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The Launch Pad: Inside Y Combinator, Silicon Valley's Most Exclusive School for Startups Audiobook
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(3.10) - 125 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Twice a year in the heart of Silicon Valley, a small investment firm called Y Combinator selects an elite group of young entrepreneurs from around the world for three months of intense work and instruction. Their brand-new two- or three-person start-ups are given a seemingly impossible challenge: to turn a raw idea into a viable business, fast. Each YC session culminates in a demo day, when investors and venture capitalists flock to hear pitches from the new graduates. Any one of them might turn out to be the next Dropbox (class of 2007, now valued at $5 billion) or Airbnb (2009, $1.3 billion). Randall Stross is the first journalist to have fly-on-the-wall access to Y Combinator. He tells the full story of how Paul Graham started this ultra exclusive institution, how it chooses among hundreds of aspiring Mark Zuckerbergs, and how it teaches them to go from concept to profitability in record time.
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"Twice a year in the heart of Silicon Valley, a small investment firm called Y Combinator selects an elite group of young entrepreneurs from 602a around the world for three months of intense work and instruction"
— Chenxiaoyu (4 out of 5 stars)
The Launch Pad Listener Reviews
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" Great book, a comprehensive view into Y Combinator. "
— Andrew, 10/10/2013 -
" Interesting read if you're thinking startup. "
— Jacek, 8/29/2013 -
" Summarizes well the basic fundamentals for launching a new startup. "
— Kameliya, 8/2/2013 -
" I really enjoyed this book. I found it motivating. "
— Daniel, 7/22/2013 -
" Definitely a good read for someone who wants to do YC, though advice not as good for generally doing a startup in my opinion. "
— Jennifer, 6/15/2013 -
" A great insider perspective on the SF startup world. Paints a slightly optimistic picture but shares some key insights. "
— Ekta, 4/5/2013 -
" audio book, didn't finish. Made me think techstars was a far superior incubator. "
— Mike, 2/9/2013 -
" Interesting insights on YC and startups. Some wisdom from PG in there also but mostly just an entertaining read. "
— Taige, 2/2/2013 -
" A should-read book on startups for knowledge workers and aspiring entrepreneurs. "
— Lori, 11/16/2012
About Randall Stross
Randall Stross is the author of the New York Times column on business and technology, “Digital Domain,” as well as a professor of organization and management at San Jose State University, which is based in the heart of Silicon Valley. His book The Microsoft Way (Addison Wesley, 1996) was the most critically acclaimed book about Microsoft at the height of the company’s power, and his book eBoys(Crown, 2000) was one of the most successful books about the web 1.0 phenomenon, for which he was given full access to the venture capitalists who funded eBay and was able to tell the inside story of how and why eBay took off.
About René Ruiz
René Ruiz studied music education at the University of Texas and has won acclaim in local productions and musical revues, including roles in West Side Story, A Chorus Line, and Forever Plaid. He also spent many years working for Walt Disney World as a featured actor, singer, and announcer.