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Over the last decade, Lean-Agile principles have become the standard methodology by which product and technology teams operate. However, Lean-Agile was written for small companies seeking new markets to buy their innovative software products, not for an average corporation with a catalogue of existing software products that must be maintained and rebuilt. The typical tech-enabled business isn't a lean startup; it's a chunky corporate. This book offers an alternative software development methodology perfectly suited for chunky corporate product management. You'll quickly find out how individual players in the corporate organization impact business performance. You'll follow the story of Blake, a well-meaning but ultimately naive, CEO of a fictional company called Acme Tech. As he and Acme struggle to maintain business performance, it becomes apparent how embedded and complex his challenges are. Lean-Agile principles are regularly misapplied in the corporate environment, causing tension, missed deadlines, and inefficient working practices. You'll see that managing software transformation at a large, mature business requires a new set of tools. Popular development methodologies are not well-suited for the replatforming exercises that chunky corporates inevitably face. This book helps product and technology leaders navigate software development projects at organizations grappling with the constraints of investor ownership. Chunky corporates have a lot going for them: The Lean-Agile Dilemma reveals that, when managed well, they have the potential to be safe havens in a relentlessly unstable world. You will: Understand how replatforming differs from new product development Learn how to manage existing data when updating or building new software Gain tools to prioritize items in your overstuffed product roadmap Who This Book is For Product managers, product owners, product leadership, tech leadership, and business leaders at mature tech-enabled businesses.

Equip yourself with tools to approach digital transformation within your organization successfully. Today, over 80% of digital transformation engagements fail to reach their objectives (as reported through a survey by Couchbase). The challenge to overcome is that the pace of change in digital has left business users falling behind. Geared towards non-technical professionals, this book seeks to get executives on track to lead this innovation wave.Data as the prime lever in this innovation wave has accelerated the pace of change from earlier innovation waves by 25 years. Companies are finding it hard to adapt as their internal processes do not allow such rapid changes. Companies are stuck with outdated tools to manage DX projects. This leads to outsourcing the responsibility for DX to IT teams and outside system developers and causing great problems. Toolsets from data visualization, simulated prototyping, video editing and Whiteboarding will be introduced and simplified to show you can use simplify them to deliver on your business goals. Case studies that feature the digital transformation journeys of companies like Hertz, BBC, Domino's Pizza and more will be explored. What You'll LearnDerive business outcomes and KPIs to successfully direct digital transformation InitiativesWork with new toolsets that business owners can use to effectively collaborate with data scientists, data analysts and data engineersRecognize valuable data and align data monetization with business goalsWho This Book is ForNon-technical business owners and professionals

Social impact communication is quickly become a mandatory skill for leaders of modern businesses and nonprofits, at all levels of an organization. Yet using strategy, language and influence to advance game-changing societal breakthroughs isn't something most people learn in college. This book provides a pathway for empathy, clarity and persuasive communication to advance the social impact work that can help people, their families and society.Too often, workplaces leave these essential capabilities to chance or trust osmosis to do the work. These aren't skills you can learn in a classroom. They must be learned while actively engaged in the work of social impact leadership. Too many organizations treat social impact communication and programmatic leadership as “just another marketing project.” It's a tremendous missed opportunity for businesses seeking to add value to society and deepen their client/customer relationships. What's more, it directly damages other aspects of organizations'ESG priorities— specifically, their cultivation of a healthy, safe and engaged workplace with team members whose personal values and professional activities are in harmony.Journalist and social impact business executive Nate Birt walks you through the essential mindset shifts and principles needed perform the social impact work that matters and have confidence your headed toward true north. The book includes firsthand insights, how-to strategies and social impact leadership anecdotes, along with insights and tips from dozens of social impact communicators whose perspective will provide you with real-world validation, strategies and encouragement. Each chapter includes a call for personal reflection or action that features a series of question-based prompts to encourage further introspection and journaling. At the end of the book, you'll get access to other resources to continue the conversation and professional development in the area of social impactcommunication.What You'll LearnUnderstand what makes social impact communication fundamentally different from conventional advertising, journalism or marketingSee why social impact communication requires translational communication capabilities within an organization, across partner stakeholders, and with external audiences, clients and customers.Examine how social impact communication cultivates more engaged leaders and teams by unlocking the power of team members'individual values and personal purposeWho This Book Is ForSocial-impact executives and their teams in corporate or non-profit settings; non-ESG-focused executives seeking to better understand social impact and associated leadership/management strategies; college or university students seeking to specialize in social impact leadership; think-tank leaders, policymakers or others whose work intersects with social impactdisciplines and decision-making.

Learn how to deal with difficult employee demands, what candidates actually think about recruitment processes, how to navigate layoffs, address the gender pay gap, and protect your time and wellbeing. People Ops is a collection of candid lessons, stories, and principles in leadership, people, and culture from startup environments. It reveals the hard truths and sometimes uncomfortable realities that we all know exist but struggle to articulate.For decades, business and HR leaders have struggled to navigate the complexities of managing people and teams within startups and scaling companies, instead relying on the broad rhetoric of management theory to tackle these challenges or leaning on their networks of leaders who have encountered these challenges before. In parallel, the HR industry has been undergoing a transformation with the growth of People Operations. It's a distinct field in HR that relentlessly focuses on engagement, culture, automation and putting people at the heart of all business operations. At the intersection of startups and people operations is an increasingly ambiguous business challenge for how startups can apply leading people practices to drive their growth, rather than in spite of their growth.People Ops is a tactical companion for business and People Operations leaders designed to support them in their roles, spark inspiration and challenge conventional thinking. It supplements author Patrick Caldwell's own experience across multiple startups with stories and examples from his network of investors, CEOs, Founders and C-Level HR executives.What You'll LearnLessons from a path walked building People Operations in a startup environmentUncomfortable truths around the complexities of managing people The key components of a People Operations strategy within a small businessWho This Book is ForThose in small-mediumsized businesses, especially startups, where the reader is in a position of responsibility for people and culture. They'll likely hold business leadership positions such as Founder, CEO, COO, VP and Director, or they'll be directly within the HR and People Operations space with titles such as CHRO/CPO, Head, Director, Business Partner or Advisor

Gain exclusive access to the secrets to building an enterprise AI start-up. AI innovation helps with every aspect of the business, from the supply chain, marketing, and advertising, customer service, risk management, operations to security. Industries from different verticals have been adopting AI and get real business values out of it. This book guides you through each step, from defining the business need and business model, all the way to registering IP and calculating your AI start-up valuation. You see how to perform market and technology validation, perform lean AI R&D, design AI architecture, AI product development and operationalization. The book also cover building and managing an AI team, along with attracting and keeping business and developer users,Building an Enterprise AI start-up is hard because Enterprise AI is an effort to build applications to mimic human intelligence to solve business problems. Hence it has a different challenge from building traditional non-AI applications, such as scouting, recruiting and managing AI talents; designing the most cost-efficient and scalable Enterprise AI; or establishing the best practice to operationalize AI in productionAs we are in the dawn of the AI-first product wave, AI-powered products for enterprises will be created for many years to come and AI Startup Strategy is the one-stop guide for it.What You'll LearnMatch customer's expectation VS technical feasibilityJustify business values and ROI for customersReview the best business models for high valuation enterprise AI start-upsDesign an AI product that gives a satisfactory experience for the userRegister and value AI IP Who This Book is For Startup Founders, Product Managers, Software Architects/Lead Engineers, Executives

Explore the startup landscape of East European countries and review the differences in the concepts of limited liability companies and company equity in approaching the market. This quick reference guide is structured around the primary author, Ivan Voras, with additional chapters written by guest collaborators. Chapters are concise and focus on ways to overcome the various obstacles start-ups may face. You'll benefit from regionally relevant advice on finding problems worth solving as a startup, how to hire people, how to raise investment rounds, and how to find and communicate with investors. Eastern Europe has become a region of fast growth after years of mismanagement and stagnation, and it has become the origin of promising startups. The last couple of years have also seen the rise in the number of local VCs who are attempting to address this market, as well as local incubators and accelerators. But there's a problem: the vast majority of educational material available in books and online are written from the perspective of the US market and economy, and are not directly applicable in the complicated nuances of Eastern Europe. The European VC-Funded Startup Guide does not pull punches to highlight the difficulties involved in starting up from this region, but also provides workarounds and advice on how you can overcome them. What You'll LearnCreate and manage an early stage startup in East European countriesRun a young company, hire initial people, and raise investmentsUnderstand venture capitalist funds, which ones to avoid, and what to do with the early investment once you get itWho This Book is ForNovice startup founders in East European countries or more experienced professionals, such as investors and lawyers, interested in the startups in this part of the world.

