Amazon.co.uk Review
Rob Adams--an ex-Marine and former technology executive who now runs an "accelerator venture fund" that works like an entrepreneurial boot camp--offers A Good Hard Kick in the Ass to wake up and shake up today's would-be business owner. The era when virtually any wannabe could turn an intriguing idea and slick presentation into a hefty bankroll is long past, of course. Adams believes the current environment calls instead for a return to elementary but oft-ignored rules expressed here through blunt admonitions (good ideas are a dime a dozen, you don't know your customers as well as you think you do, you don't need big bucks right out of the gate) meant to counter the "startup myths and misconceptions" many hopefuls still harbor. Each chapter breaks down one delusion-busting assertion into specific suggestions (assemble a team with solid "execution intelligence", validate the market, forge a strategy for getting out there quickly) and is fleshed out with the real-life experiences of both big-name techno-ventures and some of the embryonic participants in Adams' AV Labs. Any time you step up to the plate to start a company you take a chance on striking out, he says, but following these steps should at least get you into the game. --Howard Rothman

Product Description
The author suggests that the concept of a "new economy" spawned a dangerous misconception: that a fundamentally new and different approach to business is required. Adams debunks each myth chapter by chapter - and gives the real rules for business.

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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kick yourself if you start a business withouth reading this!, 29 Jul 2002

By	R Munslow (Solihull, West Midlands United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

Rob Adams provides the reader with a number of "kicks" which overturn some commonly held misconceptions of entrepreneurs seeking to start-up technology based businesses. This commonsence reasoning by someone who has not only been there and done it, but is now helpng other people to do it, should be compulsory reading before any entrepreneur embarks on the start-up journey. Just to give a flavour, of one of the "kicks" relates to validating the market in terms of knowing what customers will actually buy, rather than what you think they want. Commonsense, you may say, but like the author I work in the start-up arena and the majority of entrepreneurs who approach our organisation (very many of whom are experienced people) are reluctant to get their hands dirty by actually talking to potential customers, preferring think that the product is so good that that as soon as it is launched, people will buy. Whilst the book makes only a few points, they are forcefully made and backed by real life examples of mistakes and lessons from US technology start-ups. Overall, money would be well spent just reading the section on market validation.

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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Every entrepreneur should get kicked this way!, 8 May 2002

By A Customer

'A good hard kick in the Ass' is not another 'how-to-be-a-successful-entrepreneur' book that gives you zillions of recommendations, fitting every start-up. We've seen too many of these anyway. XY has just a few points to make, but he addresses the crucial topics for every entrepreneur. And his kicks really drive his points home. You think you know everything about your market, your customers, your investors' needs, your team? Read this and think again. Even though the many examples relate to the software industry with big ticket ventures, and the experiences that underpin his arguments might occasionally sound like a song of praise for his own VC fund, this book is invaluable for every entrepreneur. No matter what type of business or stage of enterprise, 'A good hard kick in the Ass' potentially saves you time, money and a lot of pain.

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