Foreword p. xi
On Motive p. 1
On Excuses p. 4
On Who Is Likely To Succeed p. 7
On The Statistical Odds p. 9
On The Real Odds p. 12
On Getting Started p. 15
On Choosing The Right Mountain p. 17
On Cutting Loose p. 20
On Pole Positions p. 22
On Humiliation p. 25
On Common Impediments p. 27
On The Tiger Chained To Your Ankle p. 29
On Frugality p. 32
On Common Start-Up Errors I: Mistaking Desire For Compulsion p. 35
On Common Start-Up Errors II: Failure To Monitor Cashflow p. 38
On Common Start-Up Errors III: Excessive Overhead p. 41
On Common Start-Up Errors IV: Reinforcing Failure p. 44
On Common Start-Up Errors V: Skimping On Talent p. 47
On Boldness p. 50
On Being In The Right Place At The Right Time p. 53
On Riches and Happiness p. 55
On Working For Others p. 58
On Raising Capital I: Sources Of Capital p. 61
On Raising Capital II: Earning It p. 64
On Raising Capital III: Avoidance Of Faustian Pacts p. 67
On Raising Capital IV: Sharks p. 69
On Raising Capital V: The Nature Of Dolphins p. 72
On Raising Capital VI: Playing With Dolphins p. 75
On Raising Capital VII: Banks p. 78
On Raising Capital VIII: Swimming With The Fishes p. 81
On Raising Capital IX: 51% Investors p. 84
On Creating The Right Environment p. 86
On Start-Up Hires p. 89
On Hiring Generally p. 92
On Management p. 95
On Eternal Lieutenants p. 98
On The Start-Up and The Long Wobble p. 101
On The Settle-Down and Continuous Revolution p. 104
On Team Spirit p. 107
On Glory Hounds and Toads p. 110
On Decision By Consensus p. 113
On Partnerships and Minority Investors p. 116
On The Mexican Shootout p. 119
On Harnessing The Fear Of Failure p. 122
On The Fallacy Of The Great Idea p. 125
On Dress Codes p. 128
On Promoting From Within p. 131
On The Paradox Of Ownership p. 134
On Ownership p. 137
On Customers p. 140
On Suppliers p. 143
On Negotiating p. 146
On Prioritising p. 149
On Luck p. 151
On Shortcuts p. 154
On Courtesy p. 157
On Debt p. 160
On Intellectual Property p. 163
On Emulating p. 166
On Delegating p. 169
On Trusting Your Instincts p. 172
On Persistence p. 175
On Tenacity p. 178
On Self-Belief p. 181
On Leading p. 184
On Protecting Your Piece Of The Pie p. 187
On Going Public p. 190
On The Trojan Trap p. 193
On Sacred Cows p. 196
On The Need To Diversify p. 199
On Excellence p. 202
On Bonus Arrangements p. 205
On Rivals p. 208
On Misfortune p. 211
On Taking Stock p. 214
On Must-Do Deals p. 217
On The Right Time To Sell A Business p. 219
On Consequences p. 222
On Status p. 225
On Qualified Accountants p. 228
On Milking The Cow p. 231
On Dragon Cages p. 234
On Buying Private Yachts, Aeroplanes, Etcetera p. 237
On Cheating The Taxman p. 239
On Being Right… Or Wrong p. 242
On The Unfairness Of It All p. 244
On Failure p. 247
On Success p. 250
Wealth Calculated By Cash-In-Hand Or Quickly Realisable Assets p. 252
Wealth Calculated by Total Assets (True Net Worth) p. 253
Index p. 254