Modern startups are on an assembly line from seed to later-stage series financing. As they make that journey, founders need to have a working knowledge of dozens of fields if they're going to scale a company. SaaS is a unique set of skills across those disciplines.This book focuses on gaining a working understanding of what specialists will do in those fields as an organization grows and how founders can leverage the basics to get those capabilities started so once professionals are hired in each, they can hit the ground running with authentic materials. Founders will be pulled in a lot of directions as they find success, so the book looks at what to do with each discipline at each stage of growth.The hardest part to creating a startup is to just start the thing. This book covers when to bootstrap, apply to accelerators, seek seed capital – and where to do those things. It also covers some of the earlier questions like how to write a mission statement, where to find investors, what technical stacks to use, how to HR, how to sell, and more importantly, when a founder should spend time on each discipline. A way to look at the tech stack and the ever-changing landscape to keep technical debt low and the ability to respond to ever-changing market forces high. What You'll LearnThe nuts and bolts of which type of corporation to found, impacts to taxes, equity, and of course more philosophy.Researching, pricing, and planning to take that wonderful innovation to market and expanding into a portfolio.Leadership styles—each has its place and so we look at ways to level up that domain Management—going beyond inspiration, from those regularly scheduled meetings to helping people grow to task managemen.Basic accounting and finance skills with terms and guidance on revenue treatmentWho This Book Is ForPeople thinking of or starting asoftware/SaaS company. Could be useful for first timers or those on their third startup.

Small business marketers don't need to understand technical minutia of websites or the high-level social media strategies of national consumer brands. They need to understand how to build successful marketing machines that they can sustain with the resources they have available. This book will help small-business B2B marketers build a strong digital presence that will drive growth. Most B2B buyers are about two-thirds of the way through their purchase process before they are willing to engage with a salesperson. Therefore, having a strong digital presence is the difference between making your prospect's short list and your prospect not even knowing you exist. Most critically, a strong digital presence relies on content written from your audience's perspective. This book provides insight and information about the questions that are critical to their business and that you can help them solve. It is the key to capturing their attention, gaining their trust, and winning their business. Marketing can't work its magic alone. It needs the support of strong branding and must provide support to well-executed sales processes. Marketing for Small B2B Businesses will dive into the relationship between each of these areas. What You'll LearnBuild a website that serves as the hub of your marketingEstablish a content promotion plan that puts your content in front of the right audienceDevelop strategies and tactical plans for finding the channels best suited to your message such as social media and email marketing Create effective content in a timely manner with the resources you have availableTrack what is working and what needs improvement via an analytics platform to consistently produce strong marketing returnsWho This Book Is ForThe primaryaudience is B2B small business owners and B2B small business marketing leaders.

Master the tricks and techniques of business analytics consulting, specifically applicable to small-to-medium businesses (SMEs). Written to help you hone your business analytics skills, this book applies data science techniques to help solve problems and improve upon many aspects of a business'operations. SMEs are looking for ways to use data science and analytics, and this need is becoming increasingly pressing with the ongoing digital revolution. The topics covered in the books will help to provide the knowledge leverage needed for implementing data science in small business. The demand of small business for data analytics are in conjunction with the growing number of freelance data science consulting opportunities; hence this book will provide insight on how to navigate this new terrain.This book uses a do-it-yourself approach to analytics and introduces tools that are easily available online and are non-programming based. Data science will allow SMEs to understand their customer loyalty, market segmentation, sales and revenue increase etc. more clearly. Data Science and Analytics for SMEs is particularly focused on small businesses and explores the analytics and data that can help them succeed further in their business. What You'll LearnCreate and measure the success of their analytics projectStart your business analytics consulting careerUse solutions taught in the book in practical uses cases and problems Who This Book Is ForBusiness analytics enthusiasts who are not particularly programming inclined, small business owners and data science consultants, data science and business students, and SME (small-to-medium enterprise) analysts

Gain a basic foundation of essential personal finance issues and strategies, specifically geared towards tech professionals. The book will build on the concepts, such as going from the basics of investments to more advanced topics like alternative investments and tax strategies.In the U.S., about 6 million tech startup employees have stock options. The result is that this can often be the biggest source of wealth, sometimes reaching into the millions. Yet there are many financial and tax complications that have been aggravated with the transition to remote work. This can mean lower returns and missed opportunities, and in some cases, employees may even be subject to actions from the IRS and local tax agencies. The Personal Finance Guide For Tech Professionals is packed with actionable advice and covers the main areas that any tech professional will face.What You'll LearnTrack and analyze investments with fintech appsImprove the results of freelance work, such as with strategies to lower taxesProtect your hard-earned assets with insurance and the establishment of entities like LLCs Who This Book Is ForThe main focus will be on tech employees who get equity compensation. This spans from entry level people to senior executives.

Web3 is the next evolution for the World Wide Web based on Blockchain technology. ​This book will equip entrepreneurs with the best preparation for the megatrend of Web3 by reviewing its core concepts such as DAOs, tokens, dApps, and Ethereum.With Web2, much of the valuable data and wealth has been concentrated with a handful of mega tech operators like Apple, Facebook, Google and Amazon. This has made it difficult for startups to get an edge. It has also meant that users have had little choice but to give up their value data for free. Web3 aims to upend this model using a decentralized approach that is on the blockchain and crypto. This allows for users to become stakeholders in the ecosystem. Along with exploring core concepts of Web3 like DAOs, tokens, dApps, and Ethereum, this book will also examine the main categories that are poised for enormous opportunities. They include infrastructure, consumer apps, enterpriseapps, and the metaverse. For each of these, I will have use cases of successful companies. How To Create a Web3 Startup covers the unique funding strategies, the toolsets needed, the talent required, the go-to-market approaches, and challenges faced. What You'll LearnWork with the dev stack componentsExamine the success factors for infrastructure, consumer, enterprise, verticals, and the MetaverseUnderstand the risks of Web3, like the regulatory structure and security breachesWho This Book Is ForStartup entrepreneurs and those looking to work in the Web3 industry.

