Before You Start Up : How to Prepare to Make Your Startup Dream a Reality

About the Book

Are you a: “Wannabe” entrepreneur in school or college with big dreams in your eyes? “Friday-night-after-drinks” aspiring entrepreneur in your 20s/30s? “Ready-to-go” soon-to-be entrepreneur? “Already-on-the-train” entrepreneur? Loved ones of any of the above (wife/husband, boyfriend/girlfriend, friend, parents)? An aspiring VC/angel investor who has never built a business? This book has been especially written for you. If you've played sports, you already know how you prepare is as important as how you play. Starting up a business is no different—it needs preparation.This preparation is about understanding your “why”; about generating and testing business ideas; about building your founding team; about talking to your family; about taking care of your career and your finances. It is about getting mentally prepared to get started. This book will help you ask the right questions. It will guide you, steer you towards finding your answers. You are ambitious. You are a go-getter. You are destined to win. This book will help get you what you deserve.

About the Author
Pankaj Goyal grew up in a typical Indian middle class family in Rajasthan. In a family of government employees, he was taught the standard script to build your career: “Work hard on academics and get the highest scores”. And that’s the path he took. While he got his Bachelors in Computer Science from IIT Kanpur and an MBA from IIM Bangalore, there was always an itch . . . an itch to start a business. He started his company in 2008 and ran it for three years. His experience was bitter sweet. The business generated good cash, but failed to grow. He then took a break, moved to the USA and joined McKinsey and Company. Ever since, he has worked across the world in the technology industry. His work is now focused on applying Artificial Intelligence for the benefit of companies. He continues to be involved in the world of entrepreneurship as an angel investor and as an advisor to startups in the Silicon Valley and India.