Smart Startups

CATALINA DANIELS graduated from Harvard Business School and the Free University of Brussels (BA, MA). She spent seventeen years at McKinsey & Company, where she was a partner, before leaving to become an entrepreneur and angel investor. As a venture partner at Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator (ERA), she mentors U.S. entrepreneurs and helps non-U.S. entrepreneurs expand in the United States; she also sits on multiple boards. A Belgian national, she splits her time between New York and Europe.JAMES H. SHERMAN graduated from Harvard Business School and Stanford University (BA, MA). He started his career at Bain & Company, working in media with Time Inc. and Pearson. In 1997, he launched the internet division for Martha Stewart Living. He then became a serial internet entrepreneur, launching three ventures, including an internet strategy consulting firm, Shermans Travel Media, and an e-commerce firm. An angel investor and mentor to entrepreneurs, he sits on the board of HBS Alumni Angels New York. He lives in Manhattan and Bellport, New York.

“Smart Startups will dramatically improve your odds of success. It covers the critical steps from launching a business to scaling it, and finally how and when to exit. The hard-won real-life experiences disclosed make this book essential reading for all who have ever harbored the notion of starting a business.”  — Robert Rosenberg, author of Around the Corner to Around the World: A Dozen I Learned Running Dunkin’ Donuts and CEO of Dunkin’ Donuts for thirty-five years“Like sitting down with eighteen of the smartest founders in the business and having them candidly share everything about their startup experience, Smart Startups is a life saver for every entrepreneur.” — Keith Ferrazzi, #1 New York Times bestselling author and executive team coach“Smart Startups is full of inspiring and useful advice for entrepreneurs who want to accelerate their success and avoid making mistakes. It is an essential reference that is a pleasure to read.”  — Murat Aktihanoglu, cofounder and managing partner of ERA, New York City’s leading technology accelerator and early-stage venture capital fund“By digging deep into the stories of HBS founders and what they learned the hard way, Catalina Daniels and James Sherman enhance our wisdom about entrepreneurship. With this unique insider’s look at eighteen startups, they help you boost your chances of success and avoid mistakes.” — William A. Sahlman, Baker Foundation Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School