Read over 20 exclusive, in-depth interviews with chief sustainability officers (CSOs) of Fortune 500 companies such as Amazon, Coca-Cola, and Procter & Gamble and globally recognized brands such as IKEA and Netflix. These CSOs reveal how they deliver positive environmental and social impact through their companies'core products and services and generate revenue growth while tackling unique leadership, change management, regulatory and stakeholder challenges. Sustainability and environmental, social, governance (ESG) strategies are increasingly central to businesses'growth strategy and risk management. As a result, the CSO has become more important as a driver of both revenue and strategy. Yet, no two CSOs are alike in their backgrounds, titles or even the scope of their roles. From former Peace Corps volunteers to supply chain experts, these C-suite leaders launch ambitious carbon emissions and net-zero goals, develop new products for a circular economy, target increasing the diversity of their company's staff, align strategic projects to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and standardize reporting for the SEC, investors and more. What You Will Learn How global multibillion dollar businesses in the United States, Europe and Asia structure their sustainability strategyHow top sustainability executives drive both business value and positive environmental and social impact How CSOs landed in their roles without climbing a traditional career ladder Who This Book Is ForExecutives and board members generally or those establishing a sustainability or ESG strategy; current and aspiring CSOs and ESG leaders; business leaders partnering with sustainability leaders and teams; and students studying the integration of sustainability and business.Advance praise for Chief Sustainability Officers At Work:'Chief sustainability officers play a critical role in supporting the broader business transition to a more just and sustainable global economy. Through dialogue with influential sustainability professionals, Chrissa brings to life the essential role in bridging gaps and helping to eliminate the divide between'traditional'business functions, senior leadership, and the sustainability teams to drive transformational change within their firms.'- Mindy Lubber, CEO and President, Ceres'Chief Sustainability Officers at Work, is a fresh new book by seasoned business leader Chrissa Pagitsas that offers succinct ways anyone can implement and achieve ESG goals – whether they own the company or simply aspire to improve its impact on people and the planet. Chrissa roots this book in her own experience leading change within major companies that not only improved the businesses where she worked but improved the markets within which they needed to thrive. This is a must read for a seasoned ESG practitioner as much as it is for the young professional just getting started. Chrissa knows it is imperative we all just get started doing better and she opens up the otherwise dark box of how-tos for all of us to do our part.'– Dana Bourland, SVP, The JPB Foundation and author of Gray to Green Communities: A Call to Action on the Housing and Climate Crises.

The dramatic increase in minority- and female-owned companies continues to transform the business world while setting standards for those who follow. Thriving as a Minority-Owned Business in Corporate America offers you a comprehensive guide to current practical knowledge of minority business development, from grants and loans to market building. This book demonstrates how you can use specific laws, institutions, and new technologies to set up and steer your business to success. Expert coverage includes both established and underused resources at the federal, state, and local levels dedicated to minority business expansion. You will learn how to tap resources made available by government agencies like the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) and programs such as the Offices of Minority and Women Inclusion (OMWI). Non-governmental funding sources (e.g., banks, credit unions, venture capital) are also examined in depth, with sound advice on approaching each. The author explores the critical role of social media in leveling the playing field, spotlighting minority/female business-related sites and strategies for leveraging your online presence. And he provides real-world guidance on business certifications, tax breaks, credit issues, and more. Whether you're in start-up or expansion mode, after reading this book, you will have the know-how needed to seize the opportunity and succeed with your enterprise.What You Will LearnDiscover unused and unrecognized resources at the federal, state, and local level set up specifically for minority businessSee the difference between banks, thrifts, credit unions, angel investors, and venture capital, and how to approach eachUse social media in support of minority business development goalsExamine social media sites and trends: current and relevant minority business related social media sitesand trends Who This Book is ForAnyone: Asian, Hispanic, women, Black or White who wants authentic, impactful information on creating or supporting minority-owned businesses.

If you are asking yourself Why are my engineers unable to deliver?, Why are so many engineers leaving? or Why is our software riddled with bugs?, then you've come to the right place. This book acts as a concise, practical guide on how to lead successful agile projects in a remote environment. The authors draw from industry experience and a wide range of fields and disciplines--from software engineering to criminology and sociology--to teach you how to maintain technical oversight, manage deadlines, and calibrate expectations, while also creating and maintaining a healthy remote work environment. You will gain both practical tips grounded in reality, while learning why such tips work by navigating the background on which they are founded--from Broken Window Theory, Labeling Theory to the Dunning-Kruger Effect. Leadership Paradigms for Remote Agile Development will show you how to avoid the most common mistakes and pitfalls that cause engineering projects to fail while at the same time maintaining high ethical standards. What You'll LearnManage feedback, reduce bureaucracy, create and adapt processes Understand what to look for in new hiresCarve out a solid road to success for any type of software projectWho This Book Is ForAnyone who is in, or wishes to move into, an IT leadership position, such as senior software engineers, founders, engineering managers, or team/tech leads.

Podcasting is a powerful tool of communication and creative expression that doesn't need to be intimidating. This book brings together the creative and technical aspects of audio engineering to help podcasters communicate their ideas effectively and creatively. The Podcaster's Audio Handbook focuses on simple techniques that immediately elevate the audio quality of your podcast. The book provides an overview of podcast recording and editing techniques, so that podcasters can avoid common pitfalls. Readers will also gain access to audio downloads to enhance the learning process. With this book, you can improve the technical aspects of recording and editing your podcasts. Anyone can learn audio techniques and I encourage anyone to share their stories through podcasting. Unleash your creativity and connect with your audience! What You Will Learn • Choose the correct file formats and settings • Set up a portable recorder • Make informed decisions about equipment purchases • Find suitable acoustic spaces to record inside and outside • Conduct an interview over the phone and the internet • Make a high-quality recording of an interview inside, outside and remotely • Edit your podcast to an intermediate standard Who This Book Is For Perfect for a non-technical audience, or beginner to intermediate podcaster looking to improve the audio quality of their podcast

In this fourth edition of the bestselling business book Managing Humans, author Michael Lopp continues to draw leadership advice from some of the most important software companies of our modern age. Educational stories from companies such as Apple, Slack, and Pinterest detail the experiences of bright software engineers in an ever-changing industry. This revised edition of Managing Humans expands on the previous editions'explorations of management essentials including handling stress, building diverse teams, running inclusive meetings, and how to lead in times of crisis. The education of a great leader never stops, and Lopp applies crucial insights to help continue your never-ending leadership education. Whether it is approaching a myriad of engineering personalities or handling unexpected conflict, you will come away with the wisdom to handle any team situation. The engineering culture of a company can determine the difference between a product's ultimate success or failure. Managing Humans is here to guide managers and aspiring managers into the intimidating world of people and their vastly different personalities. Handle conflict, infuse innovation into your approach, and be the most confident manager you can be after reading this book. “It is so satisfying to read the work of an author who articulates something we know, but can't put our finger on, and then answers the excitement of fresh revelation with useful solutions or a frame to think about what we've just learned—all done in a breezy, knowing prose, that invites you to constantly write margin notes to capture the new thinking it invites.” John Dickerson, author, CBS News correspondent

Many organizations are shifting to a remote workforce in order to be competitive and many more are built as remote-first outfits. The sudden global experiment brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic has proven that remote teams are in fact possible and widely effective across industries when done right. Remotely Possible addresses the challenges and opportunities that remote teams face, starting with the current landscape and looking forward to the future of remote working. Author Shawn Belling insightfully addresses what leaders must do to effectively lead a remote team, whether it is in a remote-first organization or in an organization trying the concept for the first time. There are long-term strategies you can adapt to your own organization, and Remotely Possible explores these in addition to the benefits that come with broad acceptance of remote workforces. Globally distributed teams are more common than ever, and with the correct approach and digital plan, yours can take an organization to the next level. Belling acknowledges the challenges that come with changes to a team's work culture, communication tools, and foundations of trust in an all-digital, remote workplace. Adaptation is key and Remotely Possible gives you all the practical, real-world lessons you need to tackle these major changes head-on. Remote work is here to stay.What You Will LearnWork with the various permutations of remote and distributed teams including globally distributed teams Discover the evolving preference of teams as an engine for getting work done regardless of the industry or organizational typeSee the challenges that remote teams face with communications, culture, rapport and trust, and coordination as well as techniques for overcoming these challengesWho This Book Is ForLeaders, managers, and team members of remote/distributed teams as well as those who are evaluating the extended/continued use of remote work and teams beyond the end of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Link commercial growth and value to management and governance. The guidance provided in this book helps you take the valuation of today—an arcane, statistical methodology—and bring it into the realm of modern management decision making. There is a disconnect between corporate governance/management initiatives and commercial success. Sound management and governance will help you bridge that gap between classic corporate valuation disciplines and commercial success. Project and corporate growth are both characterized by functional focus. For example, there might be a dedicated sales/marketing growth project. Metrics of success might be market share or number of units sold. In reality, growth is an overall organizational effort and must be measured by the increase in the corporate valuation. Interview data show that this is not the case and that the contributor's efforts become misaligned in the excitement and focus of the individual campaign. This book shows you how overall valuation is the true measure of success of a growth effort. It is a lesson that applies from startup to the public liquidation of the entity. What You Will Learn Allocate growth resources, including the decision process, internal governance, and empowering leadershipConsider marketing and branding, such as competitive perspective, customer demographics, regulatory considerations, role of collaboration, and moreKnow the role of technology/IP, including the current state of application and the role of proprietary informationConsider risk and downside, including company failure, loss of market share, and loss of key people/customers Who This Book Is For C-level management and above; corporate governance professionals; boards of directors; CEOs; venture and other investment organizations; business school academics, faculty, and students; and accounting, regulatory, and legal professionals

