{"product_id":"unlikely-entrepreneurs-wins-losses-and-crucial-lessons-on-building-great-companies-hardcover","title":"Unlikely Entrepreneurs: Wins, Losses, and Crucial Lessons on Building Great Companies - Hardcover","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eN. Louis Shipley\u003c\/b\u003e (Author), \u003cb\u003ePatricia Favreau\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eIs Your Idea Big Enough to Build a Business That Will Last? Learn from Unlikely Entrepreneurs\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhat does the USA's number one online casket company, a nationally distributed sustainable sausage brand, and the company behind the editing system used by \u003ci\u003eThe Matrix\u003c\/i\u003e have in common? These thriving ventures were founded by unlikely entrepreneurs whose journeys reveal what it takes to succeed in launching and growing a startup.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eUnlikely Entrepreneurs: Wins, Losses and Crucial Advice in Building Great Companies, \u003c\/i\u003e the authors--who hail from Harvard Business School and MIT Sloan School of Management--combine expert insights, elements of the case study method, and an engaging story-telling style to take a deep dive into the key challenges that founders face. They set the stage for each profile---including those of entrepreneurs helming billion dollar companies to mom-and-pop businesses--whose colorful, unlikely stories showcase entrepreneurial best practices that readers can adopt to succeed.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThroughout the book, the authors weave in lessons from the classrooms of top-ranked business schools and expert insights from venture capitalists, investors, CEOs, business authors, and Ivy league researchers--on what it takes for startups to scale in a competitive marketplace. Topics include, among others: \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003eHow to attain crucial second-hand knowledge of your target audiences' needs\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eBuilding your Go To Market Playbook\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eWhy founders must become their company's 'Chief Salesperson'\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eFundraising best practices\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eThe crucial differences between managing and leading\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eLeveraging AI to build your marketing campaigns\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eMastering the art of the pivot to ward off failure\u003c\/li\u003e \u003c\/ul\u003e \u003cp\u003eWe live in a time of rapid change, and entrepreneurial innovation is needed more now than ever before. \u003ci\u003eUnlikely Entrepreneurs\u003c\/i\u003e is a must-read for anyone considering launching a business and for those looking to scale their company and expand their offerings.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFront Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDo you question whether your business idea is truly viable or if you have what it takes to build a company from scratch? Are you struggling to scale your company or expand your product line?\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eYou're not alone. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eUnlikely Entrepreneurs: Wins, Losses, and Crucial Lessons for Building Great Companies\u003c\/i\u003e, Lou Shipley, a veteran entrepreneurship educator and mentor from Harvard Business School, and Patricia Favreau, an award-winning writer and longtime publicist at MIT Sloan School of Management, profile unlikely entrepreneurs from every walk of life and multiple industries who faced similar doubts or fears about launching companies that are now thriving ventures. Weaving together lessons on entrepreneurship from Harvard classrooms and rigorous research from MIT Sloan with colorful profiles, the authors reveal winning formulas and the role of failure in achieving success. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom the quirky story behind the launch of the USA's number one online casket company to an entrepreneur who innovated on pizza in the city where it was born, from a celebrity's startup launched in a competitive and fractured industry to the inspiring story of a founder who created the editing system used in blockbuster films, the entrepreneurs behind these thriving ventures share a common thread: they possessed a solid business idea big enough to build a company that would last. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eExpert insights from venture capitalists, CEOs, serial entrepreneurs and technology pros offer even more practical strategies for building go-to-market playbooks, fundraising, leading through crises, creating a cyber-savvy culture, and using AI to enhance marketing campaigns. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis book delivers the skills and strategies needed to launch and grow your company--regardless of your starting point. \u003ci\u003eUnlikely Entrepreneurs\u003c\/i\u003e is essential reading for anyone contemplating the launch of a startup, entrepreneurs looking to scale their ventures, business owners, and those in leadership roles who want to foster innovation.