True Founder - What No One Else Has the Guts to Teach You About Starting Your First Business

THE ULTIMATE PLAYBOOK FOR FIRST-TIME FOUNDERS

BEING A FIRST-TIME FOUNDER IS HARD.
DON'T LET ANYONE CONVINCE YOU OTHERWISE!
TRUEFOUNDER WILL HELP YOU NAVIGATE THE CHALLENGES OF STARTING YOUR FIRST BUSINESS.

"True Founder is a must-read for inspiring entrepreneurs! Starting a business is hard, and Marc Lafluer does a great job of capturing the truth behind what it takes to be a successful first-time founder. if you want a leg up on the competition. True Founder serves as your tactical guide to getting started."
- Michele Romanow
Dragon's Den
CEO, ClearCo

WHO THIS BOOK IS FOR: First-time founders - all first-time founders, at all stages and ages. If you're looking to pull the trigger and quit your job, this book is for you. If you're trying to figure out whether you should hire your first team members based on experience or take a chance on hiring friends, this book is for you. If you're trying to decide between angel funding, VC funding, or debt, this book is for you. If you're sitting there reading this feeling like you're about to burnout and that you're doing everything wrong, this book is for you.

List of contents

Acknowledgments Introduction: Who Is This Book For, Anyway? PART I: ALL THAT MATTERS IS HAVING THE RIGHT MINDSET Becoming a Professional Problem Solver Business is a Series of Sprints, Not a Marathon Your Job is to Make Decisions, Even if They Aren't the Right Ones How to Stay Motivated - Part 1
PART II: ALL THAT MATTERS IS GETTING STARTED Creating Opportunities by Shooting Your Shot and Putting Yourself at the Table Avoid Co-Founder Drama with Difficult Conversations and a Shareholders Agreement The Truth About Early Stage Hires Working with Freelancers, Dev Houses, and Marketing Agencies
PART III: ALL THAT MATTERS IS PUTTING IN THE WORK Raising Capital with Angels and Venture Capitalists. Building Community by Finding Your Own Niche Evolving Quickly and Transitioning as a Founder How to Stay Motivated - Part 2
PART IV: ALL THAT MATTERS IS USING WHAT YOU'VE BUILT TO YOUR ADVANTAGE If You Can't Communicate, You Can't Lead You Can't Fake Culture Being Organized as a Person Who Thrives in Chaos How to Stay Motivated - Part 3
Outro: Goddamn Right Resources Bonus Chapter About the Author

About the author

MARC LAFLEUR had holes in his shoes at sixteen. As the only Black kid in an all white Catholic school, life was tough. His entrepreneurial journey didn't begin until he heard that Snapchat turned down a $3 billion offer from Facebook. That's when everything changed. By 2016, at the age of twenty-five, he founded truLOCAL- an online marketplace for consumers to connect with local farmers and producers. Over the course of five years-as cofounder and CEO-he grew the business to over sixty employees and expanded across the country. Following a successful pitch on Dragons' Den, truLOCAL became a runaway success culminating in a $16.8 million acquisition in 2020. Marc was thirty years old at the time.
Today Marc shares his unique perspective on business from the lens of someone who nobody thought would make it. He has been asked to share his knowledge with the likes of Lululemon, Google, FedEx, and various academic institutions. Marc is currently doing keynote talks at conferences across the United States and Canada

Summary

True Founder will help you navigate the challenges of launching your first startup.
WHO IS THIS BOOK FOR? First-time founders, all-time founders. If you’re looking to pull the trigger and quit your job, this book is for you. If you’re trying to figure out whether you should hire your first team member based on experience, or take a chance on hiring friends, this book is for you. If you’re trying to decide between angel funding, venture capital funding, or debt, this book is for you. If you’re sitting there reading this feeling like you’re about to burn out and that you’re doing everything wrong, this book is definitely for you.
No doubt you’ve had someone make a comment about how you work too much or you need to take a break. As a first-time founder, you’re guilted for setting work-life balance aside. Yet, anywhere else in life, sacrifice is encouraged. Think about a ball player who decided to go to the league after one year of college, or a billboard artist who spends every night and every last dollar in the studio working on their debut album. Consider a PhD student who’s given up on even starting life until they’re done with their 10-year specialization. In all these situations, you get a pat on the back for your risk and sacrifice. Starting your own company shouldn’t be any different.
It’s time to stop feeling guilty and lean into the sacrifice. Your willingness to chase your dreams is what sets you apart, and your personal competitive advantage and the strategies presented in True Founder will help you double down on the sacrifice.
10 Things This Book Will Teach You

• Becoming a professional problem solver
  
• Understanding that business is a series of sprints, not a marathon
  
• How your job is to make decisions, even if they aren’t the right ones
  
• How to stay motivated when everything is on fire
  
• How to create opportunities by shooting your shot and putting yourself at the table
  
• Avoiding cofounder drama with difficult conversations and a shareholder’s agreement
  
• The truth about early-stage hires
  
• Working with freelancers, dev houses, and marketing agencies
  
• Raising capital with angels and venture capitalists
  
• How to build a community by finding your own niche
  

It doesn’t take someone special to succeed in business. It takes absolute dedication, the willingness to sacrifice in the pursuit of your goals, and a little bit of luck.

Product details

• Authors: Marc Lafleur
• Publisher: Ingram Publishers Services
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 07.02.2023
• EAN: 9781950863853
• ISBN: 978-1-950863-85-3
• No. of pages: 181
• Subjects: Guides > Law, job, finance; BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Leadership, BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Small Business, BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Personal Success, BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Development / Business Development