Bootstrap: Lessons Learned in Building a Successful Company from Scratch by Ken Hess is one of the best books out there for startups today in the UK, especially considering the environment, which is lacking in either business angel capital or venture capital for most startup companies, especially software.
I have been teaching entrepreneurship to MSc, Ph.D. and UG4 students at the University of Edinburgh (through the Edinburgh-Stanford Link programme) for 4 years now. I have always recommended the book for optional reading, and for my second semester course for digital design MScs called "The Digital Marketplace", I have made the book required. In fact, I even invited Ken over to guest speak in my course! Fortunately he accepted. Because of the nature of these ventures and the fact that most if not all will need to be bootstrapped, I feel it important to give the students a well rounded view, and a thorough case of how someone has done it.
Ken combines real world experience with sound logic in presenting a story and a how-to in his book. I would highly recommend it to entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship educators as well. I especially and fond of the chapter on Strategy and Marketing. However, the sections on human resources such as hiring and firing and organization structure are good as well. Its a great book for first-time and nascent entrepreneurs as most of my students are, for it gives a good overview of the various components of a business.
-Michael Clouser, Edinburgh-Stanford Link, School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh.
