Page 50 - The Bootstrapper Bible

ChangeThis After six months of hard work, she was able to get meetings with three publishers who shared her vision of the market. She listened hard. She worked to understand what they wanted, what their customers wanted, how the industry worked. Without spending any money, Lynn was able to understand the market. She was able to invent some concepts for books that she thought might sell. And then she was ready to get serious. So she found illustrators and researchers who could capture the messages she was trying to communicate. And she didnʼt give them equity—instead, she paid them a share of the front money. One publisher decided that her concept for a calendar was worth a shot. They paid her a small advance and published it. Two years later, My friendʼs company has more than 2,000,000 cop- ies of their work in print. Her calendars are often at the cash register at Barnes & Noble. Sheʼs been hired as a spokesperson by a nationally marketed brand, she makes products she loves, she gets fan letters from people all over the country, and sheʼs having fun. Did she succeed because the her calendar idea was the most unique, original idea in the his- tory of publishing? Or because she was a skilled novelist? Not at all. She succeeded because she understood what her market wanted and because she persevered for years and years to build her reputation. She was careful with expenses, didnʼt waste her equity, and set herself up for success while protecting against failure. All without a bank loan. All without a patent lawyer. All because she picked the right business model, selling a product in a way that made sense to people who wanted to buy it. THE SHEER JOY OF GETTING IT RIGHT As Lynnʼs story illustrates, when youʼre in the right place at the right time with the right product, you can make it work. A lot of what Iʼm talking about in this manifesto might dis- | iss. 6.01 | i | U | X | + | h 50/103 f