Wasserman conducted the one and only intensive survey of startup management decisions and their long-term consequences. Most importantly for new founders in CPG, he discusses how very early decisions (going solo or with cofounders) have long-term consequences that founders need to foresee. Packed flow-charts and lists of consequences, this book is a essential tool to think through major structural decisions up front and along the way to scale.
Michael breaks down the three conflicting personas of any entrepreneur in a very readable way. Gerber shows how most small business owners (who own restaurants or craft shops) start only with technical skills and little business experience. This may or may not describe you, but you should read this book so you understand the totality of the personal development challenge you have to tackle.
Eric’s work has sold over a million copies and stems from his own experiences and extensive research into a launch approach that ups the odds of success. His work focuses on tech and software startups but should be read by anyone who likes Ramping Your Brand. I did not discover his work until after I published my own, but we are very simpatico in a world obsessed with rocket launches and unicorns.
Finally, someone with access and time did a comprehensive, systematic review of startup failure. If you’re on my site, it’s because you want to grow fast but manage risk intelligently as you do. Please read this book now and inoculate yourself against the common mistakes startups make before and after launch.
This is the book you keep hearing about among your Phase 1 founder buddies. That’s because it makes the case for Wickman’s Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS). Operating a complex business like a consumer product brand overwhelms most first-time founders. And once you get into the seven figures, you can not just wing things via e-mail, sloppy spreadsheets, etc. Many of my clients swear by the EOS system, and I have no reason to doubt them.
This is a sleeper reference for anyone who insists on running their startup as a professional fast-growth experiment. Kathleen covers all aspects of new venture planning, including how to manage risk and not to over plan. Better than your MBA, if you’ve never run a startup before.
This is both a live course and a textbook produced by the Specialty Food Association. This is literally the highest ROI reference material you can get as you set up your initial P&L, and pricing ladder to the shelf. It will save you lots of headaches and cash flow disasters as a newbie. The course is offered the day before each Fancy Foods show (January and June). $200 for the course and the textbook. $160 for textbook itself, if you’re already an SFA member.
Mark Crowell is one of the leading premium food product development consultants in North America. His comprehensive essay will help you understand what is involved in developing a commercially scalable, premium quality CPG product line, whether it’s a food item or not. You simply need to read this.
If you’re about to hire a co-manufacturer for the first time or switch to a new one, then you need to read this book. You need to learn what you don’t know about the legal and procedural intricacies of working with manufacturing facilities that, ultimately, aren’t focused on small brands at all.
This is a classic text written for the new founder. It may convince you to avoid institutional investors altogether. But, if you do aim for a Series A, this is a must-read 2-3 years before you think you might raise money. You have to understand how to negotiate the mechanics of a sound deal, even if you actually hire a venture attorney to do battle for you.
Absence of Trust. Fear of Conflict. Lack of Commitment. Absence of Accountability. Inattention to Results.
If you think your ‘snowflake’ startup will magically avoid these dysfunctions, you’re dead wrong. You need to work even harder as an unstable, small business to function well as you grow quickly.
Too many leadership books focus on the hero founder/CEO. This is NOT the secret to high performing teams. Empirical research shows that teams have to display specific social characteristics which reflect the quality of their interactions. You can figure out how you stack up in minutes by asking the five questions in this short article. It’s more insightful than most leadership books out there.
Chris Voss is not only a negotiation expert. He’s a master linguist without any formal training. You absolutely want to learn the simple conversation techniques in his book, because you will need them in every high stakes negotiation your business faces.
Many founders struggle with promoting their business confidently. Daniel Pink explores why selling is simply a professional version of human persuasion itself. I promise you will feel less gross promoting your business after reading this.
Neumeier’s book is a super easy read—literally a two-hour task for a busy founder. But the key message is essential for early-stage brands in a highly competitive consumer products landscape. While I hope you have a compelling product design, often it takes more than design to Ride the Ramp. Finding a marketing playbook that competitors would never use is a critical weapon. Zag, while everyone else Zigs. This book is like a prayer to executing differently as competitive advantage.
Allan cuts through the enormous amount of myths around communicating with your fans through media, otherwise commonly referred to as ‘marketing.’ He will focus you on the true fundamentals of marcom: having a clear objective, strong ROI and above all else – avoiding unproductive mass communications that only work with enormous budgets and iconic brands with high awareness.
Ted is one of the world’s leading practitioners of large scale word of mouth marketing. What he has discovered can be applied without his services for small consumer brands. In this book, you’ll learn the basic logic of word-of-mouth and the kinds of storytelling that make it work in ordinary human conversation.