Tales from a Not-So-Perfect Pet Sitter

December 4, 2000
Succeeding in today's 24/7 Internet world requires a variety of business skills--and luck. If there's one common thread among the myriad entrepreneurs who have started Internet companies, say Aspatore and Abell, it's their relative youth and lack of traditional business experience. Today, it's not years on a job that will land an Internet pioneer financing and a board of directors but persistence, connections and, most of all, a sound business concept. To illustrate these principles, the authors have focused on nine Internet companies that have been launched over the past few years. Some--like Varsitybooks.com and BuyandHold.com--have already received media attention, while the others, including Startups.com and LivePrint.com, are less well known. Aspatore, a business consultant and author of The New Electronic Traders, to which Abell was a main contributor, goes behind the glamorous veneer of the dot-com world and talks with the founders of each venture he profiles, who candidly describe their work routine and how they were able to get their companies off the ground. Accompanying the practical lessons learned by those on the firing line is specific advice for other would-be Internet entrepreneurs. Much of the counsel is familiar--manage your time, seek customer feedback, hire the right people. Occasionally, though, there are more meaty comments such as "Take intellectual property protections seriously and get legal advice on this matter--for yourself and any third-party suppliers." While the book is topical, the interviewees appear na ve and awestruck, and only readers lacking extensive experience in Internet business will find this book useful.