Thomas Eisenmann - Managing Startups: Best Blog Posts

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Since 2009 Ive been publishing an annual compilation on my blog, Platforms & Networks, of what I deem to be the years best posts by other authors about the management of technology startups. Readers have asked me to collect the posts in an ebook, so I was very happy when OReilly Media offered to do this. I was pleased, as well, to be able to donate my profits from the project to Endeavor Global, a terrific organization that supports entrepreneurship in emerging markets.

What I do . In my annual compilations, Ive steered clear of news about product launches and funding rounds; likewise, I dont include posts that analyze trends in technologies or markets (e.g., big data, cloud computing, SoLoMo services). Instead, my focus has been on the management tasks that entrepreneurs must undertake when they search for a viable business model and then scale a startup. These tasks include the work done in the engineering, product management, marketing, sales, and business development functions. I pay special attention to ways in which functional managers leverage lean startup management practices. My compilations also cover a range of organizational issues; for example, dealing with cofounder tensions, recruiting and career planning, managing company culture, structuring the startup team, pacing the introduction of formal management systems and processes, working with the board of directors, and coping with the psychological pressures that inevitably confront entrepreneurs. Finally, I track developments in capital markets that are relevant to the management of tech startups; for example, the ebbs and flows of valuation bubbles and the proliferation of incubators and seed-stage funds.

Why I do it . Im a business school professor who works closely with students aspiring to launch a startup or to work for one. My students are hungry for practical advice, and Ive found that they learn a lot when I steer them to the wealth of insight available on the Web. As an educator, I feel fortunate to work in a field where practitioners are so eager to pay it forward by sharing their experiences and ideas. Over time, I started collecting posts for my own reference, and for sharing with my students. It was a natural step to curate these posts and publish the compilations. I discovered that there was interest in the lists that Id curated in the broader entrepreneurship community.

How I do it . Readers of my blog have asked how I pick the posts for my annual compilations. Theres no science in my approach: I dont use an algorithm that tracks traffic or social media mentions. Rather, I regularly read a few dozen blogsmostly written by entrepreneurs and venture capitalistsand I follow links to other posts that look interesting. My criterion for flagging a post for future reference is simple: did I learn something that seems worth passing on to my students or to current entrepreneurs? When I publish my compilation, I ask readers to suggest other posts that Ive omitted, and I always get some great additions. Im sure, however, that Ive missed plenty of posts that deserve to be included, and I apologize to their authors.

I want to thank all of the individuals who gave permission to have their work republished here. The generosity of the startup community is amazing, and these posts are invaluable to those of us who teach and coach aspiring entrepreneurs.

I remember reading the first few pages of Steve Blanks book, The Four Steps to the Epiphany , and thinking two things:

Soon after, I started attending the Lean Startup meetup in New York and reading Eric Reiss writings. I was a believer.

One of the main principles is to release an early prototype of your idea to potential users to get their feedback.

But, despite being all in on the Lean Startup movement, we didnt do that.