My adventure began on a sultry summer night in Vienna in July 2016. It was our first exposure to Pokémon Go. My partner, now husband, suggested that the stickiness of the game could be applied to a business issue many of my consulting clients were attempting to solve. He thought the game’s explore and discover mechanics could be used to inspire customers to explore destination businesses such as resort casinos, shopping malls, art galleries, cruise boats, and theme parks.
It was an intriguing idea, but could we do it? Should we do it? I was a marketing consultant not a coder. He was a liberal arts professor who had never made a product before. I don’t know why, because it was quite out of character, but we decided to roll the dice.
I quickly found myself immersed in an unfamiliar ecosystem consumed by the demands of the new business. The four-year adventure took me around the world. Upstarts: Founders, Failure, and the Startup Paradox invites the reader along for the ride, providing entertaining and thought-provoking analysis and commentary about business culture, as well as helpful advice. We offer a rare glimpse into the world of startups outside of the Silicon Valley bubble.
Upstarts is an instructive and candid book that reveals the world of startups and self-discovery from a fresh, feminine perspective. In Upstarts I share my journey and hard-won lessons. I offer a candid look at family life, expose the challenges of working with business partners, explore issues related to funding, and show how founders must be in denial about their prospects to pursue their dreams – the startup paradox.
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Upstarts 