Too many good ideas fail.
Let’s fix that.
“You don’t know it yet, but this is the book you’ll soon recommend most to fellow entrepreneurs. Beyond a shadow of doubt it will become a business school staple.
To say that Jeff Berman understands marketing doesn’t do the compliment justice. Jeff’s style is clear and to-the-point, matching his insightful thinking. He takes you step-by-step, outlining what good marketing looks like with actionable insights. When you learn how to put the right story in front of the right people, your good idea succeeds.”
—David Canes, MD, Founder and CEO, WellPrept
Since 2002, Jeff Berman has created go-to-market strategies, brand identities, and campaigns for more than 100 startups.
How Not To Fail offers 10 essential lessons every founder needs to learn, based upon his work across dozens of markets over 20 years.
1 No one eagerly awaits your message.
2 Answer the question they’re already asking.
3 You’ve got a better message than “How It Works”.
4 Attention is not rational.
5 Think of your creation as the tangible expression of a deeper value.
6 Design is a force multiplier.
7 Companies don’t make decisions. People do.
8 Customers move toward you step-by-step.
9 Build your message on human truths.
10 You can tell when you’re getting it right.
This book is the distillation of sessions at the Cambridge Innovation Center and University of Chicago over the past four years. Thank you to them for hosting me, and to the founders who make it worthwhile.
“Jeff Berman’s sessions are by far the best wherever he speaks, and some of the best in my life. Difficult things are broken down into small parts and suddenly everything becomes clear.”
—Anastasia Radziwill, Founder and CEO, Loyaltyverse
