Welcome to the February edition of the Business Blog Book Tour. Today is the first day of the tour for the book Starting Something by Wayne McVicker. My recommendation is that you stop reading this post and go buy the book. Seriously. Click here and pick it up because I can say without hesitation it is the best business book I have read in the past year, and is #2 on my list of all-time favorite business books. What makes it so awesome? Maybe the subtitle is a hint "An Entrepreneur's Tale of Control, Confrontation, and Corporate Culture." It is great because it is so unlike any other business book I have ever read. Wayne even told me he wasn't even sure it should be classified as a business book. But it should. This book is all about business. It is about the side of business you never see. It's about the side of business that can make you both love and hate being an entrepreneur.
The book tells the story of Neoforma, a company founded by Wayne and his partner Jeff. (Neoforma is somewhat famous in investing circles for it's substantial stock price fall.) The book traces the beginning of the idea through the start-up phase, the venture capital phase, the IPO, and the time when founders leave the company to do other things. And the story is very compelling. I was on vacation in Las Vegas when I began the book, and I spent much more time in my room reading than I did at the casinos. I just could not put this book down. It is a first person account of all the joy and pain that take place during the birth of a new company.
The best part of Starting Something is reading about Wayne's own struggles with what is happening around him. He is at times confident, yet at other times confused. He sometimes believes Neoforma will be a huge success and other times questions whether the company will be around next month. He hits some problems out of the ballpark, and other times he strikes out completely. In other words, he shows that he is human. He has a dream for the company, but he has to make very difficult choices that have both business and personal consequences.
This book should be required reading for anyone pursuing an entrepreneurial path, because it exposes the people side of business that few business books explore. The lessons about employees, investors, and the importance of corporate culture are plentiful.
Now I know that not everyone has the same taste in books as I do. And while some of you might not think this is one of the best books you have ever read, I do think you will find it interesting, entertaining, and educational. So be sure to pick it up. It also won DIY Book Festival "Book of the Year."
Wayne was kind enough to respond to some questions I sent him. I'll format those and post them a little bit later. I've also asked Wayne to check in this afternoon and see if there are any questions to answer. So, if you want to ask Wayne something, please leave a comment on this post, or the Q&A to be posted in a little while.
Check out this list of the best business magazines.
