Ben Casnocha discovered he was entrepreneur at age 12 and hasn't slowed down since. In this remarkably instructive book, Ben dissects the entrepreneurship "e;gene,"e; explaining that everyone has inherited it if they have an idea to make the world a better place. In Casnocha's case, he found a better way for city governments to communicate with constituents on the Web. Six years later, Comcate has dozens of municipal clients, a growing staff, and a record of excellence. This book is the story of his start-up, but also a conversation with his mentors, clients and fellow entrepreneurs about how to make a business idea work?and how to have the time of your life trying. From Pat Lencioni to Marc Benioff of salesforce.com, Ben has won over the best and brightest of the business world?now it's your turn!

Ben Casnocha discovered he was entrepreneur at age 12 and hasn'tslowed down since. In this remarkably instructive book, Bendissects the entrepreneurship "gene," explaining that everyone hasinherited it if they have an idea to make the world a better place.In Casnocha's case, he found a better way for city governments tocommunicate with constituents on the Web. Six years later, Comcatehas dozens of municipal clients, a growing staff, and a record ofexcellence. This book is the story of his start-up, but also aconversation with his mentors, clients and fellow entrepreneursabout how to make a business idea work?and how to have the time ofyour life trying. From Pat Lencioni to Marc Benioff ofsalesforce.com, Ben has won over the best and brightest of thebusiness world?now it's your turn!

Foreword By Marc Benioff.Introduction.1.0 My Dot-Com Life Begins.Brainstorm: Who Knows What Could Happen If You Raise YourHand?Brain Trust: Take Responsibility, by Heidi Roizen.2.0 Nature or Nurture? A San FranciscoUpbringing.Brainstorm: All the Fuss About "Passion"--andHow to Tap into Yours3.0 The First Axiom of Business: Find a Need and FillIt.Brainstorm: The Fringe-Thoughts List: Where Most Great IdeasDevelop.Brainstorm: Feedback, Feedback, Feedback.4.0 Comcate Is Born: The Nuts and Bolts of Starting aBusiness.Brainstorm: The Business Plan Myth 28Brainstorm: Why Some People Get More Stuff Done (and Start RealBusinesses).5.0 First Meeting with a VC (It's All About theNetwork).Brainstorm: The Power of Mentors.Brainstorm: When to Ask a Dumb Question.Brain Trust: Taking Mentor Relationships to the Next Level, byBrad Feld.6.0 Signing Up Early Customers: Selling the Sizzleand the Steak.Brainstorm: Asking Questions: There's a Right and a WrongWay.Brainstorm: I Have a Strategic Plan. It's Called DoingThings.7.0 Confronting Failure . . . and BouncingBack.Brainstorm: Building Resilience--A TransferableQuotient.Brainstorm: How to Create and Leverage an Advisory Board.8.0 Hiring an Interim CEO: My First BigMistake.Brainstorm: Three Sure Ways to Maximize Luck.9.0 The Hunt for a COO: Recruiting a Top Team.Brainstorm: The Art of Courtship.Brainstorm: How to Overcome Fear of Failure.10.0 Life as a Road Warrior: Making Memorable SalesPitches.Brainstorm: Presentations--Worthy of Obsession.Brainstorm: Pricing in an Early-Stage Company.Brain Trust: Life Is a Sales Call, by Jeff Parker.11.0 I'm a Sophomore: Balancing Work, School,and Life.Brainstorm: Redefining the Entrepreneurial Lifestyle: Sleep,Nutrition, Exercise.Brainstorm: Being a Corporate Athlete.Brain Trust: A Life That Works, by Chris Yeh.12.0 A Silicon Valley Life: Building Me, Inc.Brainstorm: Networking 101.Brainstorm: Networking 202.Brainstorm: Every Cold Call Can Be Warm--Rich First-TimeInteractions.Brainstorm: Creating and Projecting Brand "Me."13.0 The Product Development Process: Cheap, Good, orFast?Brainstorm: Dare to Be Mediocre: Good Is the Enemy ofPerfect.14.0 It's a Frugal, Frugal World: BootstrappingThrough the Inevitable Cash Squeeze.Brainstorm: Asking for Money Versus Asking for Advice.15.0 The Long, Hard Slog: Achieving Scale.Brainstorm: A Relationship-Based First Business.Brainstorm: Getting More Good Revenue and Less Bad Revenue.Brain Trust: Keep Slogging Away, by Carol Rutlen.16.0 Fulfilling the Mission, One Customer at aTime.Brainstorm: Make Meaning: What Gets You and Your Employees UpEach Day?17.0 The Road Ahead: Leaders of the FlatWorld.Brain Trust: How to Think About the Future, by Sean Ness18.0 What Will You Be Shouting When You Reach theGrave?Brainstorm: Entrepreneurs Are Optimists.Brain Trust: Let Your Heart Guide You, by Timothy J. Taylor.Appendix A: What's Next.Appendix B: A One-a-Day, One-Month Plan to Becoming a BetterEntrepreneur.Appendix C: Ben's Reading List.Acknowledgments.Endnotes.The Author.