Page 8 - 6 Secrets to Startup Success

Acknowledgments

Writing a book is similar to launching a business. Each requires more
time and effort than expected, and most of the sacrifice comes from
people other than the author (or founder). Looking back, I’m amazed
at how many talented people generously contributed to this project.
I cannot name them all here, so I will hit the high notes.

The only thing harder than being married to an entrepreneur is
being married to a first-time author. My wife, Kristin, has endured
both. She advised and supported me throughout the writing process,
providing invaluable feedback on chapter drafts and all kinds of emo-
tional and tactical support. She took on more than her share of re-
sponsibility for our family life while continuing to inspire me in her
own professional career. Thanks, Kristin, for being my best friend
and most trusted editor.

Thanks to Phoebe and Isabelle, for cheering me on while putting
up with the strange hours and obsessive habits of a book-writing dad.
Phoebe consistently motivated me with her own quiet determination,
and Isabelle single-handedly risked life and limb to save thirty pages
of a chapter draft that had blown into the street from the roof of my
car. Thanks, girls, for encouraging me and for keeping me going.

This book couldn’t exist without its central characters. I’m in-
debted to founders Lynn Ivey (The Ivey), J.C. Faulkner (Decision
One Mortgage), Mark Williams (Modality), and Mark Kahn (TRAF-
FIQ), for their courage, expertise, and openness—and for allowing
their founding stories to be shared with the world at large. One of
the themes of this book is that launching a business is a highly per-
sonal, emotional process. I have not taken it for granted that these
founders were willing to be so generous with their lessons learned,
and I know readers will benefit greatly from this generosity. I owe a
special thanks to J.C., who has been a favorite client, trusted friend,
business partner, and mentor for many years now.

Thanks also to other colleagues and experts who lent their voices
to the narrative by allowing material from their interviews to be in-
cluded, especially Chris Holden, Robert (Bob) Tucker, Ken Macher,
Shaun Cassidy, John Davenport, Doug Crisp, and Jerry Schiano.

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