Having made over 200 million dollars at the head of start ups in recent years, Patrick Henry is well-placed to explore this particularly topic, and focuses very much on packing punch in the way you organize and then launch a business, and on bringing in investment. While this reviewer can’t personally vouch for the success of Henry’s plan (although it appears the author can), the core points are here, carefully explored from both the point of view of the person starting a business, and – perhaps more importantly – the perspective of people who are likely to be throwing cash your way.
From idea to understanding the basis in which people actually commit to investing, there’s also a glance at what type of investors you should be bringing on board (and which to leave by the wayside), and some clever ways of processing your thoughts to ensure your entire concept isn’t a waste of your time. There are stark and accessible glances at areas like gap analysis, managing expectations, how to elevator pitch, and managing a team, plenty illustrated with the experiences that Henry himself has had, as well as how they’ve influenced his life. His varied management style is interesting, in that it focuses particularly on adapting approach depending on the scenario Henry is greeted with.
In the key areas, Henry is clearly smart and experienced, and brings a little of his engineering background into play, and while some of his less-personal content can seem a little too text-book business (and is at times illustrated with some very cheesy diagrams), it is nonetheless an extremely useful summary of how to work towards your goals. Making your first millions all sounds very easy, right? Perhaps the feeling that investment is always within easy reach for the average reader is the book’s core flaw: most of us feel a very, very long way from the reality of garnering big-business investors, whether we’re in possession of a smart, self-aware plan, or not.
Ultimately, we all know that getting that investment is as much about access to the right people as it is about how well you present your concept when you get there. If you’re convinced you have the perfect business idea, then, we’re not entirely sold on this book turning it into millions, but we can certainly get on board with how it will refine your plans, identify your weaknesses, and offer you a guiding hand in the direction of a great shiny new life project. It’s well worth a read, then.
~James Hendicott for IndieReader