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Startup: A Silicon Valley Adventure Paperback – October 1, 1996

by Jerry Kaplan (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 82 ratings
See all formats and editions
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Kaplan, a well-known figure in the computer industry, founded GO Corporation in 1987, and for several years it was one of the hottest new ventures in the Valley. Startup tells the story of Kaplan's wild ride: how he assembled a brilliant but fractious team of engineers, software designers, and investors; pioneered the emerging market for hand-held computers operated with a pen instead of a keyboard; and careened from crisis to crisis without ever losing his passion for a revolutionary idea. Along the way, Kaplan vividly recreates his encounters with eccentric employees, risk-addicted venture capitalists, and industry giants such as Bill Gates, John Sculley, and Mitchell Kapor. And no one - including Kaplan himself - is spared his sharp wit and observant eye.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    336 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Penguin Books
  4. Publication date
    October 1, 1996
  5. Grade level
    12 and up
  6. Reading age
    18 years and up
  7. Dimensions
    7.76 x 5.08 x 0.7 inches
  8. ISBN-10
    9780140257311
  9. ISBN-13
    978-0140257311
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The founder of the visionary, yet doomed, GO Corporation kept notes throughout his years at the helm, thinking that one day he would produce a book. It shows. This is a vivid and lively rise-and-fall account of a company born to create a pen-based computer. It begins on a corporate jet with the author and fellow industry visionary Mitchell Kapor, founder of Lotus, sharing a vision of pen computing. From there, Startup quickly leaps to the day-to-day challenges of hiring staff, constantly reassessing and readjusting goals, and coping with the stress of endless rounds of venture capital funding. That Kaplan, in his first attempt at running a company, battles with the top forces at Microsoft, IBM, and other industry giants to bring the idea to market, only makes the story more compelling. His company's ultimate failure says more about a cutthroat industry than about the quality of Kaplan's product. This is a real David and Goliath tale. If you've ever wondered why things go right or wrong, how competition can kill you, or how financing really works within a small startup, read this book!

From Publishers Weekly

Entrepreneur Kaplan describes the tribulations he faced while forming his own company in the computer industry.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0140257314
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Books; Reprint edition (October 1, 1996)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780140257311
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0140257311
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 18 years and up
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 12 and up
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.76 x 5.08 x 0.7 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 82 ratings

About the author

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Jerry Kaplan

Jerry Kaplan

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Jerry Kaplan, PhD, is widely known as an Artificial Intelligence expert, serial entrepreneur, technical innovator, educator, bestselling author, and futurist. He invented several ground-breaking technologies including handheld tablet computers, online auctions, and electronic musical instruments. Currently, he is an Adjunct Lecturer at Stanford University where he teaches social and economic impact of Artificial Intelligence in Stanford's top-ranked Computer Science Department.

A renowned Silicon Valley veteran, Jerry Kaplan founded several storied technology companies over his 35-year career, two of which became public companies. Kaplan may be best known for his key role in defining the tablet computer industry as the founding CEO of GO Corporation in 1987. Prior to GO, Kaplan co-founded Teknowledge, Inc., one of the first Artificial Intelligence companies to commercialize Expert Systems, which went public in 1986. In 1994, Kaplan co-founded Onsale, Inc., the world's first Internet auction website, which went public in 1997. In 2004, he pioneered the emerging market for social games by starting Winster Corporation, where he served as CEO for eight years.

Jerry Kaplan has published over twenty refereed papers in academic journals and conference proceedings. He holds a BA in History and Philosophy of Science from the University of Chicago and a PhD in Computer and Information Science from the University of Pennsylvania.

Jerry Kaplan is the author of four books, including the best-selling classic "Startup: A Silicon Valley Adventure" (Houghton-Mifflin). Selected by Business Week as one of the top ten business books of 1995, Startup was optioned to Sony Pictures. "Humans Need Not Apply: A Guide to Wealth and Work in the Age of Artificial Intelligence” (Yale University Press) was honored by The Economist as one of the top ten science and technology books of 2015. His book "Artificial Intelligence: What Everyone Needs to Know" (Oxford University Press) was a 2016 Amazon new release #1 best seller in Artificial Intelligence. His latest book, "Generative Artificial Intelligence: What Everyone Needs to Know" (Oxford University Press) is slated for release in the spring of 2024.

Jerry Kaplan has been profiled in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Business Week, Red Herring, and Upside. He is a frequent commentary contributor to major newspapers and magazines. He received the 1998 Ernst & Young Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Northern California; served on the Governor's Electronic Commerce Advisory Council Member under Pete Wilson, Governor of California (1999); and received an Honorary Doctorate of Business Administration from California International Business University, San Diego, California (2004).

