From the Inside Flap
Having spent numerous nights and weekends analyzing the software market for new product opportunities, Ken Hess decided the time was right to leave a secure job and pursue the entrepreneurial dream. He resigned from Symantec, and embarked on a twelve-year endeavor to build his own company without venture capital. With $20,000 in his bank account and a solid product idea, Ken started Banner Blue Software, which he ultimately grew to annual sales of $23 million and later sold to a larger company. Bootstrap chronicles this highly successful endeavor from starting up to selling out, and serves as a source of invaluable lessons from a veteran entrepreneur. For anyone who has ever wondered what s it like to start a company? , Ken Hess lets the reader step into the shoes of the entrepreneur, and benefit from firsthand experiences on what worked well and what failed. Bootstrap covers topics applicable to any startup, regardless of industry, such as: how to hire the right employees for a startup, developing a functional organizational structure, creating a vision that translates into actionable objectives for every employee, managing the product portfolio, and understanding your customers needs and market trends to stay one step ahead of the competition.
Written in narrative form, the book spans more than a decade of corporate growth. Recounting the struggles to overcome a myriad of challenges from continuously changing technology platforms to competitive encounters with Microsoft, the book outlines the underlying business philosophies that helped to tackle each challenge and drive the ultimate success of the company.
More than the typical Silicon Valley venture capital story, Bootstrap is a firsthand look at an entrepreneur s role in building a self-funded company, and provides invaluable lessons for those interested in following a similar path.
About the Author
Kenneth L. Hess was founder and President of Banner Blue Software, a bootstrap startup which he built to annual sales of $23 million. Leveraging his twenty-five years of business experience, Ken taught Entrepreneurial Business Management in the Stanford University Continuing Studies Program. With interests that extend beyond management, Ken holds one of the first software patents. Ken is a graduate of Stanford University and received an MBA from the Harvard Business School. Currently, Ken participates in several entrepreneurial ventures, and he serves on the boards of Sensant Corporation and Stanford University's Hoover Institution.
