Why Startups Fail

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Author :
Publisher : Currency
ISBN 13 : 0593137027
Total Pages : 370 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (931 download)

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Book Synopsis Why Startups Fail by : Tom Eisenmann

Download or read book Why Startups Fail written by Tom Eisenmann and published by Currency. This book was released on 2021-03-30 with total page 370 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If you want your startup to succeed, you need to understand why startups fail. “Whether you’re a first-time founder or looking to bring innovation into a corporate environment, Why Startups Fail is essential reading.”—Eric Ries, founder and CEO, LTSE, and New York Times bestselling author of The Lean Startup and The Startup Way Why do startups fail? That question caught Harvard Business School professor Tom Eisenmann by surprise when he realized he couldn’t answer it. So he launched a multiyear research project to find out. In Why Startups Fail, Eisenmann reveals his findings: six distinct patterns that account for the vast majority of startup failures. • Bad Bedfellows. Startup success is thought to rest largely on the founder’s talents and instincts. But the wrong team, investors, or partners can sink a venture just as quickly. • False Starts. In following the oft-cited advice to “fail fast” and to “launch before you’re ready,” founders risk wasting time and capital on the wrong solutions. • False Promises. Success with early adopters can be misleading and give founders unwarranted confidence to expand. • Speed Traps. Despite the pressure to “get big fast,” hypergrowth can spell disaster for even the most promising ventures. • Help Wanted. Rapidly scaling startups need lots of capital and talent, but they can make mistakes that leave them suddenly in short supply of both. • Cascading Miracles. Silicon Valley exhorts entrepreneurs to dream big. But the bigger the vision, the more things that can go wrong. Drawing on fascinating stories of ventures that failed to fulfill their early promise—from a home-furnishings retailer to a concierge dog-walking service, from a dating app to the inventor of a sophisticated social robot, from a fashion brand to a startup deploying a vast network of charging stations for electric vehicles—Eisenmann offers frameworks for detecting when a venture is vulnerable to these patterns, along with a wealth of strategies and tactics for avoiding them. A must-read for founders at any stage of their entrepreneurial journey, Why Startups Fail is not merely a guide to preventing failure but also a roadmap charting the path to startup success.

A Tale of a Business Failure

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Author :
Publisher : Danbury Publishing Company, Limited
ISBN 13 : 9780982421703
Total Pages : 292 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (217 download)

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Book Synopsis A Tale of a Business Failure by : John D. Davis (CPA/ABV.)

Download or read book A Tale of a Business Failure written by John D. Davis (CPA/ABV.) and published by Danbury Publishing Company, Limited. This book was released on 2009 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Tale of a Business Failure is a story of how a highly successful company quickly eroded and failed. The impact of the company on the shareholders' lives modified behavior and decision-making to the point that the company was directly affected. The tale captures the intensity of a struggling business through a shareholder's direct perspective. Although this story is about one company, the lessons are deep and far reaching. Anyone the currently owns a business; is contemplating owning a business; is involved with a business as a consultant, banker, lawyer or advisor, is a business educator; or is a student of business will benefit from reading this story.

The Ten Commandments for Business Failure

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Author :
Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 1101535253
Total Pages : 127 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (15 download)

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Book Synopsis The Ten Commandments for Business Failure by : Donald R. Keough

Download or read book The Ten Commandments for Business Failure written by Donald R. Keough and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2011-06-28 with total page 127 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Don Keough—a former top executive at Coca-Cola and now chairman of the elite investment banking firm Allen & Company—has witnessed plenty of failures in his sixty-year career (including New Coke). He has also been friends with some of the most successful people in business history, including Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, Jack Welch, Rupert Murdoch, and Peter Drucker. Now this elder statesman reveals how great enterprises get into trouble. Even the smartest executives can fall into the trap of believing in their own infallibility. When that happens, more bad decisions are sure to follow. This light-hearted “how-not-to” book includes anecdotes from Keough's long career as well as other infamous failures. His commandments for failure include: Quit Taking Risks; Be Inflexible; Assume Infallibility; Put All Your Faith in Experts; Send Mixed Messages; and Be Afraid of the Future. As he writes, “After a lifetime in business I've never been able to develop a step-by-step formula that will guarantee success. What I could do, however, was talk about how to lose. I guarantee that anyone who follows my formula will be a highly successful loser.”

