Start. Scale. Exit. Repeat.: Serial Entrepreneurs' Secrets Revealed!

by Colin C. Campbell

Overview

2024 American Legacy Book Awards Winner in Entrepreneurship
2024 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Book Awards Silver Medalist in Business
2024 Independent Publisher Book Awards Bronze Medalist in Non-Fiction
2024 National Indie Book Awards Finalist in Business Entrepreneurship & Book Interior Design
2024 International Book Awards Winner in Best Interior Design and Best New Nonfiction

“[...] a top-notch how-to for business owners.”
Kirkus Starred Review

Unlock the Secrets of a Serial Entrepreneur and Launch a Successful Startup!

Get inside the minds of 30+ experts, authors, and seasoned entrepreneurs and learn from their hard-earned lessons. Discover the winning patterns of successful businesses and apply them to your own startup.

Build a competitive edge and protect your business with a proven formula to scale up, add zeros to your revenue and profits, and crush the competition. Avoid common pitfalls and master the art of hacking your way to growth.

Maximize your wealth by securing the right funding, navigating potential buyers, and cashing in big on an exit. With expert advice, you'll learn how to Start, Scale, Exit, and Repeat multiple companies.

Don't just dream of success, make it a reality. Get your hands on this ultimate guide to entrepreneurial success today!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798887506142
Publisher:	Advantage Media Group, Inc.
Publication date:	08/27/2024
Pages:	472
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.95(d)

About the Author

With more than thirty years of experience as a serial entrepreneur, COLIN C. CAMPBELL has founded, expanded, and divested over a dozen companies in partnership with his team. Some of his noteworthy ventures include Tucows, Hostopia, GeeksforLess, and .CLUB Domains, additionally he and partners continue to launch new companies like Paw.com, HipOptical, GiftAI.com, Escape Club, and Startup.club. In this book, he draws upon insights gained from an over decade-long journey of identifying patterns and interviewing successful serial entrepreneurs and industry experts to reveal the critical factors that drive startup success.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Start
Story
Chapter 1: Ideas Are Everywhere
Chapter 2: From Idea to Action
Chapter 3: Catching the Next Wave Is Critical
Chapter 4: Focus on Something You (and Others) Love
Chapter 5: Pick an Idea That Can Scale
Chapter 6: Can You Build a Moat around Your Idea?
Chapter 7: Stage Gates
People
Chapter 8: First Hires: Pay Your People with Love, Ownership, and Freedom
Chapter 9: Hire People Who Are “Different”
Chapter 10: Hire Do-It-Yourself Employees
Money Chapter 11: Proving Your Concept
Chapter 12: Paying for Your Idea
Chapter 13: Becoming a Customer-Funded Startup
Chapter 14: Cash Is the Oxygen That Keeps Your Business Alive
SYSTEMS
Chapter 15: The Four Sticky Note Business Plan
Chapter 16: Why Startups Fail

Scale
Story
Chapter 17: Scale Quickly, Kill Quickly
Chapter 18: Scale in Zeros
Chapter 19: Find Your X Factor
Chapter 20: Prove It
Chapter 21: Promote It
Chapter 22: Finding the Right Distribution/Sales Channel
People
Chapter 23: Profile Everyone, Especially Yourself
Chapter 24: Hiring Great Leaders
Chapter 25: Hiring a Great Sales Team
Sales
Chapter 26: Proof Sells
Chapter 27: Perfecting the Pitch
Chapter 28: The Right Funding for the Right Situation at the Right Time
Chapter 29: The Problem with Venture (Vulture) Capital
Chapter 30: Raise Money by Saving Money
Systems
Chapter 31: The Value of Coaching
Chapter 32: Scale Your Culture
Chapter 33: Strategic Planning and Execution
Chapter 34: Goal Setting
Chapter 35: Transforming into a Sales Organization
Chapter 36: Growth through Acquisition
Chapter 37: Rely on Systems to Scale
Chapter 38: Catching the Break: Maximize Luck
Chapter 39: Minor Majors (a.k.a. Growth Hacks)
Chapter 40: Why Startups Fail to Scale

Exit
Story
Chapter 41: The Case for Selling
Chapter 42: When the Rules Change, Change with the Rules
Chapter 43: Types of Buyers
Chapter 44: Timing Is Half the Value
Chapter 45: Maximize the Value of the Exit
Chapter 46: It’s Not about You
People
Chapter 47: Liquidity or Control
Chapter 48: The Negotiation
SYSTEMS
Chapter 49: Sell Your Systems

