“… I like Amy Wilkinson’s comprehensive, analytical approach. She’s interviewed hundreds of entrepreneurs, and from that data has distilled the skills that allowed them to rise to the top. The good news? These are skills that anyone can develop.” —Daniel H. Pink, author of To Sell is Human and Drive
“This book is the inspiring story of men and women who are changing our world. Amy Wilkinson has cracked their code and given us all ways to join their ranks. This book is a game changer and a life changer.” —Tom Peters, author of The Little Big Things
“Based on 200 interviews with entrepreneurs, this book helps explain the skills needed to be a successful innovator. It’s a great guide filled with smart rules for both starting a business and bringing it to scale.” —Walter Isaacson, author of The Innovators and Steve Jobs
Each of us has the capacity to spot opportunities, invent products, and build businesses—even $100 million businesses. So why do so many start-ups fail?
Now, handing you the keys to turn your ideas into enterprises that endure, in The Creator’s Code (Simon & Schuster; March 2015; $27.00) Amy Wilkinson, a strategic advisor to start-ups and large corporations alike on innovation and business stratagems, unlocks the six essential skills that turn intriguing concepts into successful companies.
For her landmark book, Wilkinson conducted rigorous interviews with 200 of today’s leading entrepreneurs including the founders of LinkedIn, Chipotle, eBay, Under Armour, Tesla Motors, SpaceX, Spanx, Airbnb, PayPal, JetBlue, Gilt Groupe, Theranos, and Dropbox. Setting her work apart, she then drilled down through the latest academic research and analyzed data from across diverse fields, applying scientific methodology to crack the code on what it takes to go from start-up to scale in our rapidly changing economy.
Evaluating companies as diverse as Yelp, Chobani, and Zipcar, Wilkinson found that their creators all share—and have honed—fundamental skills that can be learned, practiced, and passed on. Entrepreneurial success is born of daring, discipline, and the six skills she identifies, proven effective in a variety of endeavors and industries:
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Amy Wilkinson is a strategic adviser, entrepreneur, and lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. A sought-after speaker, she frequently addresses audiences on entrepreneurial leadership, and advises start-ups and large corporations on innovation and business strategy. She has held leadership roles with McKinsey & Company and J.P. Morgan, and founded a small, foreign-based export company. Wilkinson has served as a White House fellow and special assistant to the United States Trade Representative and as a senior fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School. Learn more at AmyWilkinson.com.