An Open Letter to You

Dear Future Entrepreneur,

Welcome! My mission is to help you bring your business ideas to life.

A startup is a special case where to bring that idea to life there are a lot more dynamic variables to deal with – team, product, capital, market, timing etc.

Although there are stories of startup glory that get reported every day in the media, you and I know that the success rate for startup survival (let’s not go to startup success yet) is abysmal. There are dozens of reasons for that – one of the biggest reasons being not fully ready to take on the startup adventure.

If you are a first time entrepreneur, things get a bit complex. There are two negatives you have to deal with:

• The first negative being the low odds of startup success.
• The second negative being the lack of past entrepreneurial success of the entrepreneur (rightly so as this is your first startup).

In mathematics, a double negative is a positive. However, in the world of entrepreneurship, a double negative is just that – double negative.

My goal with Setup to Startup is exactly what the title suggests – help set you up right to first survive, then thrive in the startup game.

I have been involved with startups in various roles (co-founder of over half a dozen startups, investor, advisor, mentor to founding teams) since 2000. In addition, I have taught a few hundred first-time entrepreneurs the art of bringing their idea to life. Throughout this journey while I was practicing my craft, I also have been fortunate to have met teachers, mentors and fellow practitioners from whom I have learned AND I continue to learn.

Spending most of my working life in Silicon Valley has been a big help as well. Silicon Valley is where we eat, breathe, dream, walk, talk, jump, laugh, cry (and add your own verb here) startups.

I have done my best to package what I have learned so far and poured into this book for you.

Come, join hands with me – let us together increase the odds of your startup success.

Fellow Traveler,
Rajesh Setty