About the author

David S. Kidder

1. “The world needs more entrepreneurs. By taking the hard part of building a business so seriously, this book should help more people get to the fun part—success. David Kidder brings both a writer’s mind and a startup veteran’s urgency to an entertaining and useful trip inside the minds of today’s most successful creators of organizations—both for profit and for purpose.”
   — David Kirkpatrick
   Founder, host, and CEO, Techonomy Media; author of The Facebook Effect
2. “‘I wish I had this idea’ is my highest praise. It is truly unique. Kidder is one of the rare people who could pull this astounding volume of talent and wisdom together. This is driven by his generosity, judgment, and connectedness. The power of the content in this book is that it has been created by an experienced insider, not an intrigued outsider. This is David’s special mastery, and the book is a gift.”
   — Andreas Weigend
   Professor, University of California, Berkeley, Stanford University, and Tsinghua University; former chief scientist, Amazon
3. “From technological entrepreneurs to social entrepreneurs, The Startup Playbook features important tips from top American innovators that will change the way you think about your job, your business, and maybe even your industry.”
   — Alexis Maybank
   Cofounder and chief strategy officer, Gilt Groupe
4. “David Kidder is a master at getting people to reveal themselves. These are all entrepreneurs I have heard from before, but David somehow got them to expose things about themselves—and to distill lessons from their experiences—that no one else has been able to do.”
   — Laurel Touby
   Founder, www.mediabistro.com
5. “Bravo! David Kidder’s latest book is a gift to aspiring entrepreneurs. His interviews with our era’s most successful startup players reveal what we need to know about turning dreams into businesses that last. Readers will benefit from the Playbook’s practical advice and the inspiration in every story.”
   — Wenda Harris Millard
   President and COO, MediaLink; former co-CEO, Martha Stewart Living; former chief marketing officer, Yahoo
6. “David has done it again! The Startup Playbook is a glorious mix of easily accessible, super-condensed information and elegantly distilled wisdom from some of the most successful disruptors of our generation. A great read full of everything you need to be inspired to start up your own business.”
   — Sunny Bates
   Founder, Sunny Bates Associates and Redthread
7. “David Kidder writes from experience and passion about what it means to succeed from startup to successful enterprise. Whether old company or new, big or small, Kidder reminds us of the entrepreneurial spirit that can propel many great companies and nations.”
   — Beth Comstock
   Senior vice president and chief marketing officer, GE
8. “In The Startup Playbook, David Kidder has distilled the challenges of entrepreneurship into a digestible treat that should be required reading for all who embark on the mission of starting their own company. As a veteran of multiple startups, I’m reminded that there are rarely straight paths and easy decisions. Rather, the road from startup to successful exits is long and bumpy, with unforeseen obstacles popping up all the time. The Startup Playbook is the how-to manual that summarizes lessons from many of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs and helps you navigate your own way.”
   — Alan B. Masarek
   Founder and CEO, Quickoffice
9. “David Kidder is a passionate and gifted entrepreneur who has brought together an amazing set of entrepreneurs to share practical insights in an easy-to-digest and fun format. Great lessons everywhere in this book for anyone building a business.”
   — Tony Tjan
   Managing partner, Cue Ball Capital; author of Heart, Smarts, Guts, and Luck
10. “Entrepreneurs create the present and the future while, in Newton’s language, ‘standing on the shoulders of giants.’ This book gives its audience the ability to stand on the shoulders of these giants and enter into their philosophical how and why. David’s own 7:1 concept of good actions over bad is revolutionary in and of itself.”
    — Martin Schoffstall
    Founder, PSI Net
11. “The future of the world will be defined by people who run plays just like the ones in this playbook.”
    — Howard Lerman
    Cofounder, Yext
12. “By shedding light on the insights of top entrepreneurial minds, David Kidder breaks down the secrets to startup success in simple and actionable terms. The diverse mix of entrepreneurs and the thoughtfully posed questions make for an engaging and inspiring read.”
    — Jennifer Fleiss
    Cofounder, Rent the Runway
13. “For anyone contemplating, starting, or scaling a startup, this book is a masterpiece of wisdom from some of the greatest creators in the market today. This book can profoundly alter the decisions entrepreneurs make that determine the outcome of their dreams. Read and thrive.”
    — Jonathan Miller
    Former CEO, Digital Media Group; former chief digital officer, News Corp
14. “The Startup Playbook is a roadmap for entrepreneurial success, sharing detailed insights into the techniques and experiences of startup hall of famers. David Kidder’s brilliant business guidebook is a must-have if you’re launching a new business or just thinking about it. Every corporate leader who cares about the future of business should read The Startup Playbook and use it to inspire and guide entrepreneurship in their organizations.”
    — Jack Myers
    Media ecologist, Media Advisory Group; author of Hooked Up
15. “Is entrepreneurship in your blood? If yes, then this is your family album.”
    — Peter Thum
    Founder and CEO, Fonderie 47; founder, Ethos Water
16. “David Kidder has curated, aggregated, and synthesized an opus for the entrepreneur—whether current or aspiring. The openness with which these great entrepreneurs shared their experiences and insights is an invaluable asset conveniently packaged by Kidder. The Startup Playbook is not some trendy tech book that captures the zeitgeist of the moment, but rather a timeless, actionable reference tool to be read and re-read and kept within reach.”
    — Terence Kawaja
    Founder and CEO, LUMA Partners
17. “Kidder brilliantly synthesizes the hard- learned lessons of the Internet’s leading entrepreneurs. Think of this book as forty Harvard Business School case studies with the answer key included!”
    — Court Cunningham
    CEO, Yodel