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
82 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Anton Aceves
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!
Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2023
Verified Purchase
It was very interesting to learn this process and sad at the same time. Thank you for sharing your experience and for all your hard work.
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R P
4.0 out of 5 stars The Life of a Business Idea, From Inspiration to Near Success to Crash and Burn
Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2005
Verified Purchase
This was a fun business story told with unusual finesse by Jerry Kaplan. Kaplan has an eye for detail that can make negotiations and other business meetings come alive.

The plot tells the story of a high profile venture in the late 90s, Go Inc., from inspiration through fund raising and product development to fame, near success and ultimate failure. Anyone who may have thought about starting a new venture who wants to sit in the passenger seat and observe the whole ride in detail (though not too much detail -- it's an easy read) will enjoy. I wouldn't say the book is highly educational in a process sense (how to do this, how to do that...), but it does give a lot of high level insight into the difficult tradeoffs and predatory practices that can be confronted in trying to grow a business in high tech. I read it in a few days and enjoyed it thoroughly.
3 people found this helpful
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Ranjeet Sonone
5.0 out of 5 stars Must read.
Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2005
Verified Purchase
I read this book over the thanksgiving weekend. I thoroughly enjoyed it. This book shows what it takes to be passionate about technology. Startups are not for making quick money, but to solve the real-world problems, fast. There are some very important lessons to be learnt from GO/EO and I think Jerry has done a terrific job at being honest and telling it like a story and not a chronicle of events. I discovered some very talented people through this book (E.g. Mr. Kapor, Campbell) who are an inspiration. There are many parts of the story that one will not forget. For me there were two:

1. Death of Jerry's cat. My heart really pained after reading it.

2. Jerry willing to bring on Campbell as the CEO. This showed that he was not part of GO so that he could be the CEO. I think this is a very important quality one must have.

Again, a great read.

-ranjeet
2 people found this helpful
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Ilya Grigorik
5.0 out of 5 stars Classic startup tale
Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2008
Verified Purchase
More than twenty years have passed since GO Corporation was founded (1987), but the lessons described by Jerry Kaplan still ring true today - the name of the company might as well be any new Web 2.0 startup. How do you turn an idea into a company? The financing, the partnership dance, working with your board and executive management, the technology race, and managing your personal life are all interwoven into a complex network of events that is a life of a startup. Aside from being a fascinating story, 'Startup' is a great text for any entrepreneur filled with dozens of useful quotes and insights.
2 people found this helpful
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Shmurf
5.0 out of 5 stars Smooth transitions
Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2016
Verified Purchase
It's no easy feat to change your point-of-view multiple times while still managing to stay true to a cohesive story. This book is a rare find and an excellent tale of the life of a startup founder that holds up to this day.
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jjlaw
3.0 out of 5 stars passes the smell test
Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2008
Verified Purchase
Though not quite as riveting and fascinating as its author probably thought it was, this is still a passably interesting tale of a young tech company founded more on dreams and possibiliy (thanks to venture capitalists) than tangible reality (during its four year existence doesn't seem to bring any product to the market). This reads as a perfect how not to run a business - borrow too much of other people's money and underestimate the competition (Microsoft plays the big bad villain here, but there are also jabs at IBM and Apple, probably undeserved) that might be forgiveable if Kaplan was some naive 21 year old techie at the start, but he wasn't (late 30s).
3 people found this helpful
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Nicolo
4.0 out of 5 stars Engaging and informative but not at the same time
Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2013
Verified Purchase
I enjoyed learning the story of something I had not known about before. I appreciated the information, tidbits, insights, and tips. I wish it was done a little more cohesively. Sometimes you would be wrapped up in narrative only to find that you are slowed down by some long winded definition. At other times you really want to know who, what, why something happened and the book completely skips over it leaving you looking back through pages to find where you should have figured things out. It can be jarring trying to remember people when there are big gaps between their introduction and their usefulness. Or trying to remember a definition that was brought up in the beginning of the book but not referred to until the end. I wish I could have his perspective on both but written separately.
One person found this helpful
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M. Saunders
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and fun -- this was a very enjoyable book!
Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 1998
Verified Purchase
Startup detailed the life of a technical venture from birth to death in a fast-moving and entertaining style. Kaplan does a great job of explaining what it was like to be there and what obstacles they faced in their journey to bring the first pen based computers to market. Kaplan gives an appropriate level of detail when descibing situations without being 'dry'. While another reader didn't like this book because of the superfluous descriptions, I thought this made the book even better -- it gave me a *feeling* of what it would have been like to be there in person. I missed many "bedtimes" when reading this book and I highly recommend it if you're interested in business stories, start-ups, or technology stories.
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Top reviews from other countries

Ms. Samanta
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic book about the ups and downs of a startup
Reviewed in Germany on September 15, 2015
Verified Purchase
The book is an amazing account of the ups and downs of creating a startup in the Silicon Valley.
Kaplan has an immersive storytelling and you feel you were with him during his meetings with
VCs, partners and competitors.

This book is worth every second you spend with it.
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