True founder : what no one else has the guts to teach you about starting your first business

True Founder will help you navigate the challenges of launching your first Startup. WHO IS THIS BOOK FOR? First-time founders, all first-time founders. If you're looking to pull the trigger and quit your job, this book is for you. If you're trying to figure out whether you should hire your first team member based on experience, or take a chance on hiring friends, this book is for you. If you're trying to decide between angel funding, VC funding, or debt, this book is for you. If you're sitting there reading this feeling like you're about to burn out and that you're doing everything wrong, this book is for you. No doubt you've had someone make a comment about how you work too much or you need to take a break. As a first-time founders, you're guilted for giving up your work-life balance. Yet anywhere else in life, sacrifice is encouraged. Think about a ball player who decided to go to the league after one year of college. Or a billboard artist who spends every night and every last dollar in the studio working on their debut album. Even a PhD student who's given up on even starting life until they're done their 10 year specialization. In all these situations, you get a pat on the back for your risk and sacrifice Well it's time to stop feeling guilty, instead it's time lean into it. Your willingness to chase your dreams is what sets you apart, it's your own personal competitive advantage and True Founder is here to arm you with the strategies you need to double down on that. 10 Things This Book Will Teach You Becoming a professional problem solver Understanding that business is a series of sprints, not a marathon How your job is to make decisions, even if they aren't the right ones How to stay motivated when everything is on fire How to create opportunities by shooting your shot and putting yourself at the table Avoiding co-founder drama with difficult conversations and a shareholders agreement The truth about early stage hires Working with freelancers, dev houses and marketing agencies Raising capital with Angels and Venture Capitalists Building a community by finding your own niche It doesn't take someone special to succeed in business. What it takes is absolute dedication, the willingness to sacrifice in the pursuit of your goals, and a little bit of luck. People think that being a founder is glamorous, that it means posting Instagram photos at a coffee shop all day or spending hours creating cool logos. Enter Marc Lafleur, who tells his story in all its glamour-less glory, from creating two failed startups to selling his company truLOCAL for $16.8 million after only five years. Complete with all of Lafleur's hard-earned learnings and humiliating mistakes made along the way, this book is full of unconventional tips for first-time founders, advice on how to scale, and life lessons from a guy who realized a long time ago that everything happens for a reason. It doesn't take someone special to succeed in business. What it takes is the right mindset, becoming self-aware, and the dedication to put your success and goals above everything else. And, as any honest founder would say, a little bit of luck. "The ultimate playbook for first-time founders. Being a first-time founder is hard. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise! True Founder will help you navigae the challenges of starting your first business."--Back cover