The call for innovation within both society and all sectors of enterprise at large grows louder every day. In order to achieve this, organizations need to attract talent with the insight and creativity necessary to be able to understand the needs of not only this generation, but also future generations. Make Your Organization a Center of Innovation introduces key frameworks that can be adapted to any business or team focused on innovation. Some aspects that are crucial for an organization to become a center of innovation are change management, process mining, and overall company strategy. Author Stijn Van Hijfte also introduces you to newer techniques that are still making their way up the ladder to overall industry adoption. These include AI, blockchain, and intelligent automation. Van Hijfte also takes care to ensure you choose the right innovation strategy for your specific company goals, as opposed to solely showing off the latest industry trends within the topic.Make Your Organization a Center of Innovation is perfect for business leaders, students, recruiters, and more. You will come away with insights about how to best prepare your team's stakeholders for the changes that innovation brings. The mission and vision of your organization should always be promoting new ideas, but a roadmap is needed to implement them effectively. Make Your Organization a Center of Innovation is the guide you've been seeking.What You Will LearnDiscover key innovation and idea generation frameworks that can be molded to suit your organizationPrepare stakeholders for the changes that will take placeChoose the right strategy for the mission and vision of the company Create an environment that actually promotes new ideasWho This Book is ForProfessionals that have an interest in innovation and want to have a high-level understanding of technologies and trends that could be useful in their search towards new solutions.

Leaders of tech organizations have to regularly adapt their strategies in an ever-changing market. Creating a culture that understands and supports both the technical and the nontechnical is a refined skill that can be difficult to master even for a leader with years of experience. The Tech Executive Operating System helps you apply your personal expertise and build a thriving R&D organization that moves the needle.Tech companies spend an average of 15% of their revenue on R&D. As they grow, they find the return on this large investment decreases at a fast pace. Executives and leaders of companies big and small are at a loss and seeking guidance. Author Ben-Yosef expertly walks you through the need to set goals, translate business objectives to R&D terms, and establish the organizational structures and processes to create the biggest impact. The Tech Executive Operating System is a rare book that provides useful yardsticks to measure the progress and contributionsof managers, teams, and individuals in your organization. Tech executives, first-time startup founders, managers, CEOs, and other non-technical founders of startups who want to better understand a significant part of their organization all have invaluable knowledge to gain from The Tech Executive Operating System. Ben-Yosef's thorough research and real-world examples enhance the lessons and make your goals clear. Engineering organizations can be vastly improved by this multi-faceted approach, and the future of tech is calling for it.What You Will LearnCreate a toolkit for your employees to put in place a remarkable engineering teamDiscover an impact-oriented approach to goal-setting that will be especially usefully for remote employeesTurn the R&D department from a cost center to an innovation centerWho This Book is ForTech executives and their direct reports, first-timer startup founders, junior leaders in tech organizations, middle-managers in big enterprises, CEOs and other non-technical founders of startups who want to better understand a big part of their organization and how best to address it.

Capturing the ecommerce edge in customer growth and retention has been a decades-long battle between eRetail startups and large traditional retailers. The two face different sets of challenges and those challenges are constantly evolving in our digital world. Goliath Strikes Back: How Traditional Retailers Are Winning Back Customers from Ecommerce Startups expands on this current industry shift in one of the most accessible, intriguing business books in recent times.Each chapter covers a different industry, as diverse and eclectic as consumer electronics, newspapers, groceries, logistics, and more. By looking at how traditional retailers are facing off against internet startups, you can gauge the landscape and form your own strategies. Author Peter S. Cohan expertly guides you from one case study to the next and makes topics enthralling even for the non-industry layperson. Goliath Strikes Back helps executives create an effective strategy in the modern ecommerce realm. Business professionals and outside enthusiasts alike are in for fascinating insights from Cohan about the mindsets and strategies of successful companies and their leaders. Changing strategies on a dime has always been essential in commerce, and never more so than in ecommerce's industry overhaul. Don't get left behind.What You Will LearnWhat to emulate and what to avoid by studying the mindsets and strategies of the successful and unsuccessful companiesHow companies can identify, attract, hire and motivate executives who embody the strategic mindset needed to remain successful An insight into six key industries, including consumer electronics and grocery, to understand why companies are failing or succeeding Who This Book Is ForExecutives, business professionals, business students, andcurious laypeople

Emerging technologies offer a plethora of unprecedented opportunities for entrepreneurs in the digital space. Understanding this evolution is essential for web-based business models to succeed. The Web 3.0 economy is here, and this book has arrived to serve as your guide.Technologies for Modern Digital Entrepreneurship is an in-depth look at the new developments of the digital economic system. Cryptocurrencies, Central Bank Digital Currencies, and Stable Coins are explained through timely case studies, as well as innovations in crowdfunding, educational marketplaces, and scalability in blockchain-based transactions. Author Dr. Abeba N. Turi expertly navigates the industry transition from platform-based centralized Web 2.0 economy to the distributed network economy. Turi additionally explores trust and reputation as currency in the digital economy and allays common fears in digital entrepreneurship such as mistrust by investors and intellectual propertyloss.Avoid falling behind your competitors in the Wild West that is modern digital entrepreneurship. Whether you are a business leader, a technology enthusiast, or a researcher in the field, Technologies for Modern Digital Entrepreneurship gives you the advantage of insightful knowledge using real data and meaningful examples. Amid global regulatory changes and the ever-shifting methods of digital entrepreneurship, our modern era demands this book. What You Will Learn Discover new trends in the digital economic systemComprehend the crowd-based digital business modelsAnalyze the distributed information network economyUnderstand the workings of the currency system under the Web 3.0 economy, including Cryptocurrencies, Central Bank Digital Currencies, and Stable CoinsWho This Book Is ForTechnology enthusiasts, tech and interdisciplinary students, digital business leaders, and researchers in the field

You have a home-run startup idea and a whip-smart team to execute it. Everything should be in place to kick-start your company and secure funding. However, there is one more step that can make or break the entire deal: the pitch. Founders everywhere struggle to nail the perfect pitch to garner VC backing, and this book is here to help.Pitch Perfect by Haje Jan Kamps expertly teaches you how to tell your startup's story. To raise venture capital, it is absolutely crucial that your foundation is a story that is accessible, compelling, and succinct. Kamps uses his invaluable experiential knowledge to guide you through your presentation, from slide deck specifics to storytelling details to determining a fundamental philosophy for your business. In the process of creating and formulating a pitch deck and the story to go with it, founders often discover deep flaws in their business idea. Perhaps the market is non-existent. It could be that the “problem” isn't worthsolving. Maybe the idea is so simple that it would be too easy to copy. Maybe it's already been done, or the team simply is not up to the job. Pitch Perfect has all of those bases covered so that you can excel.How do you convince an institutional investor to part with their money and fund your company? The small block of time you are given for a pitch holds your startup's future in its grasp. Learn how to craft your startup story in a way that will get people to lean into your message with Pitch Perfect. Your dream is only one pitch away.

