Book description:They’re young, they’re brash, they’re smart—and they’re 77-million strong.
Generation Y is creating startups at an unprecedented rate, and their approach to business is unlike anything you’ve seen. The generation described by the media as spoiled, entitled, even narcissistic, is proving these notions false every day. Inspired by the rock-star entrepreneurs of previous generations and driven by a burning desire to control their own destinies, GenY is rewriting the entrepreneurial playbook one cool startup at a time.
Inc. magazine writer Donna Fenn interviewed more than 150 young CEOs to learn what makes them tick. While upstarts are motivated by similar aspirations of past generations, their way of doing business is radically different—and it’s changing the way everyone must do business now.
Upstarts examines and analyzes this entrepreneurial revolution to reveal eight critical lessons every entrepreneur and marketer must learn. Fenn describes a generation of entrepreneurs that is highly collaborative and team-oriented. It’s quick and alert when it comes to new technologies. It’s hell-bent on changing the world. And it’s totally impatient with outmoded business models.
The sooner you adapt to the new way of business, the greater chance you have to grow and profit in the years ahead. Upstarts provides key insight into:
Building collaborative tribes
Deploying technology to your competitive advantage
Disrupting the status quo
Deconstructing the GenY market
Generating branding buzz
Adopting a social mission
Inventing the workplace of the future
Reinventing your company
Misreading GenY companies could be the biggest business mistake you ever make. This forward-looking book serves both as a headsup to the far-reaching changes coming your way and as a detailed guide to meeting the resulting challenges.
The upstarts are here to stay. Are you?
8 CRITICAL BUSINESS LESSONS FROM THE NEW ENTREPRENEURS
“One of the richest veins in startup gold is GenY entrepreneurs. Fenn deconstructs the DNA of this collaborative, tech-savvy generation to illuminate the future of entrepreneurship.” Guy Kawasaki, cofounder, Alltop, and author of Reality Check
“If your business is stuck in old-school ways of thinking, this book will bring new perspective and insight on how a whole new class of upstarts are thinking!” Tony Hsieh, CEO, Zappos
“In this smart, timely book, Donna Fenn shows us how Generation Y—probably the most entrepreneurial generation ever—is radically remaking the business world in its own image, one innovative startup company at a time.” Jane Berentson, editor, Inc. magazine
“This book will make you feel confident. Confident in the fact that Generation Y has the tools, creativity, desire, passion, energy and smarts to keep this great nation in a position of leadership economically for decades to come.” Harry Paul, coauthor of FISH! and Instant Turnaround!
“This book will change your perception of millennials and by the time you’re finished reading it, you’ll either want to work for one, partner with one, or be that age again.” Dan Schawbel, author of Me 2.0
magazine. An expert on small business trends and entrepreneurship for more than 20 years, she is also a community leader on Work.com, a featured expert on SBTV.com, and a blogger on Inc.com. She lives in Pelham, NY, with her husband, Guian Heintzen, and is the proud mom of two GenYers. For more information, go to Upstarts.com.
