“Founders at Work: Stories of Startups’ Early Days” by Jessica Livingston of Y Combinator is a great read. The book is a collection of interviews with mostly recent technology startup founders. For a complete list of interviews, click here.
Most of the information is not new, but it is great to read it from the founder’s perspective. I especially liked the sections on companies that I had direct relation to. I was at Lotus in the relatively early days, but I never got to hear it straight from Mitch Kapor. Many of the interviews are truly inspriing for a budding entrepeneur like myself. I’ve been involved with startups for years now (some successful, some not), and I’m embarking on my own startup right now. To be able to get honest opinions and views regarding VC, business plans, startup issues is extremely valuable. Even if you are not planning on starting a company, I still recommend picking up a copy and checking it out. Some of the stories are classic.
If you have any suggestions on who should be interviewed for the next book, there is a thread discussing it on Y Combinator News. With any luck and a lot of hard work, maybe you or I will make the list.
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