A look inside the early notebooks of the Dodge brothers, who broke away from Henry Ford to build their own startup 100 years ago: While they already made two fortunes from their relationship with Ford, by 1913 they were not thrilled about continuing to make parts for the Model T. If you think automotive technology […]
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Posted inEditor's Pick
The Story of Tim Armstrong, Patch and AOL
Another exhaustive biography from Nicholas Carlson and Business Insider, this time on Tim Armstrong, his hyperlocal startup Patch and his leadership at AOL: “He’s a very loyal guy. He made a commitment to different parts of that matrix organization, and damn it, he’s not going to let them down. And even though we brought in […]
Posted inEditor's Pick
Everpix Was Great. This Is How It Died.
When the math and business model don’t quite work out for a tech startup, even if the product is beloved: While its talented team obsessed over the look and features of its product, user growth failed to keep pace. Starting in June, Latour tried to raise $5 million to give Everpix more time to become […]
Posted inEditor's Pick
Letter To A Young Programmer Considering A Startup
Words of caution from the former CTO of Twitter. The startup life isn’t rebellious—it’s the new corporate ladder: “The machine doesn’t care about you. In fact, the machine is designed with the understanding that most startups will fail, or at most offer unremarkable returns to investors. The majority of the companies in many VC portfolios […]
Posted inNonfiction, Top 5
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Below, our favorite stories of the week. Kindle users, you can also get them as a Readlist. Sign up to receive this list free every Friday in your inbox. * * * 1. Mother’s Mind Pam Belluck | The New York Times | June 16, 2014 | 22 minutes (5,482 words) A look at new […]
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Story Of A Failed Startup And A Founder Driven To Suicide
How financial and personal pressure took a toll on an entrepreneur: “Before the fundraising, Sherman would push himself and others to raise as much money as possible for their businesses. After the financing closed, he began referring to venture capital as a ‘fraud’ and a ‘sham.’ “Employees could tell something was off when Sherman announced […]
Posted inMember Pick, Nonfiction
How to Fail in Business While Really, Really Trying: The True Story of J.C. Penney
This week, we’re thrilled to share a new Longreads Member Pick from Fortune magazine. “How to Fail in Business While Really, Really Trying” is Jennifer Reingold’s definitive account of what really happened inside J.C. Penney—from the dramatic reinvention of the company, led by new CEO Ron Johnson, to its disastrous unraveling (and Johnson’s firing) less […]
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“The Story of a Failed Startup and a Founder Driven to Suicide.” Alyson Shontell, Business Insider.
Posted inMember Pick, Nonfiction, Story
How to Fail in Business While Really, Really Trying: The True Story of J.C. Penney
Jennifer Reingold | Fortune | March 2014 | 29 minutes (7,108 words) Download as a .mobi ebook (Kindle) Download as an .epub ebook (iBooks) When you find a savior, you don’t quibble over details. So it was that J.C. Penney, the long-stagnating mid-tier department store chain, announced in June 2011 that it was hiring Ron […]
Posted inEditor's Pick
An Intimate Portrait Of Innovation, Risk, And Failure Through Hipstamatic’s Lens
They were the vintage photo app that came before Instagram—but failure to take advantage of social, infighting among the leadership and indecision about their product caused the company to miss its opportunity: “Fast Company reached out to a slew of top-tier VCs but was unable to find one who had met with or even looked […]
