Steve Blank is an entrepreneur, business strategist, and retired marketing executive in Silicon Valley. He began his career 26 years ago and has been at the heart of emerging technology industries ever since. He has been involved in numerous startups and established companies, in operational roles running the gamut from CEO to VP of marketing. The breath of his experience makes him a sought-after board member, advisor and speaker. Steve’s successes include E.piphany, an enterprise software company started in his living room; two semiconductor companies (Zilog and MIPS Computers), a workstation company (Convergent Technologies), a supercomputer firm (Ardent), a computer peripheral supplier (SuperMac), a military intelligence systems supplier (ESL) and a video game company (Rocket Science Games). These startups resulted in five IPO’s, and three very deep craters. Steve currently serves as a director on the boards of Macrovision (NASDAQ: MVSN), Immersion (NASDAQ: IMMR), as well as IMVU and CafePress, an online marketplace. He serves on the advisory board of several other Silicon Valley companies. Many of the principles presented in the book were used and fine-tuned in the creation of these companies and in Steve’s many years as a high-level advisor and company board member for companies both living and dead. Steve currently teaches entrepreneurship and customer development at the Haas School at U. C. Berkeley. In the classroom, his ideas, methodologies, and principles on customer development are presented and proofed each day in dialogues and analyses with the best business students as well as some of the most accomplished executives in the country. He speaks widely on customer development and entrepreneurship at numerous venues, including Stanford University, Software Development Forum, and venture capital conferences. Steve is an ardent conservationist and a board member of Audubon and Audubon California.

From publisher


The essential "how to" book for anyone bringing a product to market, writing a business plan, marketing plan or sales plan. Step-by-step strategy of how to successfully organize sales, marketing and business development for a new product or company. The book offers insight into what makes some startups successful and leaves others selling off their furniture. Packed with concrete examples, the book will leave you with new skills to organize sales, marketing and your business for success.

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