Introduction Stage 1: The Call to Adventure: Myths About Starting a Company Myth #1: Build a Billion-Dollar Company Myth #2: Founders Start Companies to Make a Lot of Money Myth #3: You Have to Be First to Market Bonus Myth #B-1: Start Something You Are Passionate About Stage 2: Fuel for the Journey: Myths About Raising Money Myth #4: A Great Product and a Big Market Are the Most Important Things Myth #5: Two Guys and a Business Are Better Than Two Guys and a Plan Myth #6: Talk to as Many Investors as You Can Myth #7: Take the Highest Valuation You Can Get Bonus Myth #B-2: Raise as Little (as Much) Money as Possible Stage 3: Travel Companions: Myths About Hiring and Management Myth #8: Hire the Most Experienced People You Can Find Myth #9: Get Out of the Way and Let People Do Their Jobs, or I Can Do It Faster Myself! Myth #10: Better Management Causes Faster Growth Bonus Myth #B-3: If I own X%, Then My Stock Is worth $x! Stage 4: The Road of Trials: Myths About Going to Market Myth #11: Focus, Focus, Focus Myth #12: My Product Failed Because My Sales Guy Sucks Myth #13: If Only We Could Spend More on Marketing! Myth #14: Fail Fast, Pivot Quickly Bonus Myth #B-4: There Is No Such Thing as Bad Publicity Stage 5: Acquiring the Treasure: Myths About Exiting Your Company Myth #15: At This Rate, My Startup Will Be Worth Twice as Much Tomorrow! Myth #16: They're Buying Us Because Our Product is Awesome! Myth #17: The Best Way to Cash Out Is to Sell or Go Public Bonus Myth #B-5: Upfront Cash Is Better than Stock or an Earnout Stage 6: The Underworld and the Return: Myths About Life and Death in a Startup Myth #18: Startups Are Hard Work Myth #19: Whew, I'm Glad That's Over! No More Startups for Me! Bonus Myth #B-6: If My Startup Fails, My Life Is Over! Bonus Myths Appendix A: The Startup Market Lifecycle and Curves Appendix B: Meet Our Cast of Characters and Startups Acknowledgments About the Author Index.