A few square miles of Northern California contain some of the world's largest companies whose products affect billions of people every single day. What made these giants of Silicon Valley as impactful as they are? What do their paths to success have in common? Turning Silicon into Gold is a sharp analysis of 25 case studies examining just that. Authors Griffin Kao, Jessica Hong, Michael Perusse, and Weizhen Sheng provide relevant commentary as they explore the stories behind companies such as Apple, Amazon, OpenTable, and many more. These organizations used unique problem-solving strategies to forever change the face of tech—whether it was Facebook's second mover advantage over MySpace or Nintendo's leap of faith in the 1980s to revitalize the video game industry. Learn by example as Turning Silicon into Gold divulges the inner workings behind some of the most significant business decisions in tech history. The nuanced ways these companies tackled emerging markets and generated growth in uncertain times is essential knowledge for modern business leaders, innovators, and aspiring founders. Whether you are simply curious about the origins of the world's tech giants or you are an entrepreneur looking for inspiration, the thoughtful, comprehensive case study collection that is Turning Silicon into Gold belongs on your bookshelf.What You Will LearnUnderstand why companies like Amazon, Facebook, OpenTable and more have made some controversial and strategic decisionsRealize how Big Data is driving the success of many new and mature venturesSee how tech companies are tackling emerging markets and generating growthExamine how capital flows through the tech industryWho This Book is ForThe book is for people currently in or interested in exploring a career in the intersection of technology and business, such as product management, entrepreneurship, or non-coding positions at a tech company—it's also great for people generally curious about how the tech industry operates. The book offers case studies in an engaging and approachable way, while still providing important takeaways and probing questions—perfect for the casual reader or even someone trying to prepare for interviews.

What does it take to successfully launch and scale a startup in Asia? While much of modern business literature covers Silicon Valley and its founders, building a company in Asia—a world center of technology and innovation—is a vastly different journey, and not nearly as widely covered. This book aims to change that. Asian Founders at Work is an essential compilation of in-depth, incisive interviews with over 20 top technopreneurs from the region. Authors Ezra Ferraz and Gracy Fernandez have gathered their exclusive conversations with business leaders: Min-Liang Tan (Razer), Maria Ressa (Rappler), Chatri Sityodtong (ONE Championship), Patrick Grove (iflix), and Khailee Ng (500 Startups) are just a few.Questions about early difficulties, fundraising, business pivots, strategic partnerships, exits via acquisition or IPO, and more are answered in great detail to shine a light on the founders'unique experiences. Learn directly from game-changers in their own voice. By documenting these stories, the authors have created the largest and most comprehensive record of successes to date. Whether you are an aspiring entrepreneur yourself, a business student wanting to become well-versed in international practices, or an owner looking to expand to the area, this book provides a thorough guide to the startup culture in Asia from the most knowledgeable sources possible. What You Will LearnGain business knowledge of practices that are localized to AsiaBecome familiar with essential startup topics, including product development, user acquisition, recruiting, and fundraisingStudy individual companies and founders, and an overview of startup cultureWho This Book Is For Those in the tech ecosystem in East, Southeast, and South Asia, including aspiring founders or current founders who have started their entrepreneurial journey. This book is alsofor people outside of Asia who have an interest in the region. Entrepreneurs or businesspeople can refer to this book as they consider expansion into the area. Researchers and readers can pick up this book if they are curious about the business landscape of Asia and want to hear directly from game-changing founders.

Deconstruct the history of patterns of innovation in business and connect them to existing and failed attempts in management consultancies, engineering, web technologies and academic institutions. This book shows you how to create an optimal environment at work for growth and innovation. Many large-scale organizations eventually invest in research and innovation as a dedicated part of their businesses. In doing so, they are faced with two choices: build their own practice of innovation or enact patterns of innovation created before them, ones they perceived as'tried and tested.'In this book, you will see how patterns of innovation touch many aspects of a worker's life: from how their work is presented to others, job titles, working environment, and expectations around output. Every chapter will offer a history of these patterns and examples of how they have succeeded and failed within organizations. What You Will LearnIdentify how innovation is named and highlighted in organizationsReveal ways to champion innovation to clients and the outside world, from trade shows and conferences inside the officeUncover ways companies acquire innovation, including incubators or mergersDiscover the conditions for innovation to happen every day, including office layouts, time management, communication structures, and expectation management Who This Book Is ForTech start-up/scale-up founders, management consultants, managing directors, innovation managers and heads of R&D, academic researchers, interior designers, and architects

Successfully delivering projects at an organization can happen with the careful utilization of a variety of methods and practices. The best approach is a hybrid framework that adapts in real time to your team and its needs. This book addresses the practical realities of project delivery in the 21st century. The agile method is well-known and well-covered. Author Shawn Belling dives deeper with his expertise into organizational management and investigates how to best execute a graceful mix of waterfall methods, agile, and phase-based approaches. Each business and goal requires flexibility for a unique journey to success, and Belling provides the practitioner with practical, real-world examples and patterns of these methodologies. Succeeding with Agile Hybrids is the answer to the diversity of needs within your team. Whether you are an aspiring or current project manager, scrum master, or mid-level manager, this book willgreatly benefit you and your goals for project delivery. Hybrid agile is the future, and you will be well-equipped to tackle it with Succeeding with Agile Hybrids on your shelf.What You'll LearnSee how hybrid agile is a common de facto approach to project managementReview common, practical and real-world examples and patterns of hybrid agile project managementEvaluate projects and organizations for using hybrid agile or agile project managementWho This Book is ForAspiring or current project managers, scrum masters, or mid-level managers with responsibility for projects or professional services delivery in a technical field. Executive leaders, academic and training programs may also pick this book as a text.

No boardroom in any industry is safe from new market threats in this time of rapid technological growth. We've all heard the stories of corruption by CEOs at WeWork and Theranos and witnessed whistleblowers revealing crises at Wells Fargo and Uber. The board's responsibility in this time shifts from protecting not just shareholders, but all stakeholders. Disruption in the Boardroom delves into the details of modern corporations and how governance and oversight can lead us into an evolving digital future. Corporate culture is changing every day, and everybody at the top—from senior executives of well-funded startups to decades old stalwarts of industries—are being watched more closely than ever Disruption in the Boardroom calls for leaders to embrace intellectual honesty, moral courage, and a discipline for continuous learning in order to have good corporate governance. Author Jennifer Wolfe addresses questions that hit home for present and future board members,the overarching one being: how can a handful of people successfully oversee a company and the entirety of its actions? This book details case studies of past mistakes and lessons from current board members and provides expert insights on how to structure future governance. Disruption in the Boardroom walks you through stories of both triumphs and errors in crucial decisions made by boards of companies you know well. Whether you are a senior executive, a corporate board director, or simply a curious reader on the topic of business decisions of the current day, Wolfe's expertise provides you with invaluable knowledge that you deserve to have on your bookshelf. The'move fast and break things'mentality has disrupted every industry, and it will only continue to shift the way we as a business culture approach the future of work. Don't fall behind.What You Will LearnTake a look at good and bad examples of how board members at different companies have dealt with emerging issuesUnderstand the changing role of the boardExamine how new technologies are rapidly change business modelsWho This Book is ForSenior executives, VCs and private equity associates, corporate board directors and curious readers.