Why Companies Fail

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Author :
Publisher : Crown
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 328 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (97 download)

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Book Synopsis Why Companies Fail by : Mark Ingebretsen

Download or read book Why Companies Fail written by Mark Ingebretsen and published by Crown. This book was released on 2003 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At the height of the global bull market a few years ago, business giant Kmart stumbled, going from one of the most admired companies to one of the largest bankruptcies in history. The same fate befell several seemingly impenetrable corporation, such as Enron, WorldCom, Polaroid, and others. Were these fantastic failures caused by a fickle stock market and a turbulent economy? Did they fall victim to the dot-com bubble of the late 1990s? Not according to business journalist Mark Ingebretsen in Why Companies Fail. As you'll discover in this groundbreaking book, all of these companies exhibited one or more of the ten characteristics of a doomed company--characteristics that have been shared by failed companies for decades. Kmart, Enron, WorldCom, and other corporations might have been saved if their executives had recognized sooner that their companies were exhibiting one or more of these characteristics. Ingebretsen, with the help of some of the world's most noted business management experts from the Turnaround Management Association, describes in startling detail each of the ten big reasons companies fail, including: - Letting stock price dictate strategy - Ignoring customers - Fighting wars of attrition - Innovating too much or too little - And more Inside these pages, you'll discover practical methods for identifying these fatal characteristics in your own organization and preventing them from leading to failure. No matter what the size of your company, the lessons in Why Companies Fail could be the difference between long-lasting success and sudden flameout. And before any company can go from good to great, it's got to be on the right track in the first place.This valuable guide will show you how.

Nothing Succeeds Like Failure

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Publisher : Cornell University Press
ISBN 13 : 1501742094
Total Pages : 182 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (17 download)

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Book Synopsis Nothing Succeeds Like Failure by : Steven Conn

Download or read book Nothing Succeeds Like Failure written by Steven Conn and published by Cornell University Press. This book was released on 2019-10-15 with total page 182 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Do business schools actually make good on their promises of "innovative," "outside-the-box" thinking to train business leaders who will put society ahead of money-making? Do they help society by making better business leaders? No, they don't, Steven Conn asserts, and what's more they never have. In throwing down a gauntlet on the business of business schools, Conn's Nothing Succeeds Like Failure examines the frictions, conflicts, and contradictions at the heart of these enterprises and details the way business schools have failed to resolve them. Beginning with founding of the Wharton School in 1881, Conn measures these schools' aspirations against their actual accomplishments and tells the full and disappointing history of missed opportunities, unmet aspirations, and educational mistakes. Conn then poses a set of crucial questions about the role and function of American business schools. The results aren't pretty. Posing a set of crucial questions about the function of American business schools, Nothing Succeeds Like Failure is pugnacious and controversial. Deeply researched and fun to read, Nothing Succeeds Like Failure argues that the impressive façades of business school buildings resemble nothing so much as collegiate versions of Oz. Conn pulls back the curtain to reveal a story of failure to meet the expectations of the public, their missions, their graduates, and their own lofty aspirations of producing moral and ethical business leaders.

Why Businesses Fail... and the Journey Through Our Irrational Minds

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Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9780473442279
Total Pages : pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (422 download)

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Book Synopsis Why Businesses Fail... and the Journey Through Our Irrational Minds by : Bob Weir

Download or read book Why Businesses Fail... and the Journey Through Our Irrational Minds written by Bob Weir and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What was the real reason for the failure of South Canterbury Finance and could it have been saved? Was it really the fall in coal prices that sank Solid Energy? Why did Pumpkin Patch collapse? Why do over 2000 small businesses go into liquidation every year in New Zealand? Why did David Ross defraud over $100 million from Kiwis' life savings in the failure of Ross Asset Management?Why did the leaders of these businesses make decisions that ultimately saw the demise of the business they led? Why do we all make decisions that we know are not likely to be good for us, whether in business or in life?To take a journey through the failures of kiwi business requires a journey through all our irrational minds. While failures were caused by factors such as excessive debt, no cash, external forces, weak governance, poor skills, failure to pay taxes and more, all can be linked back to the decisions people did or didn't make.This book is backed by the extensive research of leading academics, and interviews with the CEOs, CFOs and board members of failed businesses. It includes discussions with journalists, fraudsters, insolvency experts, lawyers, official information requests and much more. Take a journey through the irrational mind that we all share and see what part that mind plays in the success and failure of business. Share the background and the stories of those at the heart of these failures.In reading this book you will learn why businesses fail, and what role being human played in the decisions made. Most importantly, you will learn what can be done to be more successful in our business lives.

