Many entrepreneurs get struck with an idea and start building the technology. But it takes more than a good idea to create a successful startup. It takes Team, Technology, Target and TORQUE! In this book, I share my experience and advice for entrepreneurs hoping to build the next great startup—and specific ways to generate the torque you need to succeed. Make up your mind, get the right tools, and torque! – MASH Twitter.com/MichaelPAshley Facebook.com/Mash123 Blog www.mashley.com
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Michael Ashley. Torque
Torque. How to turn a good idea into a great business. Michael Ashley
Dedication
Preface
Introduction
Team
Storytime: Green Shake
Building an A-Team
Finding Good People
Storytime: Ping Pong
Filling In The Gaps
Technology
Storytime: PrintRequest.com
Engineering
Listen to your real customer
Engineer for simplicity
Customers vs. launch dates
Operations Technology
Speed up production
Cut costs
Free up time
Technology Culture
Meaningful collaboration
Mobility
Fearlessness
Target
Storytime: Surfin Samurai
What Problem Are You Solving?
Is it Painful Enough To Pay For?
How Big is The Market
Who Pulls Out The Cash
Torque
Cash Flow
Closing the Deals
Agility
You Can Do This
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To my Mom
who does everything with a full heart
.....
Sounds pretty simple, but it’s not. Before I started FastPencil I had no idea how to build a great team, I only vaguely knew our target market, and I thought technology alone would make us a great company. My partner knew people with money and he was able to get us through our first round with Angel Investors who trusted him and believed in our vision. But we were at the same point most entrepreneurs are, and where you might be right now: Passionate but delusional.
It’s not that we didn’t have the experience or the education to pull it off. We both had an MBA, my business partner held VP positions at companies like Genentech, Yahoo and Verisign. I had almost 12 years experience running my own business and consulting with some of the leading companies in Silicon Valley like eBay, Paypal, Seagate and Proofpoint. We wrote a 50-page business plan where we outlined our strategy, market, technology and opportunity. We even had a few hundred customers who signed up on the writing tool alone… before we even finished building out the platform.