As society evolves in the direction of innovation, digital influence, and rapid information delivery, workplaces must follow suit in order to remain relevant and engaging to modern employees. Bill Fox, a thought leader and author with decades of experience in the business world, has interviewed 31 global business leaders about how they create workplaces that continue to adapt with the times, where each team thrives at each level. These lessons go beyond the limitations of “best practices” and “working smarter”, and instead focus on insights and strategies to bridge the gap between the Industrial Age and the new “Forward-Thinking Age”. The Future of the Workplace offers advice for the leaders, managers, and employees of both today and tomorrow. Fox discusses macro and micro topics with influential figures such as Howard Behar, former president of Starbucks; Steph Holloway, body language and communication expert; David Marquet, author of Turn the Ship Around; John Bell, former CEO of Jacobs Suchard; Perry Marshall, author of Evolution 2.0; and many more. You will gain applicable tools to shift attitudes and bring transformative change to your organization, creating a productive and realistic future for both your team and yourself. The very nature of the dynamic between employer and employee is divergent from what it was merely 10 years ago. Perspectives from different members of multiple types of teams and company structures are offered in this book in order to ensure a well-rounded view of how the future of workplaces can best accommodate everybody. The world is significantly shifting in personal, economic, and political ways, and The Future of the Workplace is your guide to effectively embracing these new challenges for the better.What You Will LearnShares new insights to help resolve some of today's most vexing workplace challengesReveals perspectives fromdifferent members on a team on how the workplace has evolved Learn how to trigger change to create a more adequate and healthy workplace environmentWho This Book Is ForAnyone looking for new and better ways to transform the workplace including, consultants, managers, and leaders

The growing pains of a startup's initial year in business require a keen awareness of uncertainties and a willingness to adapt in order to survive. Today's new founders greatly benefit from taking a behind-the-scenes look at successful companies such as Etsy, HotelTonight, Fiverr, and more in regards to how they overcame the challenges of their first year. Startups in Action is your curated source for critical insights and inspiration from those who have been there before.This book documents the month-to-month journeys of these companies in their first year, zeroing in on key decisions that helped them recover from missteps, and adapt to complications, to eventually grow and succeed. Were the founders full-time from the beginning? How long did it take them to build a working prototype? How many end-users did they have in the first year? The answers to these questions are of interest to those who are just starting out and want to learn by example. Collected from interviews with the founders themselves, author JP Silva answers these questions and reveals how each of the startups charted their paths to success. Startups in Action is equal parts inspirational and practical, providing guidance through a foundation of relatability to help cope with situations and surprises experienced during a startup's first year. Startup discourse is rife with myths and oversimplification. Cut through the noise and learn the events, actions, and counteractions only attainable from the founders themselves. As more and more aspiring entrepreneurs are about to start their journeys, the value of knowledge about difficult choices and obstacles that companies face in their first year is critical. With Startups in Action, you will benefit from the invaluable knowledge of experience and be prepared to face the challenges of building a successful startup. What You Will Learn Acquire critical insights from the most successful startups, easily available and collated in one bookCompare and contrast the first year journey of your startup with that of giants such as Etsy, StubHub, Fiverr, and moreLearn how to build better startups by understanding what you should or should not do Who This Book Is ForThis book is for new and aspiring founders, and those curious to learn about the journeys of successful startups.

This book unveils ten secrets on how to masterfully speak in the technology arena. It is primarily based on stories from entrepreneurs, executives and engineers from technology companies that have shaped history: Steve Jobs, Tim Cook, Elon Musk, Jim Grubb (Cisco), Mikko Hyppönen (F-secure), Jane Chen (Embrace Innovations) and many more. Most of them have appeared on the stages of large conferences and events presenting their products and inventions. Today the technology arena is more dynamic and innovating than ever: mobile applications, cloud services, artificial intelligence, clean technologies, blockchain, etc.There are increasingly more spaces to share knowledge and promote products.Both aspects make speaking about technology harder than ever: how should you speak about your product or company in a way that your audience not only gets what you say but gets inspired enough to become followers?The ten practices presented in this book are: story, demo, metaphor, data visualization, passion, props, presentation hacks, interaction, staging, and memory. All core aspects that a technical person needs to rock the stage at conferences. What You Will LearnA wide range of skills which will help you make a solid and persuasive presentation or talkHow to craft compelling storiesHow to write better (blogs and copy) about technical products and eventsWho This Book is ForDevOps, developer evangelists, testers, architects, product managers, sales engineers,solution architects, CTOs, CEOs, startup founders, marketers

Know how your company can accelerate growth by not only tapping into new growth vectors, but also by adapting its organization, culture, and processes.To oversee growth from an idea to a company with billions in revenue, CEOs must reinvent many aspects of their company in anticipation of it reaching ever-higher revenues. Author Peter Cohan takes you through the four stages of scaling: winning the first customers, building a scalable business model, sprinting to liquidity, and running the marathon.What You'll LearnDiscover how founders keep their CEO positions by managing the organizational change needed to reach the next stage of scalingRead case studies that illustrate how CEOs craft growth strategies, raise capital, create culture, build their organizations, set goals, and manage processes to achieve themDiscover principles of successful scaling through comparisons of successfuland less successful companies Use the Scaling Quotient to assess your startup's readiness to growFollow a road map for turning your idea into a company that can change the worldWho This Book Is ForEntrepreneurs, aspiring CEOs, capital providers, and all other key stakeholders

Launching a startup is now easier than ever before. Building a lasting brand, however, remains a mystery for even the savviest of founders. An impactful, recognizable brand is perhaps a company's most valuable intellectual property. And any strong brand starts with a strategy.The Brand Strategy Canvas has arrived to coach you beyond buzzword-laden tips and tricks, and instead offers you thorough, practical techniques to jump-start your strategy creation process. Author Patrick Woods distills fundamental questions to guide your strategy into a revolutionary single-page tool known as the titular Brand Strategy Canvas. The book takes you through each of the simple yet thought-provoking questions of the tool to develop your strategy, including considering audience insight, assessing benefits, creating a positioning statement, and identifying key messages. You will explore real-world case studies along the way and build a message map that ensures your organization drives home a consistent, clear, and authentic message to your target audience. No matter where you are in the business creation process, The Brand Strategy Canvas is the tool you need to build a brand from scratch that you can enthusiastically and effectively implement in real time. This book provides value to team members in companies of all sizes and stages, and is fit for any level of professional wanting to kickstart their entrepreneurial goals. A brand created today must be built for all of tomorrow's possibilities, and The Brand Strategy Canvas is the book you will want by your side. What You Will LearnExamine the key differences between strategy and executionUnderstand how you can avoid brand debtCraft meaningful messages with the Features>Benefits ContinuumDevelop a positioning statement that differentiates from the competition and inspires your marketingDiscover your distinctive brand personality and how it impacts your marketing Equip your team with guidance and inspiration to ensure consistent and inspiring voice and personality throughout all your messaging Who This Book Is For This book is for startup founders who are looking for tools to help them build a brand their team can actually implement. This book will also resonate with and provide value to team members in tech companies of all sizes and stages.