Greed and Corporate Failure

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Author :
Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 023050275X
Total Pages : 207 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (35 download)

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Book Synopsis Greed and Corporate Failure by : S. Hamilton

Download or read book Greed and Corporate Failure written by S. Hamilton and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-01-18 with total page 207 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is for anyone who wants to know what truly lies behind the scandals and disasters of global business which marred the first few years of the 21st century. It examines why companies fail, finding the reasons few, yet all too common. It also explores what the prudent investor, board member or manager should be alert to but often is not.

Leading Change

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Publisher : Harvard Business Press
ISBN 13 : 1422186431
Total Pages : 210 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (221 download)

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Book Synopsis Leading Change by : John P. Kotter

Download or read book Leading Change written by John P. Kotter and published by Harvard Business Press. This book was released on 2012 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the ill-fated dot-com bubble to unprecedented merger and acquisition activity to scandal, greed, and, ultimately, recession -- we've learned that widespread and difficult change is no longer the exception. By outlining the process organizations have used to achieve transformational goals and by identifying where and how even top performers derail during the change process, Kotter provides a practical resource for leaders and managers charged with making change initiatives work.

Lead and Disrupt

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Publisher : Stanford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0804799490
Total Pages : 277 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (47 download)

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Book Synopsis Lead and Disrupt by : Charles A. O’Reilly III

Download or read book Lead and Disrupt written by Charles A. O’Reilly III and published by Stanford University Press. This book was released on 2016-03-30 with total page 277 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the past few years, a number of well-known firms have failed; think of Blockbuster, Kodak, or RadioShack. When we read about their demise, it often seems inevitable—a natural part of "creative destruction." But closer examination reveals a disturbing truth: Companies large and small are shuttering more quickly than ever. What does it take to buck this trend? The simple answer is: ambidexterity. Firms must remain competitive in their core markets, while also winning in new domains. Innovation guru Clayton M. Christensen has been pessimistic about whether established companies can prevail in the face of disruption, but Charles A. O'Reilly III and Michael L. Tushman know they can! The authors explain how shrewd organizations have used an ambidextrous approach to solve their own innovator's dilemma. They contrast these luminaries with companies which—often trapped by their own successes—have been unable to adapt and grow. Drawing on a vast research program and over a decade of helping companies to innovate, the authors present a set of practices to guide firms as they adopt ambidexterity. Top-down and bottom-up leaders are key to this process—a fact too often overlooked in the heated debate about innovation. But not in this case. Readers will come away with a new understanding of how to improve their existing businesses through efficiency, control, and incremental change, while also seizing new markets where flexibility, autonomy, and experimentation rule the day.

Business as Usual

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Publisher : Reaktion Books
ISBN 13 : 1861899823
Total Pages : 129 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (618 download)

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Book Synopsis Business as Usual by : Paul Mattick

Download or read book Business as Usual written by Paul Mattick and published by Reaktion Books. This book was released on 2011-05-15 with total page 129 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The recent global economic downturn has affected nearly everyone in every corner of the globe. Its vast reach and lingering effects have made it difficult to pinpoint its exact cause, and while some economists point to the risks inherent in the modern financial system, others blame long-term imbalances in the world economy. Into this debate steps Paul Mattick, who, in Business as Usual, explains the global economic downturn in relation to the development of the world economy since World War II, but also as a fundamental example of the cycle of crisis and recovery that has characterized capitalism since the early nineteenth century. Mattick explains that today’s recession is not the result of a singular financial event but instead is a manifestation of long-term processes within the world economy. Mattick argues that the economic downturn can best be understood within the context of business cycles, which are unavoidable in a free-market economy. He uses this explanation as a springboard for exploring the nature of our capitalist society and its prospects for the future. Although Business as Usual engages with many economic theories, both mainstream and left-wing, Mattick’s accessible writing opens the subject up in order for non-specialists to understand the current economic climate not as the effect of a financial crisis, but as a manifestation of a truth about the social and economic system in which we live. As a result the book is ideal for anyone who wants to gain a succinct and jargon-free understanding of recent economic events, and, just as important, the overall dynamics of the capitalist system itself.