Repeat
Story
Chapter 50: What Propels a Serial Entrepreneur
Chapter 51: Ideas Are Everywhere Again
People
Chapter 52: Track Your A Players
Money Chapter 53: Dress for Success
Chapter 54: Using Other People’s Money to Scale
Systems
Chapter 55: Use Copy and Paste Systems
Chapter 56: Make a Difference
Chapter 57: The Toll of Entrepreneurial Life
Chapter 58: Final Thoughts

Acknowledgments

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“[...] a top-notch how-to for business owners.”
Kirkus Starred Review

“This is a must read for those starting their first business as well as more seasoned professionals looking for a quick reminder of some of the keys to business success.”
Kirkus Starred Review

“Demonstrating the entrepreneurial skills that are needed to make a business sore, Start. Scale. Exit. Repeat is an aspirational business guide.”
Foreword Reviews

“A persuasive entrepreneurial guide.”
Foreword Reviews

“Campbell’s guidance is clear, practical, and inspiring throughout.”
BookLife by Publishers Weekly Editor’s Pick

“[...] a book that makes no false promises of an easy path to success but instead lays out the processes for incubating an idea into a startup and that startup into a business that beats the odds.”
BookLife by Publishers Weekly Editor’s Pick

“Prepare to discover why understanding stories, people, money, and systems is crucial for success in entrepreneurship.”
Readers’ Favorite

“Where were you, Colin, when my brother, Jeff, and I took the decision to leave our family sports footwear business to found Reebok? Your book, Start. Scale. Exit. Repeat., could have saved us a lot of pain. But we also had a lot of fun, which as you point out, came from being in love with our mission.”
Joe Foster
Cofounder, Reebok, Author of Shoemaker

“Colin has started, scaled, and exited many businesses successfully. He has survived many mistakes and thrived with even more successes. He will inspire you and guide you with golden nuggets to navigate and succeed in your own unique journey to start, scale, exit, and repeat.”
Patrick Thean
Wall Street Journal and USAToday Bestselling Author, CEO, Coach, and Guide

“Through his one-of-a-kind storytelling, zestful energetic learning spirit, and engaging humility, Colin C. Campbell has created a masterful gem. Start. Scale. Exit. Repeat. is a must read for any entrepreneur or leader passionately looking for a learning edge to better performance.”
Lee Schram
Former CEO, Deluxe Corporation

“Colin’s journey, combined with insights from successful experts and serial entrepreneurs, unveils the code to achieve startup success.”
Verne Harnish
Founder Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO), author of *Scaling Up: How a Few Companies Make It...and Why the Rest Don’t (Rockefeller Habits 2.0 Revised Edition)

“Building a company from start to exit―and doing it all over again―is not easy. This book provides you with the formula to do just that.”
Eric Malka
Founder, Art of Shaving

“Colin’s theories are incredibly simple and applicable to a wide range of company types, including SaaS, real estate, manufacturing, and e-commerce businesses. His step-by-step approach makes the entire process appear effortless from the very beginning to the very end.”
Lil Roberts
Founder and CEO, Xendoo

“Colin Campbell is a true master of entrepreneurship. Having founded and scaled several successful companies, his approach to business can be summed up in four simple words: start, scale, exit, and repeat.”
Lance Tracey
Serial Entrepreneur, President, Lanebury Growth Capital

“This book provides a captivating insight into the tech journey from the 1990s to the present, highlighting patterns of success. Colin has seen a lot in his more than 30 years as a serial entrepreneur!”
Sheel Mohnot
Cofounder, Better Tomorrow Ventures, Cohost, The Pitch Podcast

“Colin has thrived across many businesses by understanding customers and how businesses make money.”
Elliot Noss
CEO, Tucows

“Never accept business advice ... unless the advisor has built a track record of personal successes based on their own advice! Colin Campbell’s Start. Scale.Exit. Repeat. provides a pithy and practical roadmap for entrepreneurs. If you want to be a successful entrepreneur, get your hands on this indispensable guide.”
George Walther
Hall of Fame Speaker, Acclaimed Author

"No book has come closer to of cracking the code of what it takes to make a startup successful."
Michele Van Tilborg
CEO Startup Club, 1 Million Members

Editorial Reviews

[...] a top-notch how-to for business owners.”
Kirkus Starred Review

“This is a must read for those starting their first business as well as more seasoned professionals looking for a quick reminder of some of the keys to business success.”
Kirkus Starred Review

“Demonstrating the entrepreneurial skills that are needed to make a business sore, Start. Scale. Exit. Repeat is an aspirational business guide.”
Foreword Reviews

“A persuasive entrepreneurial guide.”
Foreword Reviews

“Campbell’s guidance is clear, practical, and inspiring throughout.”
BookLife by Publishers Weekly Editor’s Pick

