The Premise:
Entrepreneurial expert, Brad Feld, promises to unlock the
secrets for “building an entrepreneurial ecosystem in your city”.
The Good:
Mr. Feld spells out why some cities, like Boulder, CO,
succeed in creating a vibrant startup community and others do not. He gives
easy to follow guidance on how to access whom the true players and influencers
are and which parties are more supporters or even obstacles. He provides
real-world examples and case studies throughout to support his point of view
and isn’t shy about giving some rather blunt, yet pragmatic advice for anyone
looking to embrace a startup culture in their community.
The Bad:
There’s too much name-dropping. This book could have been
half as long and twice as practical if he stopped mentioning his buddies and
their ventures. One gets the sense that Mr. Feld is almost trying to sell
Boulder versus Silicon Valley at times. This may not have been intentional, but
it is distracting. A more straight-forward “how to” may have been a better
approach, in my opinion.
The Verdict:
Skim it and share it. There are definitely useful nuggets
throughout the book for anyone interested in starting their own business or
fostering a larger entrepreneurial culture in their community.
