EVERYTHING STARTED AS NOTHING (PB)

There's a lot of books written on theories of entrepreneurship... and they serve different purposes.Starting with inspiring stories of successful startups and entrepreneurs on various levels going deep into different aspects.However, "Everything started as nothing" isn't a theory at all unlike or some of the other startup classics. (Read, "Zero to One" if you want to know more about the philosophical part ofentrepreneurship or "Art of the Start" for more ground-to-earth advice). This is full of practical tips for budding entrepreneurs (and Intrapreneurs too) and applicable wherever you are in today’s world to build a unique business. If you need practical advice on how to build yourbusiness ... you got to pick it up today.If you are an Entrepreneur:A majority of the book is dedicated to making you aware of the art of fundraising ... one of the most important aspects of your upcoming/ lunched/ growing business. Bhaskar reveals the secrets of funding and you need to start reading the chapter “Raising the first funding isn’t thedestination, it’s start of the journey”. The concept of money goes even deeper with the chapters “Beware of the Funding” and “It’s a not, till the money hits the bank”.One more important aspect of this book is it’s not only about strategy and fundraising but takes you through a complete cycle of execution of building your business. Chapters “Vision doesn’t ensure success, Execution does”, “They need to know you built it…”, “Pivot or Perish” and “As the company grows” and “You are as Good as you Hire” requires your attention for careful and diligent reads, couple of times!.If you are an Intrapreneur:All written above for entrepreneurs are equally applicable to you. Intrapreneurs are also just like Entrepreneurs but operating within the boundaries of an organization. However, that doesn’t make your job easier. You also need to go through the full cycle of conceiving, fundraising, building the MVP, build your go-to-market strategy, find a product-market fit, keep selling your product and continuously innovating to move ahead of your competitors (read gladiator entrepreneurs fiercely raising money to build their products to become the leader in the market). I was pleasantly surprised to see a chapter dedicated to Intrapreneurship! Expect to learn from two of the finest Indian Intrapreneurs in this chapter. Opportunities are endless for you if you want to make it big inside a large corporation, but don’t assume it is easier than an entrepreneur, so learn the trade and you won’t find a better book this. Replace the words entrepreneur with Intrapreneur and make the world your playground. Will end this with a fantastic quote I loved from the book “Intrapreneuers are the Dreamers who Do”.This is my new favorite book and I rate it as high as I can go, but I can immediately tell you it’s already in my top three classics on building everything new, which always starts with nothing!Bhaskar, thank you for writing this wonderful book, looking forward to reads few more classics like this in near future.

First of all, I would like to thank Bhaskar for writing a beautifully organized book that takes you through all the stages of entrepreneurship and how to build a company!Building a startup is definitely not easy. An entrepreneur has to take the leap of faith for the business idea, build it from scratch to an enterprise, that solves problems in the market or taps business opportunities. While the founder would build and grow the business with a conviction, co-founders, initial team, investors, advisors, etc., it is also very important for the founder to grow himself/herself as well. As a company grows navigating through all the challenges around business, team building, operations, fundraises, IPO, etc., it becomes very important for the founder to grow into a person who can lead and be responsible for the entire organization comprising of employees, their families, the investors, board, shareholders, and all relevant stakeholders. For first-time and young founders who have set out to build on their vision, there are a lot of business aspects that come forward as the company grows and matures into an organization.What I personally liked from this book: "Everything started as Nothing" is that it is a trove of wisdom and serves as a comprehensive guidebook for entrepreneurs of any stage to read about opinions and learnings from the personal experiences of Bhaskar, industry leaders, serial entrepreneurs, and investors. I would strongly recommend entrepreneurs and aspirational founders to keep this book on their must-read list.Lastly, special thanks to Bhaskar for including 2 cents from my side. A fellow IIT KGPian and super senior from our hostel, RP Hall, Bhaskar was the first investor who supported my idea and backed Roder via Unicorn India Ventures, back in 2015. Even during our worst of days, Bhaskar showed faith in us and continued to support us with extended financing. It was a great pleasure and learning experience while working closely with him. I wish the very best to Bhaskar and also for the continued success of the book! Thanks!

Everything Started as Nothing by Bhaskar Majumdar is not just a book on startup wisdom, rather an encyclopedia. The book is special because of its author – Bhaskar Majumdar – who is a strong personality in the startup ecosystem. Not only this, he has been an expert investor for startups for many years and currently he is the founder and managing partner at Unicorn India Ventures, also a seasoned media & technology executive and entrepreneur.The information and insights given in the book are not only new but much of the knowledge spirals off from his personal experiences. As I read the book, I got all the nuances of starting a startup. His mega coverage on funding is simply the superb USP of the book. He has taken live and great examples to simplify the terms and explain various situations that hold up startups at many levels. From Big Basket to Eggoz to Facebook and his company Recreate Solutions and many more, references galore in the book.Written in lucid language and captivating style, this book is like a hand guide, one can use it anytime. There are so many startup stories in the book for each situation that I run out of memory to keep track of all…but in the end it is something fruitful read. No one can share information on startups like he does in this book. I think all startup guys in India must pick up this book for better clarity on their thoughts and actions. In a sense, truly the book is something that teaches you to learn “How to Win the Start-up Battle.”

Very lucidly written book about building Startups. The stories from various entrepreneurs shared in the book are very inspiring and provides a broad and diverse industry views. The “Startup Mentality” and approach outlined in the book, via various real stories from prominent entrepreneurs, is equally applicable for life and anything you are doing in large enterprise, small business or a startup.There are tons of nuggets of wisdom in the book. Couple that stuck with me -- "To be successful entrepreneur, you must have the audacity to ‘ask’. You will have to be able to take ‘No’ for an answer." and "Wear your passion on your sleeve."In the book, Bhaskar has provided a masterclass on how to plan, build, sustain and grow a start-up, and stay miles ahead of competition.Thoroughly enjoyed the book and plan to keep it handy for easy reference.

When holy Bhagwat Geeta talks about the whole life cycles in 18 chapters from birth to moksha for human, Bhaskar's book has covered the start-up life from conception till exit - Have very clearly defined the karma of the founder, how to choose Krishna over Krishna's sena.A must-read book for all founders who are preparing for Mahabharta! Keep this as a manual & revisit as you progress from ideation to market! " Entrepreneurs don't fail, business do " can be a lifesaver line for many founders....Thanks a lot for sharing your wisdom !!!

This is an incredible book. I often find it difficult to get through non-fiction, but this one read like a fast-paced thriller. With an enormous amount of facts, insights, and so many amazing real-life stories, I found it very hard to put down. And this is not just those looking to understand what it takes to be an entrepreneur in an Indian context. I believe there are critical lessons here for pretty much anyone, looking to make a success of any career or profession, and at pretty much any stage of their individual journeys.

The book provides insight into how to build startup businesses. Having worked with Bhaskar so closely in couple of his venture, I can see his personal mark in the book. Good luck!