Juli and I listened to this on a few road trips. It provoked some very good discussion between us, and often enough that we would pause the book, talk about what we just heard, debate and discuss, then continue listening. As I write this review some five years later, I honestly can’t recall a single specific thing from the book, but that it was thought-provoking enough for us to want to pause and discuss, should be enough of a recommendation.
Ah, the “Boulder Thesis”. Startup Communities is essential reading for anyone in the startup world, especially if you’re in the startup world outside of the Bay Area. I’ve read this book quite a few times, and have heartily recommended it over and over again. It has become such an important part of startup community development that many of the terms, ways of thinking, and even the phrase “Boulder Thesis” have become part of the startup lexicon. If you’re in the startup world and you haven’t read it, go grab it now.
Note: this review is for an older edition of the book—they’re on the third edition now.
I don’t offer many conditional reviews, but this review is predicated on the fact that you want to learn more about startup venture financing. It’s a dry subject, and if you’re not into it, or it’s not relevant to you, then skip this book. However, if you are in the startup world and you want to know about venture capital from the experts, then this is a must. It’s just OK as an audio book, and I got a copy of the print book (print! so old fashioned) to be able to review the parts with math.
Once upon a time, the idea of a startup accelerator was new, uncommon, even unique. YC and Techstars were the originators of this model. I moved to Boulder to be part of the tech startup world here, led by Techstars, and this was the bible. Filled with short stories told by the founders, this was a great read—one I read multiple times. It’s been a few years, so I don’t know how it stands up after nearly seven years.