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Wayne McVicker

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Starting Something: An Entrepreneur's Tale of Corporate Culture Kindle Edition

by Wayne McVicker (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.3 48 ratings

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A piercingly honest and highly personal story of how a software firm that accidentally became a dotcom darling and eventually a $3 billion public company, survived its struggles in the face of daunting obstacles. Delivers a wealth of insight, information, and advice for entrepreneurs. An unflinching look at both the dark and the bright sides of corporate culture.

Print length

483 pages
Language

English
Sticky notes

On Kindle Scribe
Publication date

January 16, 2017
File size

2437 KB
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Editorial Reviews

Review

McVicker is a gifted storyteller and he takes you inside the whirlwind. --Jamis MacNiven, author of Breakfast at Buck s

For managers, a handy tool, as well as a tale of financial daring exciting enough to interest a general readership. --Kirkus Discoveries

A must-read for aspiring entrepreneurs. It took me years in the trenches building Symantec to earn the people-side lessons so freely elucidated by McVicker - and unfortunately not yet taught in business schools. --Denis Coleman, Founder, Symantec Corp.

From the Publisher

Ravel Media's new book, Starting Something, has been named:

Winner of 2004 DIY Book Festival Book of the Year
Winner in the Business category of the Writers Notes Book Awards
Winner in the BookAnnouncements Business Author of the Year Award
Winner of the Business category at the 2005 Independent Publisher Book (IPPY) Awards

From the Inside Flap

A Life of Its Own

Neoforma was founded in 1996 in Silicon Valley, several months before the unofficial birth of the dotcom boom. Starting Something chronicles a five-year personal and corporate roller-coaster ride that ended in 2001 with the author stepping aside from the company he had co-founded.

The title, Starting Something, has a double meaning. The first meaning hints at the noble naiveté of taking on industry giants armed only with personal ideals and a great product. The second meaning reflects the universal experience of giving oneself over to the creative process, of starting something that eventually takes on a life of its own.

And what a life! Neoforma's IPO was the 16th most successful IPO in history. As the first healthcare-dotcom-B2B-ecommerce company, it had no competitors, only giant investors like GE and Dell. Its customers were happy, its employees were happy. It ended up confronting over one hundred competitors and two industry coalitions founded by companies valued at nearly $1 trillion. Neoforma grew from one employee in 1996 to over 230 by its IPO in January, 2000. But there was trouble ahead, and some warning signs that serve as valuable lessons for anyone caught up in corporate change.

McVicker deftly describes the impact of growth: fighting off huge competitors, hiring the "wrong people for the wrong reasons" (but also the right people for the right reasons), bridging rifts between old hands and new blood, and dealing with corporate partners trying to swallow them whole. Four months after the IPO, the company was in deep trouble, laying off good people and watching its stock value plummet.

But this isn't a dot bust book. At no time was the company in its death throes. Today Neoforma is alive and well. "Jeff and I started Neoforma in a fit of idealistic frenzy," writes the author. "It grew into something much more than we had planned, though much less than we had hoped. Several hundred families now derive their sustenance from Neoforma. That, on its own, should be enough."

For McVicker, the company had "found its own destiny." But as the book ends, it becomes clear that the drive to create usually resurfaces. Even as he was separating himself mind and body from his now independent creation, he was spinning off a new company, happy to be getting on with the joys and challenges of Starting Something.

From the Back Cover

About the Author

Wayne McVicker (Los Altos, California) is an architect, author and entrepreneur. He has too many decades of experience in the design, health care, and IT industries. McVicker's five-year-long wild ride as co-founder, board member, and president of Neoforma (NASDAQ: NEOF) is the basis for his book.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01MS8D62Z
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ravel Media (January 16, 2017)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 16, 2017
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 2437 KB
Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 483 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #1,421,692 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #985 in Biographies of Artists, Architects & Photographers (Kindle Store)
- #1,248 in Startups
- #4,085 in Artist & Architect Biographies

Customer Reviews:
4.3 48 ratings

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4.3 out of 5

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Steven Christensen

Reading Between The Lines

Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2006

Verified Purchase

Starting Something captures the rocket ride to IPO in a truly remarkable way that makes the reader feel he's riding co-pilot. I found the discussion about their venture investor, Venrock Associates, to be of particular interest because it appears that "Bret," the Venrock Partner, was given additional equity in Neoforma after Venrock's investment (pp. 308-310). The problem with this kind of thing is that Bret works for the limited and general partners of the firm, not himself, and he took equity right out of their pockets.

Is there any way to justify Bret's actions here? Please, tell me that I'm missing something here.

Helpful

Brian

An informative and personal story

Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2019

Verified Purchase

Learning how the business transformed from a goal-driven startup through the IPO to a more abstract dollar-based business was informative. The author’s point of view was interesting. If we could hear the perspective of the others in the story the book could have been great. I am guessing there are many different interpretations of the events.

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Edward Sullivan

Starting Something: Must Read for Startup Junkies

Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2005

Verified Purchase

Wayne does a nice job describing the complicated aspects of funding a business, corporate governance, and office politics; moreover, he tells a great story. Well written and engaging, Starting Something pulled me in like a seasoned angler and cost me more than one restless night. The tension and excitement build as he expertly guides us through the Neoforma history. The marketcap/employee graphs begin each chapter and accentuate the importance of each event and decision.

If you are or have been directly or indirectly involved in a rapidly growing company, this book is a "must have."

3 people found this helpful

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Carlyn Campbell

Not for everyone, but great for those who will use it!

Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2010

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This book won't apply directly to everyone, but for the businessperson who wants to get ahead in his or her market quickly, this is a must-read. It chronicles the journey of Wayne McVicker from his point of view as he goes from mid-level manager and engineer to multi-millionaire at his company's IPO, and beyond. Easy to read and worth the time spent in its pages.

One person found this helpful

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ppak10

Good book, underrated

Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2019

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Good book for learning about the basics of starting a company, one of the only required reading books that I actually read

Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2016

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Got it for a class. Well organized but I wish it was more straight to the point. The book came in a great condition though.

Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2014

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Since I was part of Neoforma and the crazy dot com days -it resonates real well.! Nicely done Wayne!.

Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2017

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Best book for students looking to be entrepreneurs

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Top reviews from other countries

Amazon Customer

Therefor the best way to review this novel is to say it ...

Reviewed in Australia on September 11, 2015

Verified Purchase

By far the most well written, informative and enjoyable to read business book I have ever read. Can't thank Wayne enough for shedding the light on the harshness of the business world whilst leaving me more passionate than ever to start something.
Therefor the best way to review this novel is to say it does exactly what Wayne set out to do. Lay it all out on the table and leave you with the drive to push you into that next/first business adventure.

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