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Startup Communities: Building an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in Your City

Startup Communities: Building an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in Your City

by Brad Feld
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Release Date: October 2012
ISBN: 9781118483312
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Book Description

An essential guide to building supportive entrepreneurial communities

"Startup communities" are popping up everywhere, from cities like Boulder to Boston and even in countries such as Iceland. These types of entrepreneurial ecosystems are driving innovation and small business energy. Startup Communities documents the buzz, strategy, long-term perspective, and dynamics of building communities of entrepreneurs who can feed off of each other's talent, creativity, and support.

Based on more than twenty years of Boulder-based entrepreneur turned-venture capitalist Brad Feld's experience in the field as well as contributions from other innovative startup communities this reliable resource skillfully explores what it takes to create an entrepreneurial community in any city, at any time. Along the way, it offers valuable insights into increasing the breadth and depth of the entrepreneurial ecosystem by multiplying connections among entrepreneurs and mentors, improving access to entrepreneurial education, and much more.

  • Details the four critical principles needed to form a sustainable startup community

  • Perfect for entrepreneurs and venture capitalists seeking fresh ideas and new opportunities

  • Written by Brad Feld, a thought-leader in this field who has been an early-stage investor and successful entrepreneur for more than twenty years

Engaging and informative, this practical guide not only shows you how startup communities work, but it also shows you how to make them work anywhere in the world.

Table of Contents

  1. Cover
  2. Contents
  3. Title
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. Foreword
  7. Preface
  8. Acknowledgments
  9. Chapter One: Introduction
    1. The Example of Boulder
    2. How this Book Works
  10. Chapter Two: The Boulder Startup Community
    1. Boulder as a Laboratory
    2. Before the Internet (1970–1994)
    3. Pre-Internet Bubble (1995–2000)
    4. The Collapse of the Internet Bubble (2001–2002)
    5. The Beginning of the Next Wave (2003–2011)
    6. An Outsider’s View of Boulder
  11. Chapter Three: Principles of a Vibrant Startup Community
    1. Historical Frameworks
    2. The Boulder Thesis
    3. Led by Entrepreneurs
    4. Long-Term Commitment
    5. Foster a Philosophy of Inclusiveness
    6. Engage the Entire Entrepreneurial Stack
  12. Chapter Four: Participants in a Startup Community
    1. Entrepreneurs
    2. Government
    3. Universities
    4. Investors
    5. Mentors
    6. Service Providers
    7. Large Companies
    8. The Importance of Both Leaders and Feeders
  13. Chapter Five: Attributes of Leadership in a Startup Community
    1. Be Inclusive
    2. Play a Non-Zero-Sum Game
    3. Be Mentorship Driven
    4. Have Porous Boundaries
    5. Give People Assignments
    6. Experiment and Fail Fast
  14. Chapter Six: Classical Problems
    1. The Patriarch Problem
    2. Complaining About Capital
    3. Being Too Reliant on Government
    4. Making Short-Term Commitments
    5. Having a Bias Against Newcomers
    6. Attempt by a Feeder to Control the Community
    7. Creating Artificial Geographic Boundaries
    8. Playing a Zero-Sum Game
    9. Having a Culture of Risk Aversion
    10. Avoiding People Because of Past Failures
  15. Chapter Seven: Activities and Events
    1. Young Entrepreneurs Organization
    2. Office Hours
    3. Boulder Denver New Tech Meetup
    4. Boulder Open Coffee Club
    5. Startup Weekend
    6. Ignite Boulder
    7. Boulder Beta
    8. Boulder Startupdigest
    9. Cu New Venture Challenge
    10. Boulder Startup Week
    11. Entrepreneurs Foundation of Colorado
  16. Chapter Eight: The Power of Accelerators
    1. The Spread of Techstars to Boston and Seattle
    2. Techstars Expands to New York
    3. Accelerators are Different than Incubators
    4. University Accelerators
  17. Chapter Nine: University Involvement
    1. Silicon Flatirons
    2. Some Components of CU Boulder
    3. Challenges to Entrepreneurship Programs at Universities
    4. Why they Don’t Work in Isolation
    5. The Real Value—Fresh Blood into the System
    6. The Power of Alumni
  18. Chapter Ten: Contrasts between Entrepreneurs and Government
    1. Self-Aware Versus Not Self-Aware
    2. Bottom Up Versus Top Down
    3. Micro Versus Macro
    4. Action Versus Policy
    5. Impact Versus Control
  19. Chapter Eleven: The Power of the Community
    1. Give Before You Get
    2. Everyone is a Mentor
    3. Embrace Weirdness
    4. Be Open to Any Idea
    5. Be Honest
    6. Go for a Walk
    7. The Importance of the After-Party
  20. Chapter Twelve: Broadening a Successful Startup Community
    1. Parallel Universes
    2. Integration With the Rest of Colorado
    3. Lack of Diversity
    4. Space
  21. Chapter Thirteen: Myths about Startup Communities
    1. We Need to Be Like Silicon Valley
    2. We Need More Local Venture Capital
    3. Angel Investors Must Be Organized
  22. Chapter Fourteen: Getting Started
    1. Getting Startup Iceland Started
    2. Big Omaha
    3. Startup America Partnership
    4. Do or Do Not, There is No Try
  23. About the Author
  24. Index
  25. AN EXCERPT FROM