Under The Radar: Starting Your Net Business Witout Venture Capital

by Arnold Kling

Overview

Forget everything you've ever read about starting an Internet business. Forget the moon-shot IPO's. Forget Silicon Valley and venture capital. The start-ups featured in Forbes, Fortune, and The Industry Standard represent only a sliver of what is happening on the Internet. Under the Radar tells the story of Web companies that bear little resemblance to the cash-burning businesses that were the media darlings before the Internet bubble burst. In this distinctive and timely guide, Arnold Kling, an experienced "Netstrapper" who sold his Internet start-up for 85 million, introduces the reader to more than two dozen business founders-all of whom launched their sites without venture capital-whose stories inspire and instruct. Kling advises Internet entrepreneurs not to waste time trying to woo big-time investors obsessed with billion-dollar jackpots. Instead, he offers clear, tough-minded coaching on every important aspect of building a real Internet enterprise -from evaluating business ideas to finding the best partners and making wise use of web technology. His step-by-step plan produces solid businesses that are free from market turbulence and investor control, making it easy to operate "under the radar."

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780738207742
Publisher:	Basic Books
Publication date:	09/19/2002
Series:	Starting Your Net Business Witout Venture Capital
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.70(d)
Lexile:	1210L (what's this?)

About the Author

Arnold Kling is a teacher, scholar, and author. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He started his career as an economist with the Federal Reserve Board and later with Freddie Mac. In 1994, he founded Homefair.com, one of the first commercial sites on the World Wide Web. These days, Kling spends his time writing and volunteer teaching in high school. He lives in Silver Spring, Maryland.

What People are Saying About This

Christopher Locke

Under the Radar clears away truckloads of fear, uncertainty, and doubt that have been dumped on e-commerce. Ignore the vested interests and listen to a guy who's actually been there.
— (Christopher Locke, co-author of The Cluetrain Manifesto and author of Gonzo Marketing)

Hal Varian

This is the best book ever written on how to run an Internet business. Entertaining, instructive, opinionated, and above all, honest-this is the book to read!
— (Hal Varian, Dean of the School of Information Management Systems, University of California at Berkeley, and co-author of Information Rules)

Mario Morino

Under the Radar is filled with real-life examples demonstrating the strategies, tactics, and business values that it takes to launch a company in today's market. A must-read for every entrepreneur.
— Mario Morino, Chairman, Morino Institute and Special Partner, General Atlantic Partners, LLC

Lawrence Lee

Under the Radar presents compelling strategies for any entrepreneur that's starting an Internet business.
— Lawrence Lee, Editor, Tomalak's Realm

Glenn Fleishman

In Under the Radar, Arnold Kling has taken his experience of nitty-gritty work in building viable, profitable, and growing enterprises and turned it into the most sensible and clear advice I've ever read.
— Glenn Fleishman, columnist, Business 2.0, and regular contributor to The New York Times and Fortune magazine

Editorial Reviews

Kling's fascinating story should serve as an education for prospective 'Netstrappers' eager to carve out their piece of the pie in today's challenging environment.

Booklist

This book offers advice from the founder of the successful web site Homefair.com, who built up that business and sold it (along with two related businesses) for $85 million. Kling recounts his experiences as a "Netstrapper" who created a successful enterprise without venture capital by looking to smaller target markets than those required by entrepreneurs seeking such funding. The characteristics of the Netstrappers, as described by the author, are charm, talent-scouting skills, the ability to stand up to the bar, the ability to focus, and a beginner's mind. Kling also describes the nuts and bolts of establishing a company, including writing a business plan, choosing a team, brainstorming, selecting a target market, and test marketing. Bibliographic citations would have been helpful in supplementing the numerous case studies, but given the current situation with dot-coms, this volume offers readers a way to build a potentially more stable company than those relying on venture capital. Recommended primarily for public libraries, though larger academic libraries should consider. Lucy Heckman, St. John's Univ. Lib., Jamaica, NY Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

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