Utilize this comprehensive guide in your organization to create a corporate incubator that protects innovative ideas from oppressive corporate processes and culture and gives those ideas the resources and environment they need to grow and have the best possible chance to thrive. Innovation is hard. Ironically, innovation in a large enterprise can be even more difficult. Policies designed for mature businesses often crush emerging businesses along with the entrepreneurial spirit of the innovators. Procedures can make it difficult, even impossible, for innovative employees to get their ideas funded, or even seen. As a result, even companies with their roots in innovation can find themselves unable to innovate, with a devastating impact on employee morale and often resulting in the exodus of the most creative employees. In Lean Intrapreneurship the authors leverage decades of personal experience innovating in large enterprises to explore the root causes of failure to innovate in established organizations, and offer a solution to the innovator's dilemma. The book includes a recipe for creating a repeatable program for innovating in large organizations, including tools, tips, and strategies developed by the authors as they created an innovative incubation program for a multi-billion-dollar technology company. It also offers a wealth of information to help aspiring intrapreneurs and entrepreneurs bring their ideas to life. What You'll LearnDiscover the most common reasons that innovation fails in established organizationsExplore techniques to make innovative ideas a successFollow a recipe to create a program to enable innovation across your companyUnderstand the power of transparency inside and outside an incubatorDevelop employees and foster a culture of innovation across your company Who This Book Is For Anyone with an innovative idea who wants to make it real but does not know where to begin; anyone struggling to innovate inside an established company; anyone who wishes to make their existing company more lean, agile, and efficient; anyone who wishes to start a program to incubate new, innovative ideas inside an established company

Take an in-depth look into the gig economy to see how tech professionals and entrepreneurs can earn a living as freelancers and contractors. Build your own business. The pros and cons of the lifestyle and what to expect from it are discussed.In this book, author Adam Sinicki explains the impact of the gig economy and the forces that led to it as it relates to technology and working online. You will understand how to make a living supplying tech skills on a'per gig'basis. Practical instructions, advice, and tips are provided on goal setting, lifestyle design, and selecting the types of work and contracts that further your goals and support the things you value as you transition from a 9-5 job.What You'll LearnKnow the types of work that a tech freelancer can offer: coding, SEO, web development, 3D modeling, and moreFind and manage clientsNegotiate pay and contractsStay productive without amanagerDiscover useful tools, websites, and apps to build your business and ensure a steady incomeWho This Book Is ForEntrepreneurs who are already a part of the gig economy and want to learn more about their options, tech professionals looking to transition to purely freelancing/contracting, companies interested in learning more about this change in the jobs market, technologists interested in exploring how the Internet is shaping the way people live and work, and professionals interested in lifestyle design or becoming'digital nomads'

Starting an app development company is one of the most rewarding things you'll ever do. Or it sends you into bankruptcy and despair. If only there was a guide out there, to help you along the way. This book is your guide to starting, running, expanding, buying, and selling a development consulting firm. But not just any consulting firm, one with a focus on Apple. Apple has been gaining adoption in businesses ranging from traditional 5 person start ups to some of the largest companies in the world. Author Charles Edge has been there since the days that the Mac was a dying breed in business, then saw the advent of the iPhone and iPad, and has consulted for environments ranging from the home user to the largest Apple deployments in the world. Now there are well over 10,000 shops out there consulting on Apple in business and more appearing every day.Build, Run, and Sell Your Apple Consulting Practice takes you through the journey, from justan idea to start a company all the way through mergers and finally into selling your successful and growing Apple development business.What You'll LearnCreate and deploy grassroots as well as more traditional marketing plansEngage in the community of developers and companies that will hire you and vice versaEffecively buy and sell your time and talents to grow your business while remaining agileWho This Book Is ForBusiness owners looking to grow and diversify their companies as well as developers, engineers, and designers working on Apple apps who would like to branch out into starting their own consulting business.

Use this practical, step-by-step guide on lean agile strategy to harness technological disruption at your large business to successfully advance your business rather than suffer a loss of business. The lean agile enterprise concept is demystified and translated into action as the author shares his experience with both success and major failure in areas such as healthcare, insurance, major airline, manufacturing, financial services, education, and big data. The author shares the good, the bad, and the ugly of enterprise-level adoption of lean startup practices (what we call a “lean corporation”). The book provides step-by-step instructions specifically targeted to technologists in multiple roles—from CEO to a developer on the ground—on how to build a “lean agile corporation” and avoid common traps. Building on the experience of the “lean startup” framework of Steven Blank and Eric Reis, this book takes these concepts to the enterprise level by providing tips and best practice guidelines, sharing “horror stories” and common anti-patterns in a fun and engaging way. What You'll Learn Discover how you can contribute to your company as it becomes a lean agile corporation and survives technological and digital disruptionBeat Facebook, Amazon, Apple, and Google at their own game by using methods they use to quickly experiment with new services and features Understand how to advance your career in a lean startup frameworkKnow how you can trace your company's success to your daily work Who This Book Is ForThose in technology and business who are interested in strategy, business agility, management, execution, new technologies, and in the future of the business world.

Understand how designing a technology product in a startup environment is markedly different from product design at established companies. This book teaches product designers how to think and frame problems in the dynamic context of startups. You will discover how to enhance your soft skills that are often not taught, but are crucial to your success.In the emerging field of design for technology products, there are many books and resources covering the hard skills—such as visual design, interface design, prototyping, and motion design. These skills are necessary to design work; however, without an understanding of the true potential of design and the skills required to unleash that potential in a startup setting, the impact of design may remain at a production level and not reach a position where it can positively impact product strategy and the business bottom line. Hacking Product Design addresses that gap in knowledge. WhatYou'll Learn Gain foundational knowledge: know what startups are, the mindset designers should have when working in startups, and how to solve problemsGenerate product ideas, collaborate with others, and prioritize what to do to maximize the potential of those ideasDiscover how to be successful in designing great products—know what to focus on and the principles to follow Who This Book Is For Those interested in becoming product designers in startups, including design students, junior designers, front-end engineers, and graphic and web designers who want to transition to designing technology products

Scale your single-person business to profitability. Increase your audience, create multiple products, and generate more profit. This book takes you through the entire process of building a scalable business from the seemingly impossible place of'being just one person.'Most single-person businesses are stuck in a pattern of exchanging time for money. Through this book, you will learn how to beat that feast or famine cycle of work. Ask yourself the following questions:Do I have to do the work or can I outsource it to someone else?Can I receive 1,000 orders tomorrow and handle it? Is the process/delivery repeatable so anyone can do it? What You'll LearnDevelop a profitable, scalable business from what you're doing now Create content and attract an audience to that content Outsource your scalableprocess Scale your profit and money management Optimize your growth and prioritize meeting and exceeding your goalsWho This Book Is ForConsultants, freelancers, owners of small to medium-sized businesses, developers, and entrepreneurs

This book offers a comprehensive model for explaining the success and failure of cities in nurturing startups, presents detailed case studies of how participants in that model help or hinder startup activity, and shows how to apply these lessons to boost local startup activity. Startup Cities explains the factors that determine local startup success based on a detailed comparison of regional startup cities—pairing the most successful and less successful cities within regions along with insights and implications from case studies of each of the model's elements. The book compares local city pairs, highlighting factors that distinguish successful from less successful cities and presents implications for stakeholders that arise from these principles. Peter Cohan is a lecturer of Strategy at Babson College and one of the world's leading authorities on regional startup ecosystems. Starting in 2012, he created and led Startup Strategy courses that explore four regional startup ecosystems—Hong Kong/Singapore, Israel, Paris, and Spain/Portugal. These courses are based on an original framework for evaluating why a few cities host most startup creation and the rest fail to do so. In running these courses, Peter has built a network of local policymakers, investors, entrepreneurs, and professors from which he draws practical insights for what distinguishes successful Startup Commons from their peers. The book provides vital benefits to these stakeholders. What You'll Learn Local policymakers will know how to build a local team to set objectives for their local Startup Commons and develop a comprehensive strategy to realize those goalsEntrepreneurs will know how to choose where to locate their startups based on factors such as the supply and quality of talent—from chief marketing and technology officers to coders and sales people; quality of life, accessto capital, customers, and mentors; and costs such as salary and real estate expenseUniversity administrators and faculty will know how to take research out of their labs and house it in companies that can commercialize that research, create academic programs that will encourage more entrepreneurship among their students, and connect with local policymakers and capital providers to spur local startup activityCapital providers will know how to scout out emerging startup cities where they can get access to the best investment opportunities at more favorable valuations and have greater influence on how the local startup scene evolvesWho This Book Is ForAll key startup stakeholders, including local policymakers (mayors, directors of economic development, treasurers, controllers, presidents of regional chamber of commerce), entrepreneurs (CEOs, chief marketing officers, chief financial officers, chief HR officers, chief technology officers), universities (presidents; deans of faculty; provosts; professors of finance, management, and entrepreneurship; directors of international education), and capital providers (venture capital partners and associates, angel investors, bank loan officers, managers of accelerator operations)

