Introduction -- The call. Be open to ideas ; Is it dangerous or just scary? ; Leave your safety zone... but do it safely ; Do your research ; Find your co-founder ; Fund the business, part 1: Bootstrapping ; Get your story straight ; Fund your business, part 2: Other people's money ; Iterate, iterate, iterate -- The test(s). Go in through the side door ; It's all about location ; Get attention, part 1: Building buzz ; Get attention, part 2: Engineering word of mouth ; Survive the crucible ; Fund the business, part 3: Professional money ; Protect what you've built ; When catastrophe strikes ; The art of the pivot -- The destination. It can't be all about the money ; Build a culture, not a cult ; Think small to get big ; Manage partnership tensions ; Know thyself ; When to sell and when to stay ; Be kind ; What you do with your luck -- Afterword.