A summary of things you should know about Startup Mixology according to Frank Gruber

Introduction

In this episode Tech Cocktail’s own Frank Gruber takes you inside his book Startup Mixology. His book is the perfect all-in-one strategy for serial entrepreneurs who plan on creating multiple businesses over time.

The Book’s Unique Quality

I wanted to create a book that had, start to finish, the ingredients or elements that go in to starting up. I tell the story about the harsh reality so that as you are starting up you realize that you’re going to hit those ups and downs. I explain how to get out of those dips and using celebration to help push you through and guide you as you continue to propel towards your goal.

The Reader’s Takeaway

The point of this book is to help inspire people that may be on the fence about applying some of these things to either their startup journey or internally in their company. My goal is if they have an idea that they want to launch, hopefully this is a good guide to start. It won’t be an easy path but this book will help you understand that. It should be a great starting point for anyone who has an idea and doesn’t know where to start or maybe is afraid to.

A Deep Dive Into The Book

Part one is getting started and how to think like an Entrepreneur. The first four chapters are about thinking like an entrepreneur, coming up with ideas and turning those into actions. Also, how to formulate a company by getting all your documentation in place, business documents, everything filed and ready to go with both the accounting and legal side.

Part two is about the product. You start with coming up with a marketing fit, take that idea and launch it to your audience. You can start with a simple launch, with a small group of enthusiastic people and build from there. I also talk about how you measure success and how important it is to know what you need to build a business. I give the example of how Uber has done really well and grown very quickly.

Part three is about team and people. Team is crucial with starting and running a business. I show you how to find those people and what you should be looking for. We focus a lot on culture in this chapter. Culture is really everything when it comes to building a team that can execute and make sure everyone continues to move ahead. We also focus on celebration and being able to acknowledge the fact that something happened and how important that is. It’s also important to treat everyone with respect along the way and I think it’s something we sometimes forget.

Part four is sales and marketing. One chapter is sales and the other is marketing. Figuring out your marketing and sales is very important and these two chapters talk about that.

Part five is about money, bootstrapping and funding. We bootstrapped for seven years, didn’t pay ourselves for a long time and you can go pretty far with that. And we also talk about the different aspects or raising money as well. Both viable options, it just depends on your business and what your goals are.

Part six is about growth and change. Chapter 16 is about failure and failure is a big part of starting and running a business. No one wants to fail but if you do you need to learn from it, grow and go figure out what the next step is. If the company doesn’t make it, that’s not you, that’s the company. You will be fine and you need to move on from that. Managing expectations are very important and that’s why this chapter is in the book.

The final chapter is about success and it covers what success looks like, how to scale and gives a story on success. In the conclusion we share about what the path has looked like for us and talk about other resources that are available through the book.

Notable Quotes From The Book

“The best day to start is today. Not tomorrow, not the next day, today.” “Get it going and you’ll figure it out along the way.” – Frank Gruber

The Credibility/Inspiration Of The Author

I am the CEO and co-founder of Tech Cocktail. Tech Cocktail is a news and events organization that is focused on startups, technology and entrepreneurship. I try to help better connect both online and off as well as connecting brands with that audience. We try to make the startup journey more memorable and fun.

It took me ten years to figure out how to jump off the entrepreneurial diving board and I wanted to jump start this for other people. It tells a little about my story but also tells the stories of companies like Uber, Zappos and WordPress and uses their stories to illustrate the ingredients that go in to starting and running a business.

Other Books Recommended By The Author

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

More Information About This Book and The Author

Buy Startup Mixology by Frank Gruber on Amazon today

Visit Startupmixology.Tech.co to get extra exclusive content

Visit FrankGruber.co to learn more about Frank

Follow Frank Gruber on Twitter

More Information About This Episode

Download the full transcript here

Listen on iTunes, Stitcher , and SoundCloud

Related books: All In Startup by Diana Kander | Traction: A Startup Guide to Getting Customers by Gabriel Weinberg | Zero to One by Peter Thiel and Blake Masters

Relevant advice and tips: 5 Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make With Marketing and Branding | 5 Important Things That Every Entrepreneur Needs To Know About Starting a New Business

What did you like and not like about this episode? Fill out this one minute survey here.

The post A Preview of Startup Mixology with Frank Gruber appeared first on The Entrepreneurs Library.

Latest Books For Entrepreneurs in July 2014

The Entrepreneurs Library presents the latest books for entrepreneurs in July 2014. These books are brand new to the market and the authors are in line to share their insights with me. Stay tuned for the release of these great episodes coming soon.

