or a new venture inside an existing company.
Scott Snyder, Serial Entrepreneur, Co-Author of “Goliath’s Revenge How Established Companies Turn the Tables on Digital Disruptors,” Senior Fellow, The Wharton School
I love this book! Bill has managed to take lessons “earned” as an entrepreneur, and make them applicable to leadership in larger organizations, and most importantly, in life. He is an adept storyteller with incredible experiences. His stories are entertaining and educational — the best of both worlds, and punctuate his lessons beautifully!
Jody Davids, Independent Board Member, Retired global CIO, PepsiCo, Inc.
Compelling advice to current and future leaders navigating the process of starting, scaling, managing and exiting high growth businesses as crafted by a master storyteller. Read and learn.
Crawford Del Prete, President IDC
I’ve seen Bill in action! He has the gift of anticipating business problems before they occur, and always knows what to do to prevent them. He is the expert that you didn’t know you needed!
Cheryl Smith, Retired Global Business Leader, Entrepreneur, Co-author of “The Day Before Digital Disruption”
Bill masterfully presents his lessons earned from working with more than 50 startups through stories that ensure you will never forget them. New and seasoned entrepreneurs will find his expert advice invaluable. His book is must reading for both.
Mike Pehl, co-founder Guidepoint Growth Equity; partner Advent; founder/CEO of multiple startups
A powerful book for every entrepreneur. If you are experienced it will validate your journey and if you are not, it will help you map the journey
Augusto Vidauretta, Co-Author of Sales is a Contact Sport, Serial Entrepreneur
The best business book of the last 20 years.
Johnny Regan, CEO, The Global Vision Conference
“Press Go” Table of Contents
Part 1—Launching………………………………………………………………………………………………..
1 – Lessons in “Tuepenerernr”-ship
2 – Getting Hooked—Why Start a Company?
3 – Eureka! How to Find (and Validate) Your Business Idea
4 – What’s It Like to Become a CEO?
5 – How to Build Your Team
Part 2—Marketing and Sales………………………………………………………………………………….
6 – How to Craft Your Customer Value Proposition
7 – Who’s In Sales?
8 – There’s No Such Thing as a Tier 3 Client … at Least Not in the Early Days of a Startup
9 – When Does Focus Become Critical? And How Do You Do It?
10 – How Do You Build Your Network?
11 – How Do You “Land and Expand?”
Part 3—Scaling…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
12 – How Good Are You at Executing Plan B?
13 – What Are the Secrets to Raising Money?
14 – What Is the Future of Venture Capital and Private Equity?
15 – How Should You Build Your Fiduciary and Advisory Boards?
16 – How Do You Generate Buzz?
17 – Hyper-Scaling Your Startup
18 – How to Hyper-Scale Your Team
Part 4—Exiting…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
19 – Finding Your Exit
20 – Fireworks on a Foggy Night—ZEFER’s IPO Roadshow
21 – The Wreck of the Zephyr
22 – Keeping Score
23 – Life Lessons
Appendix—Lessons Applied to Professional Services