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eBack Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eUNLIKELY ENTREPRENEURS\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\"In \u003ci\u003eUnlikely Entrepreneurs\u003c\/i\u003e, Shipley and Favreau provide formulas that have worked for winning entrepreneurs--challenges and all--told through compelling stories, academic analysis, and life lessons learned.\"\u003cbr\u003e--\u003cb\u003eDanny Meyer, \u003c\/b\u003e Founder, Union Square Hospitality Group; author of \u003ci\u003eSetting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"My husband John and I shared our story of Katie Couric Media's 'first client' with Lou's class at Harvard, and now we're happy to have our story appear in \u003ci\u003eUnlikely Entrepreneurs\u003c\/i\u003e, a fun and insightful book. Anyone who's ever dreamed of starting their own business should sign up for Lou's class. But if you don't have time for that or can't get into Harvard, \u003ci\u003eUnlikely Entrepreneurs\u003c\/i\u003e is the next best thing!\"\u003cbr\u003e--Award-winning journalist \u003cb\u003eKatie Couric and John Molner, \u003c\/b\u003e Co-Founders of Katie Couric Media \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eUnlikely Entrepreneurs\u003c\/i\u003e captures what founders need to know right now.\"\u003cbr\u003e--\u003cb\u003eBill Aulet, \u003c\/b\u003e Managing Director, Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship; author of the bestselling \u003ci\u003eDisciplined Entrepreneurship\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"With practical lessons from Lou's Harvard Business School classroom and research from MIT Sloan, \u003ci\u003eUnlikely Entrepreneurs\u003c\/i\u003e is a must-read for anyone starting or running a business. It's 'What They DO Teach You at Harvard Business School.'\"\u003cbr\u003e--\u003cb\u003eHughes Norton, \u003c\/b\u003e HBS alumnus; \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eRainmaker: Superagent Hughes Norton\u003c\/i\u003e and the \u003ci\u003eMoney-Grab Explosion of Golf from Tiger to LIV and Beyond\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Shipley and Favreau prove that entrepreneurial success isn't reserved for the privileged few. Whether you're a first-time founder or seasoned entrepreneur, this book delivers the practical guidance and inspiration needed to turn great ideas into lasting businesses.\"\u003cbr\u003e--\u003cb\u003eTom Eisenmann, \u003c\/b\u003e Professor of Entrepreneurship, Harvard Business School; author of \u003ci\u003eWhy Startups Fail\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eUnlikely Entrepreneurs\u003c\/i\u003e offers what most startup advice misses: real stories about how relatable founders wrestle with problems, make mistakes, and adapt. Shipley and Favreau show that entrepreneurship isn't about flashy pitches--it's about getting close to the problem and rigorously evaluating if it's worth solving in the first place.\"\u003cbr\u003e--\u003cb\u003eJeff Bussgang, \u003c\/b\u003e General Partner and Co-Founder, Flybridge Capital Partners; author of \u003ci\u003eThe Experimentation Machine\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"I built my sales playbook in Prof. Shipley's class, and it worked! \u003ci\u003eUnlikely Entrepreneurs\u003c\/i\u003e is a must-read for anyone starting a company.\"\u003cbr\u003e--\u003cb\u003eIlana Borkenstein, \u003c\/b\u003e Harvard Business School MBA '22; Co-Founder and CEO, M7 Health\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eN. Louis Shipley\u003c\/b\u003e is a former three-time software CEO and Senior Lecturer in the Entrepreneurial Management unit at Harvard Business School. He previously lectured at MIT Sloan School of Management. Shipley serves as a Board Director at Wasabi Technologies, Fairmarkit and CustomerGauge. Lou made the founding gift to the Trinity College Entrepreneurship Center in Hartford, Connecticut.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePatricia Favreau\u003c\/b\u003e joined the Media Relations Department at MIT Sloan School of Management in 2005. For more than 20 years she has broken down complex academic research to make it accessible to business audiences around the globe. She began her career as a news correspondent and holds an MFA in creative writing from Lesley University.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 212\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.88 x 9.23 x 6.32 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e February 03, 2026\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51893727363360,"sku":"9781394345892","price":28.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/YFfSxmxkhu9781394345892.webp?v=1782006762","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/unlikely-entrepreneurs-wins-losses-and-crucial-lessons-on-building-great-companies-hardcover","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}