Pitching and Closing by Alexander Taub and Ellen DaSilva

Pitching & Closing gives you concrete action steps for mastering the specific skill set today’s business-development professionals need to define their roles and meet revenue expectations. Written in practical terms by playmakers at Twitter and SocialRank, this A-to-Z guide walks you through forging relationships, pitching a company’s product, building a network, sourcing deals, making rejection positive, and staying cool while closing large deals. Firsthand accounts from business development executives across many industries, from tech to television to finance, bring to life such topics as:

“This book is a must-read for anyone in the business of transforming professional relationships into powerful strategic partnerships.” — Adam Bain, President of Global Revenue at Twitter

Learn more about Alex Taub | Buy Pitching and Closing on Amazon

Startup Mixology by Frank Gruber

Startup Mixology is first and foremost a book about turning your ideas into action. From the cofounder of media company Tech Cocktail, a veteran entrepreneur and investor who was named one of the most connected people in tech, this book covers the basic “ingredients” of winning entrepreneurship. No abstract theories here — it shows you how to tackle everything from idea generation to launch to marketing to funding and how to start getting things done.

Once you’ve taken that first step, the journey has only begun. Startup Mixology tells it like it is — and it’s not easy! You’ll learn about the harsh reality of starting up: what happens when you offend your customers, get no attention, or run out of money. These are the stories you don’t always hear in the media.

“Frank Gruber’s Startup Mixology is a clear and thoughtful distillation of what it takes to take an idea and turn it into a business. I encourage entrepreneurs of all backgrounds to read this book and apply its lessons.” —Steve Case, Chairman and CEO, Revolution, Cofounder, AOL, and Chairman, Case Foundation

Learn more about Frank Gruber | Buy Startup Mixology on Amazon

How to Succeed in 12 Months by Serena Star Leonard

How to Succeed in 12 Months: Creating a Life You Love is your ultimate guide to turning your dreams into reality. Author Serena Star-Leonard is living the dream herself, having practiced what she preaches. In the book, she shares the secrets behind figuring out the steps that will get you the life you’ve always wanted, and taking those steps in leaps and bounds. It’s not a get-rich-quick scheme, but a one-year plan to stepping out of your rut and into your most fulfilling life. Star-Leonard provides a roadmap to:

Learn more about Serena Star-Leonard | Buy How to Succeed in 12 Months on Amazon

Walk Away Wealthy by Mark Tepper

In Walk Away Wealthy, Mark Tepper–a leading authority on wealth management and financial planning for entrepreneurs–shows you how to build a strong exit plan, an absolute requirement if you hope to get the full value from a sale. Tepper’s twelve secrets debunk myths and deliver practical advice as he walks you through what most people don’t know (or refuse to believe) about the process of planning their exit. And although it’s best to start planning the exit as early as possible, the book also delivers advice for those who may have waited too long and feel lost in the face of a rapidly approaching sale.

Selling the business you worked so hard to build can be a confusing and intimidating proposition. Let Mark Tepper clear away the misconceptions, steer you clear of common mistakes, and help you walk away wealthy!

“Walk Away Wealthy is loaded with practical ideas you can use to maximize the value of your business – to yourself and to the person you sell it to.” – Brian Tracy, Author of Now, Build A Great Business

Learn more about Mark Tepper | Buy Walk Away Wealthy on Amazon

The Responsible Entrepreneur by Carol Sanford

The Responsible Entrepreneur offers a blueprint for this new kind of business leadership, describing the means by which any entrepreneur can pursue a higher order of work. In it, Carol Sanford, one of the most trusted names in responsible business development, brings her vast expertise in helping executives and corporations to the entrepreneur looking to launch and scale a venture. She maps this journey through four archetypes:

For entrepreneurs seeking to pursue world-changing results, or impact investors looking to align their capital with their values, The Responsible Entrepreneur provides the frameworks to build a business and to evaluate and direct investments to create the greatest benefit for all stakeholders.

“Carol Sanford has produced a profound but simple framework for understanding and unleashing entrepreneurial talent. Offering unique insight into four types of entrepreneurship and the domains in which they provide the most leverage, The Responsible Entrepreneur will feed the entrepreneurial spirit and catalyze it toward more meaningful impact in the world.” — Lara Lee, SVP, customer experience design, Lowe’s Home Improvement, and former VP, Harley-Davidson

Learn more about Carol Sanford | Buy The Responsible Entrepreneur on Amazon

What are you reading this month? Feel free to comment below or engage with me on Facebook and Twitter.

The post Latest Books For Entrepreneurs in July 2014 appeared first on The Entrepreneurs Library.