Lucky or Smart? : Secrets to an Entrepreneurial Life

Rating:
Summary: Bo nailed it!
Review: A friend, who happens to be a lifelong entrepreneur, recently gave me a copy of Bo's book with the advice to "not start this thing until you have time to finish it." Phil was right. When it comes to this crazy game of starting new ventures I have never read anything that expressed my observations better. Bo nailed it! Enjoy!

-Brad Schell
B student and Founder of @Last Software.


Rating:
Summary: Good - if you need that extra push to start a business
Review: Bo Peabody would make an excellent motivational speaker and that is exactly what his book accomplished. If you are looking to start up a business on your own and think that A) you'll make it work cause your smart or B) you'll make it work because everything just works out for you, then you should read this book.

Rating:
Summary: Good weekend reading
Review: I enjoy reading stories about entrepreneurs and the (sometimes) crazy stuff they do. Bo Peabody is a crazy and, might I add, highly entertaining, entrepreneur. Bo made wads of cash selling his internet company Tripod at the height of the bubble. He was in his mid 20s.

"Lucky or Smart" is a small book, in length no greater than a weekend NY Times magazine article. The tone is positive, irreverant, and homely. There is some classic diatribe. For example, in talking about the corrosive effects of Blackberry's on the concentration span of executives nowadays, he recommends that smart entrepreneurs send them to competitors to rob them of their power of thought (p45). Sad but very likely true.

Bo sees the business world as made up of A-students and B-students, the former being primarily managers, the latter entrepreneurs. Each plays a very important role in a new venture. There is a symbiotic relationship between the two, with the B-students pushing the envelope, selling, and ignoring accepted wisdom in search of new frontiers, while the A-students refine and focus based on the view in the rear-view mirror.

There isn't a lot in the way of inspiration or guidance but Bo shows us that you can be lucky or you can be smart, and a truly smart person realizes when she's getting lucky and capitalizes on it.

If you enjoyed "Dot Con" by John Cassidy, "Dot Bomb" by J. David Kuo, or "A Good Hard Kick in the Ass" by Rob Adams, you might enjoy Bo's book.

Rating:
Summary: Finally
Review: I heard about this book from a good friend who is a top venture capitalist. Rarely do you see a book that is so relevant for both entrepreneurs and investors alike. I have financed over 50 companies in the past few years and cannot imagine a better resource for anyone who is starting a company. Peabody brings the start-up world to life with humor, humility and some incredibly sage advice for a young guy. I only wish (for my pocketbook) that I had read it a lot sooner! Clearly, his record speaks for itself and every business school professor, student, manager and employee should read Lucky or Smart.

Rating:
Summary: Hilarious and engaging
Review: If you spent the latter part of the '90s working with brilliant, slightly unhinged tech wizards with a disdain for footwear and an even greater disdain for being "managed," then you'll love this book. Or if you spent the '90s trying to decide which brilliant, slightly unhinged dot com ideas you should fund, then you'll love this book. Even if you spent the 90s working on your stamp collection, this book is a very funny look at the inner workings of a small company, with words of wisdom, wit and inspiration that extend way beyond the dot com era.

Rating:
Summary: Will be a classic "Little Book"
Review: It seems that whenever you are looking for deep insights into some aspect of business someone will say, "There is this great little book called ..."

"Think and Grow Rich", "Richest Man in Babylon", and the "One Minute Manager" all fall into the category of "A great little book..."

The beauty of little books is that the author has managed to buck the economics of publishing (which values books by page count and size) and has focused clearly on one topic. This clarity is priceless and hard to find.

Bo Peabody has created another in a list of "Great little books..." He clearly paints a picture of the kind of person who should be an entrepreneur and the things that person needs to focus on and learn.

The book makes its points well and has compelling stories that illustrate the ideas. It has a frank view of the mystique of the entrepreneur and the way that ego can destroy our companies.

It's a great little book!

Rating:
Summary: Terrific!
Review: Peabody dispels the illusion of the free-wheeling dot.com wunderkind of the '90s by confessing what he did -- and did NOT -- know, all the while encouraging would-be entrepreneurs of the NEXT_BIG_THING. A quick, but worthwhile, read.

Rating:
Summary: A quick read but loads of insight
Review: This is a very small book relative to other business books, but it does make quite an impact. I was very impressed with the quality of information, and how the author really brings his entrepreneurial experience alive.

I only gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because I would have liked a little more substance.


Rating:
Summary: More than just a "Business Book"
Review: This was a thoroughly enjoyable read with many wonderful little nuggets and life-lessons. Some of the anecdotes were truly funny.

While positioned as a "business book", I believe it has far wider relevance... almost anyone can benefit from reading this book. I think it would be especially useful for graduates about to enter the working world... not as a lesson in entrepeneurship per se, but as an illustration that whether we're A-student managers, B-student salesmen/entrepeneurs or long-haired tattooed techie types; there are places for us all in the working world. And that organizational success requires contributions from all.

Buy it for yourself for a fun read, then pass it on to someone about to graduate into the working world.



Rating:
Summary: Must Read
Review: This was truly one of the best business books I have read in ages. It was filled with humor and timeless truths which are communicated from a very personal perspective. It is this perspective which allows the reader to immediately identify with the message.

The good Mr. Peabody has struck gold many times in his professional career...he has allowed us a glimpse into the personality traits, and the pysche, which have allowed him to take advantage of these opportunties.

It was just fantastic...hysterical, yet the messages never lost in the comedic presentation. Every entrepeneur from 15 to 60 needs to read this piece...it reads like a very funny Aesop's fable for the business world.