Life Force

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Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1982121734
Total Pages : 720 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (821 download)

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Book Synopsis Life Force by : Tony Robbins

Download or read book Life Force written by Tony Robbins and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2022-02-08 with total page 720 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Transform your life or the life of someone you love with Life Force—the newest breakthroughs in health technology to help maximize your energy and strength, prevent disease, and extend your health span—from Tony Robbins, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Money: Master the Game. What if there were scientific solutions that could wipe out your deepest fears of falling ill, receiving a life-threatening diagnosis, or feeling the effects of aging? What if you had access to the same cutting-edge tools and technology used by peak performers and the world’s greatest athletes? In a world full of fear and uncertainty about our health, it can be difficult to know where to turn for actionable advice you can trust. Today, leading scientists and doctors in the field of regenerative medicine are developing diagnostic tools and safe and effective therapies that can free you from fear. In this book, Tony Robbins, the world’s #1 life and business strategist who has coached more than fifty million people, brings you more than 100 of the world’s top medical minds and the latest research, inspiring comeback stories, and amazing advancements in precision medicine that you can apply today to help extend the length and quality of your life. This book is the result of Robbins going on his own life-changing journey. After being told that his health challenges were irreversible, he experienced firsthand how new regenerative technology not only helped him heal but made him stronger than ever before. Life Force will show you how you can wake up every day with increased energy, a more bulletproof immune system, and the know-how to help turn back your biological clock. This is a book for everyone, from peak performance athletes, to the average person who wants to increase their energy and strength, to those looking for healing. Life Force provides answers that can transform and even save your life, or that of someone you love.

Strategies in Failure Management

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Author :
Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 3319727575
Total Pages : 327 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (197 download)

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Book Synopsis Strategies in Failure Management by : Sebastian Kunert

Download or read book Strategies in Failure Management written by Sebastian Kunert and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-06-04 with total page 327 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book offers a comprehensive overview of failure in business, management and consulting. It features contributions by experts from diverse fields, who share unique insights from their real-life experiences. Readers will find perspectives from leadership, project management, change management, innovation management, human resource management, counseling, restructuring, entrepreneurship and sports. Each chapter combines the latest empirical findings with relevant case studies, making for a unique book that offers a fascinating exploration of the largely unexplored area of setbacks, pitfalls, flops and disappointments in the business world.

Why Companies Fail

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Author :
Publisher : Free Press
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 204 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis Why Companies Fail by : Harlan D. Platt

Download or read book Why Companies Fail written by Harlan D. Platt and published by Free Press. This book was released on 1985 with total page 204 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A business fails every hour of everyday in the United States. Why? What kinds of problems have these businesses run into? And what steps can corporate executives and managers take to avoid the same fate for their own companies?

Why Smart Executives Fail

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Author :
Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 1101118237
Total Pages : 336 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (11 download)

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Book Synopsis Why Smart Executives Fail by : Sydney Finkelstein

Download or read book Why Smart Executives Fail written by Sydney Finkelstein and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2004-05-25 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bob Pittman and AOL Time Warner. Jean Marie Messier and Vivendi. Jill Barad and Mattel. Dennis Kozlowski and Tyco. It's an all too common scenario. A great company breaks from the pack; the analysts are in love; the smiling CEO appears on the cover of Fortune. Two years later, the company is in flames, the pension plan is bleeding, the stock is worthless. What goes wrong in these cases? Usually it seems that top management made some incredibly stupid mistakes. But the people responsible are almost always remarkably intelligent and usually have terrific track records. Just as puzzling as the fact that brilliant managers can make bad mistakes is the way they so often magnify the damage. Once a company has made a serious mis-step, it often seems as though it can't do anything right. How does this happen? Instead of rectifying their mistakes, why do business leaders regularly make them worse? To answer these questions, Sydney Finkelstein has carried out the largest research project ever devoted to corporate mistakes and failures. In WHY SMART EXECUTIVES FAIL, he and his research team uncover-with startling clarity and unassailable documentation-the causes regularly responsible for major business breakdowns. He relates the stories of great business disasters and demonstrates that there are specific, identifiable ways in which many businesses regularly make themselves vulnerable to failure. The result is a truly indispensable, practical, must-read book that explains the mechanics of business failure, how to avoid them, and what to do if they happen.