Use this comprehensive primer to simplify exporting, discover exportable products and services, and determine and select the best target market entry alternative while ensuring that you get paid. US small- to medium-size business owners (SMEs with less than 500 employees) interested in entering foreign markets will learn how to overcome the most significant challenges and barriers to entering foreign markets.Firms operate in a worldwide economy responsible today for 40 million US trade-dependent jobs and approximately six million US factory jobs—roughly half of all manufacturing employment, whether or not they have any interest in global business activities. In the face of globalization, small businesses must evaluate their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats and then develop strategies that effectively respond to the globalized business environment in which they operate. If your firm is growth-oriented—and what business is not?—you should grow global markets asan important strategic option allowing you to:Reach new customers/markets with little or no competitionReduce dependence on a limited number of major customersEven out business cycle-related demand fluctuationsExtend the life of niche products to new marketsDevelop a global network of contacts and partners that improves their offerings to established customers What You'll LearnDetermine your role in global marketsIdentify target markets and find customersNegotiate around the worldComplete the transaction and understand international trade procedures and regulationsUnderstand the keys to global market growthFollow sample forms and sales proposalsWho This Book Is For US small- to medium-sized business owners

Accelerate your company's growth in a disciplined fashion. This book provides leaders of large and small companies a proven comprehensive framework to think systematically about growth options and to yield practical strategies that produce faster growth.Drawing insights from case studies of successful and unsuccessful companies, strategy teacher and venture capitalist Peter Cohan models his systematic approach to brainstorming, evaluating, and implementing growth strategies across five dimensions: Customers, Geography, Products, Capabilities, Culture. He examines each of these five growth dimensions in turn, selecting and organizing his cases to compare the growth strategies deployed successfully and unsuccessfully by large and small companies along the given dimension. In each of his five dimensional chapters, the author derives from his case analyses the key principles and processes for creating and achieving faster growth.Professor Cohan draws on a network of hundreds of founders, CEOs, and investors developed through his decades of consulting, authorship of 11 books, and over five years as a Forbes columnist. He shows through many compelling stories how leaders craft effective growth strategies.Business leaders will learn the following lessons from this book:Achieving rapid but sustainable growth is a business leader's most important responsibility – and leaders must approach this challenge with a mixture of vision, intellectual humility, and a willingness to experiment and learn from failure.The growth challenges facing companies that are currently growing quickly differ from the ones that stagnating or shrinking companies must overcome.Companies can achieve growth along one or more of the dimensions simultaneously – and they often expand geographically to customers in the same segments.Usefulinsights can emerge from comparing case studies of successful and unsuccessful companies pursuing similar growth strategies.Companies should select a growth strategy based on three factors: the attractiveness of the growth opportunity, the company's capabilities to provide superior value to customers in the selected market, and the expected return on investment in the growth vector.Companies should select a growth strategy that best fits their capabilities and culture and they must enhance both to adapt to new growth opportunities.Who This Book Is ForThe people in companies who are responsible for growth: chief executive officers, chief marketing officers, chief product officers, heads of business development, product managers, sales people, and human resources managers

“Laurel Delaney writes in a tremendous spirit of service to entrepreneurial and small business leaders navigating the opportunities of globalization. Whether leading a fresh startup, a small business, or an entrepreneurial growth company seeking greatness, the question of whether—and how—to go global must be addressed. Delaney shows yet again her passionate dedication to serving her readers with deeply practical guidance.”—Jim Collins, author of Good to Great and co-author of Beyond Entrepreneurship Gain the knowledge you need to market, sell, and fulfill orders internationally, taking full advantage of the Internet and the opportunities it creates. This book is the bible for entrepreneurs and small business owners taking their US businesses to the next level of growth through exports. Exporting empowers readers with the can-do confidence to tackle the challenges and opportunities of exporting, leading to greater revenues, stability, and profitability for yourbusiness. With 70 percent of global buying power lying outside US borders, exporting is not just an option for ambitious entrepreneurs—it's an absolute must for building and sustaining a successful future. Typically, exporting first appears on the radar of small businesses as unsolicited inquiries from foreign customers on the web via your email, website, blog, or Facebook page. People outside your country want your product, and they want it now. The problem is that most small business owners do not know how to service these inquiries. What's the best way to ship goods? Do I need a license? Should I sell through wholesalers in specific countries or directly to consumers? How will I get paid? Reflecting the rapid rate of change in national and global trade regulations and economic conditions, this second edition contains extensive updates and enhancements of the first edition's data and citations; actual and prospective multilateral trade agreements, especially the TPP and TTIP; CFR, EAR, and BIS rules; interviews with trade and sector specialists; economic trends and shocks affecting export opportunities and risks in various regions and sectors; and the annotated selection of recommended exporting resource sites. Exporting: The Definitive Guide to Selling Abroad Profitably: Lays out simple steps and tips to conduct market research, find customers, open new markets, create an export business plan, get paid, and ship goods and services efficiently and profitablyShows you how to use the Internet and social media to mediate the exporting process and expand your international presenceDetails how the US government helps exporters and how to avoid foreign regulatory pitfalls

The second edition of this book shows how full implementation of the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act by the SEC in 2016 enables entrepreneurs and SME executives to leverage crowdfunding platforms to raise significant amounts of capital for their startups and small-to-medium–sized businesses. The unprecedented fundraising opportunities contained in the hundreds of pages of new SEC rules have generated tremendous excitement in the startup, small business, angel investing, and venture capital worlds—tempered by uncertainty about the correct interpretation of the rules and the compliance risks implicit in them.In The JOBS Act: Crowdfunding Guide for Small Businesses and Startups, 2nd Edition, crowdfunding pioneer William Michael Cunningham trawls the hundreds of pages of new rules for the essential takeaways and practical tips on successfully tapping the new crowdfunding sources that the JOBS Act opens up to small businesses and startups, while complying with new SEC regulations in the least burdensome way. The 2nd edition of The JOBS Act delivers the following new material:Updates and augments the 1st edition with description, analysis, and discussion of post-2012 SEC rules and forms implementing the JOBS ActFocuses on the final SEC rules that implement Title III (“Regulation Crowdfunding”) and Title IV (“Regulation A+”) to make the JOBS Act a practical fundraising vehicle for small business and startupsPresents case studies of successful JOBS Act-compliant crowdfunding campaignsTips readers to the opportunities, loopholes, and hazards in the hundreds of pages of new SEC rules that crowdfunders need know to maximize their fundraising success and avoid inadvertent non-complianceDeploys new graphical analysis tools and financial models summarizing and comparing characteristics of various equity-based and donation-based crowdfunding campaigns Reviews and describes significant Title III offerings and highlights relevant Title IV offeringsLists all SEC/FINRA-approved equity crowdfunding platforms (“funding portals”)Describes Title VII and provides crowdfunding-pertinent information on the new Offices of Women and Minority Inclusion at twenty-nine federal agenciesWho This Book Is ForEntrepreneurs and small business owners who wish to leverage the JOBS Act to crowdfund their enterprises. The secondary readerships are investors, angels, venture capitalists, securities lawyers, community development specialists, and visitors to crowdfunding platforms, which are required under the JOBS Act to demonstrate to the SEC and FINRA that they are proactively providing educational resources to potential crowdfunders.