Kathryn Finney - Build the Damn Thing: How to Start a Successful Business If Youre Not a Rich White Guy

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Kathryn Finney is one of the most extraordinarily inspiring individuals I have ever had the good fortune to know. She continuously blows me away with her creativity, her vision and her abilities Cindy Gallop, founder and CEO of MakeLoveNotPorn

Hard-earned knowledge, practical advice and an authentic, engaging style combine to make this business-building primer a must-read for both wantrepreneurs and early-stage business builders. The authors enthusiastic mantra you got this is a timely rallying cry for all of us. I plan to continue building the damn thing Eric Collins, author of We Dont Need Permission

A guide to competing against the odds! What you might perceive to be a negative attribute could very well be your superpower! Bianca Miller-Cole, founder and CEO of The Be Group and author of Self Made and The Business Survival Kit

Kathryn has done an incredible job breaking down the steps of how any entrepreneur can be successful on this business journey with practical and tangible steps. Such an easy read which Im sure will help so many achieve their goals in business great book! Byron Cole, author of Self Made and The Business Survival Kit

Kathryn represents the kind of leadership, courage and ovaries that the future demands. She doesnt give a shit about playing by the rules of the current elite and status quo. This is what it takes to build great companies that break barriers in this post-pandemic, post-science, post-truth world Guy Kawasaki, bestselling author of The Art of the Start and Chief Evangelist of Canva

Kathryn Finney is the mentor every founder needs Margot Lee Shetterly, author of Hidden Figures and founder of The Human Computer Project

For far too long, the venture capital industry has not done enough to fund and support underrepresented entrepreneurs. Kathryn was one of the first innovators to shed light on the importance of levelling the playing field for more people in more places. Her book is a critically important roadmap for founders on their journey to launch and grow a built to last company Steve Case, Chairman and CEO of Revolution and co-founder of AOL

Kathryn is a powerhouse thinker and doer Bracken Darrell, CEO of Logitech

Having been an entrepreneur and founder for over twenty years, I have read my fair share of business books, but Build the Damn Thing is like nothing else Ive read! Kathryns honest insights and tell it like it is approach to building is not only refreshing its necessary; especially in a time when so much is at stake. I greatly appreciate the attention to principles typically glossed over or completely ignored in most books about entrepreneurship, like the importance of core values. That, for me, makes Build the Damn Thing a must-read for any aspiring startup founder grounded in commitment and responsibility Diana Verde Nieto, founder and CEO of Positive Luxury

The title says it all. If youre not a rich, white guy this should be your textbook. Kathryns decades of experience will allow you to dodge many of the pitfalls that startup entrepreneurs encounter, especially those of colour Bevy Smith, host of SiriusXMs Bevelations and former co-host of Bravos Fashion Queens

Kathryn has worked tirelessly to open doors for Black female entrepreneurs. Her wisdom is priceless and both she and this book will be cited in many future startup success stories Jamilah Lemieux, columnist and renowned cultural critic and writer

Build the Damn Thing is a pep talk and toolkit for anyone whose fabulous, scalable product is ready for funding. Kathryn reveals cheat codes, dismantles myths and adheres to personal integrity, even when doing so is hard ALelia Bundles, great-great-granddaughter of Madam C. J. Walker and author of On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C. J. Walker

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First published in the United States of America by Portfolio/Penguin 2022
First published in Great Britain by Penguin Business 2022

Copyright Kathryn Finney, 2022

The moral right of the author has been asserted

Cover design Brian Lemus
Cover photograph John Stephens / JAS Photo

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ISBN: 978-0-241-58262-6

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For Christian

I cant wait to see the world you build.

Build the Damn Thing is a book for the rest of us. That is, people who didnt win the pattern-recognition lottery that perpetuates the old ways of entrepreneurship. In geek terms, this book provides a core dump of the theories and practices that are necessary for more people, especially more people of color, to build great businesses.

The times are changing. Entrepreneurs are not all rich white men from Stanford. I assume that youre not one of them, and if you are, youll learn just how hard it is to build a business as a person of color.

I first met Kathryn in 2009, when I organized and moderated a keynote panel at SXSW featuring successful women in tech. Ive followed her storied career ever sincefrom selling her media company to building the paradigm-shifting organization digitalundivided to her newest bold endeavor, the venture studio and its fund, Genius Guild. Fast-forward more than ten years later: I interviewed her again for my podcast because, as I said, Kathryn is the startup whisperer for diverse entrepreneurs.