The Science of Growth: How Facebook Beat Friendster—and How Nine Other Startups Left the Rest in the Dust

Ammirati, a partner at venture capital firm Birchmere Ventures, examines why some companies stall out while others scale up. He presents a cogent, thoughtful investigation of how Facebook beat Friendster, YouTube beat Revver, and a host of companies came out ahead of their superficially similar competition. In an era of globalization and growing emphasis on entrepreneurship, more and more budding business owners will need a toolbox for success, which Ammirati provides. He lists prerequisites for competing effectively, which include a well-defined vision, a scalable idea, the solution to a real problem, and an “excellent first interaction” between the world and your product. He also debunks common misconceptions about what companies need to survive. Readers trying to decide how to grow a new venture will appreciate the helpful discussions of such topics as scaling your business, acquiring and converting customers, understanding the algorithms behind online rankings, and motivating your workforce. This insightful guide will help readers find much-needed direction and inspiration. [em](Apr.) [/em]