“[...] a book that makes no false promises of an easy path to success but instead lays out the processes for incubating an idea into a startup and that startup into a business that beats the odds.”
BookLife by Publishers Weekly Editor’s Pick

“Prepare to discover why understanding stories, people, money, and systems is crucial for success in entrepreneurship.”
Readers’ Favorite

“Where were you, Colin, when my brother, Jeff, and I took the decision to leave our family sports footwear business to found Reebok? Your book, Start. Scale. Exit. Repeat., could have saved us a lot of pain. But we also had a lot of fun, which as you point out, came from being in love with our mission.”
Joe Foster
Cofounder, Reebok, Author of Shoemaker

“Colin has started, scaled, and exited many businesses successfully. He has survived many mistakes and thrived with even more successes. He will inspire you and guide you with golden nuggets to navigate and succeed in your own unique journey to start, scale, exit, and repeat.”
Patrick Thean
Wall Street Journal and USAToday Bestselling Author, CEO, Coach, and Guide

“Through his one-of-a-kind storytelling, zestful energetic learning spirit, and engaging humility, Colin C. Campbell has created a masterful gem. Start. Scale. Exit. Repeat. is a must read for any entrepreneur or leader passionately looking for a learning edge to better performance.”
Lee Schram
Former CEO, Deluxe Corporation

“Colin’s journey, combined with insights from successful experts and serial entrepreneurs, unveils the code to achieve startup success.”
Verne Harnish
Founder Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO), author of *Scaling Up: How a Few Companies Make It...and Why the Rest Don’t (Rockefeller Habits 2.0 Revised Edition)

“Building a company from start to exit―and doing it all over again―is not easy. This book provides you with the formula to do just that.”
Eric Malka
Founder, Art of Shaving

“Colin’s theories are incredibly simple and applicable to a wide range of company types, including SaaS, real estate, manufacturing, and e-commerce businesses. His step-by-step approach makes the entire process appear effortless from the very beginning to the very end.”
Lil Roberts
Founder and CEO, Xendoo

“Colin Campbell is a true master of entrepreneurship. Having founded and scaled several successful companies, his approach to business can be summed up in four simple words: start, scale, exit, and repeat.”
Lance Tracey
Serial Entrepreneur, President, Lanebury Growth Capital

“This book provides a captivating insight into the tech journey from the 1990s to the present, highlighting patterns of success. Colin has seen a lot in his more than 30 years as a serial entrepreneur!”
Sheel Mohnot
Cofounder, Better Tomorrow Ventures, Cohost, The Pitch Podcast

“Colin has thrived across many businesses by understanding customers and how businesses make money.”
Elliot Noss
CEO, Tucows

“Never accept business advice ... unless the advisor has built a track record of personal successes based on their own advice! Colin Campbell’s Start. Scale.Exit. Repeat. provides a pithy and practical roadmap for entrepreneurs. If you want to be a successful entrepreneur, get your hands on this indispensable guide.”
George Walther
Hall of Fame Speaker, Acclaimed Author

"No book has come closer to of cracking the code of what it takes to make a startup successful."
Michele Van Tilborg
CEO Startup Club, 1 Million Members

From the Publisher

★ 2024-04-02
Campbell offers a guide to success for startup owners and entrepreneurs.

The author, an entrepreneur who’s successfully started and exited a series of tech-oriented businesses, shares some of his secrets, breaking his process down into the four imperatives that provide his primer’s title. The book’s short chapters cover a variety of topics, including coming up with successful ideas, proving your concept, scaling quickly, knowing when to sell, and starting all over again. The author imparts plenty of firsthand knowledge, supplemented by input from experts from all walks of business life discussing both successes and failures. Some of these experts include Richard Hanbury, who created Sana Health following a near-fatal car accident; John Mullins, whose specialty is customer-funded companies; and Stacy Spikes, one of the co-founders of MoviePass. The chapters are peppered with pithy pullout quotes that actually seem helpful: “Banks aren’t the only organizations with money”; “The cheapest way to fund your business is by running it lean”; “Who you pitch to is as important as what you pitch.” This attention to detail, in addition to the reader-friendly organization of the book, helps to elevate this business guide above the many competing books in the genre. But what really distinguishes the work is Campbell’s expertise and his wonderful ability to write for his audience. The book is a breezy read—Campbell can be blunt, but he’s funny and engaging, too. His entertaining guide is filled with all sorts of useful tidbits and insights; unlike some how-to books, filled with ego-driven anecdotes and not much useful information, this is a must-read for those starting their first business as well as more seasoned professionals looking for a quick reminder of some of the keys to business success.

Useful info and a readable structure make for a top-notch how-to for business owners.

Kirkus Reviews