Breaking Failure

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Publisher : FT Press
ISBN 13 : 013438699X
Total Pages : 284 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (343 download)

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Book Synopsis Breaking Failure by : Alexander Edsel

Download or read book Breaking Failure written by Alexander Edsel and published by FT Press. This book was released on 2015-10-05 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: TIME-PROVEN TECHNIQUES FOR REDUCING RISK AND IMPROVING PERFORMANCE IN MISSION-CRITICAL BUSINESS ACTIVITIES Proven in high-stakes, high-risk environments–from defense to healthcare For business functions ranging from marketing to HR, R&D to M&A Indispensable for all executives, entrepreneurs, strategists, and product managers This guide brings together simple, risk-free, and low-cost ways to break cycles of business failure and underperformance. These techniques aren’t new or trendy: they’ve repeatedly proven themselves in mission-critical disciplines ranging from manufacturing to space exploration, with lives and billions of dollars on the line. They work. And they’ll work for you, too. First, you’ll learn how to use well-proven Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) techniques to anticipate potential failure points before you introduce products, implement strategy, or launch marketing campaigns. Next, utilizing Root Cause Analysis (RCA), you’ll learn to uncover the root cause of business problems, so you can solve them once and for all. Third, you’ll discover how to use an Early Warning System (EWS) to identify “driver” variables in your business, gaining timely and actionable insights without complex predictive modeling. Whatever your role in decision-making, leadership, strategy, or product management, Breaking Failure will help you mitigate risk more effectively, achieve better results–and move forward in your career When lives are on the line, when billions of dollars are at risk, failure is not an option. That’s why industries such as aerospace, chemical engineering, and healthcare have pioneered world-class methods for identifying, anticipating, and mitigating failure. In Breaking Failure, Alexander D. Edsel helps you adapt these proven techniques to the realities of your business. You’ll discover how to plan more effectively for contingencies, and how to uncover and address the root causes of poor performance in business functions ranging from marketing to hiring. Equally valuable, you’ll learn how to systematically improve your situational awareness, so you can uncover problems before they damage relationships, brand reputation, or business performance. Adapted to be 100% practical and actionable, these techniques will help companies of all sizes, in all markets. As you move towards greater speed and agility, they will become even more indispensable. A practical, systematic approach to “Breaking Failure” in your company Use Problem Framing to overcome the human bias towards thoughtless action Use Failure Mode & Effect Analysis (FMEA) to anticipate problems, prioritize risks,and plan corrective actions Use Root Cause Analysis (RCA) to identify true causes of failure in any process, product, or project Use an Early Warning System (EWS) to quickly recognize signs of underperformance Use Pre-Planned Exit Strategies and Exit Triggers to end failure and underperformance issues you can’t fix

Failure Is Obsolete

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Author :
Publisher : Morgan James Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1614485070
Total Pages : 173 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (144 download)

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Book Synopsis Failure Is Obsolete by : Benji Rabhan

Download or read book Failure Is Obsolete written by Benji Rabhan and published by Morgan James Publishing. This book was released on 2013-01-22 with total page 173 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Failure Is Obsolete" reveals an easy to use formula for testing high-risk ideas in a low-risk environment, providing likelihood of success *before* you waste a lot of time and money moving in the wrong direction. Be confident in your success for business decisions from creating new products, hiring employees, and launching new marketing campaigns to everyday decisions like dating, and choosing a retirement home. The strategy discussed comes from the author's years of experience in conversion rate optimization where he helps companies improve their websites and marketing funnels so they make more money. "Failure Is Obsolete" also reveals some of Rabhan's best conversion techniques readers can use on their own websites.

Navigating Failure

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Publisher : Univ of North Carolina Press
ISBN 13 : 0807875503
Total Pages : 344 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (78 download)

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Book Synopsis Navigating Failure by : Edward J. Balleisen

Download or read book Navigating Failure written by Edward J. Balleisen and published by Univ of North Carolina Press. This book was released on 2003-01-14 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The "self-made" man is a familiar figure in nineteenth-century American history. But the relentless expansion of market relations that facilitated such stories of commercial success also ensured that individual bankruptcy would become a prominent feature in the nation's economic landscape. In this ambitious foray into the shifting character of American capitalism, Edward Balleisen explores the economic roots and social meanings of bankruptcy, assessing the impact of widespread insolvency on the evolution of American law, business culture, and commercial society. Balleisen makes innovative use of the rich and previously overlooked court records generated by the 1841 Federal Bankruptcy Act, building his arguments on the commercial biographies of hundreds of failed business owners. He crafts a nuanced account of how responses to bankruptcy shaped two opposing elements of capitalist society in mid-nineteenth-century America--an entrepreneurial ethos grounded in risk taking and the ceaseless search for new markets, new products, and new ways of organizing economic activity, and an urban, middle-class sensibility increasingly averse to the dangers associated with independent proprietorship and increasingly predicated on salaried, white-collar employment.