Building on Bedrock : What Sam Walton, Walt Disney, and Other Great Self-Made Entrepreneurs Can Teach Us About Building Valuable Companies

"Here's an astounding fact: Over half the working population will try their hand at being an entrepreneur during their working career. We all dream to some extent about achieving some combination of the fortune, fame, and control over our lives we associate with successful entrepreneurs. Those are admirable aspirations in a society that counts on entrepreneurs to innovate, create new jobs, and to grow our economy. Our work-driven culture encourages us to take the entrepreneurial bait, but how can you know whether being an entrepreneur will end as a dream come true or a nightmare from which you cannot awake? Building on Bedrock will help answer that question. This book will focus on when you should take the leap and whether entrepreneurship is even the right thing for you--as a founder, co-founder, or investor. Based upon research, but told through the stories of American businessman and entrepreneur Sam Walton and others, Building on Bedrock discusses the who, what, when, where, how, how much, and why of successful entrepreneurs. Was it luck, talent, passion, charm, a rich uncle, or something else that was the key to this person's success? Which might be the key to your success? What you learn will surprise you."-- Amazon.com One of Fast Company 's Best Business Books of the Year: A new foundational guide to entrepreneurial success from the author of Startup Leadership . Here's an astounding fact: Over half the working population will try their hand at being an entrepreneur during their working career. They may be motivated by a desire for fortune or fame, by a longing for freedom and control over their lives; by the urge to innovate and create jobs. But how can you know whether being an entrepreneur will end as a dream come true or a nightmare from which you cannot wake? Building on Bedrock helps answer that question. Based on research and revealed through the stories of American entrepreneurs Sam Walton, Walt Disney, Estee Lauder, Ray Kroc, and others, Building on Bedrock will help you understand the elements most essential to taking the entrepreneurial leap and making a company last. Was it luck, talent, passion, charm, a rich uncle, or something else that was the key to this person's success? Which might be the key to your success? What you learn may surprise you. "These days, entrepreneurship is often synonymous with tech startups and venture funding. But that's not the reality for a lot of business owners. CEO, entrepreneur, and business professor Derek Lidow gets into the heart of what it really takes to build a long-lasting business...and how to know whether you are suited to the roller coaster ride of entrepreneurship."-- Fast Company , 7 best business books of 2018 "Flat out, the best book on entrepreneurship I have ever read." --Roger Martin, author of Creating Great Choices