A Manifesto for Startup Valuation and Management

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This work isn't just another book — it's a manifesto for innovative tech startups which equips them with the wisdom to flourish in turbulent terrains and offers a blueprint to spearhead systemic innovation necessary to sustainable economic resilience.

Anthony J. Tether, former Director of the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)

It is crafted for tech entrepreneurs and venture investors who want to capture value and risks of innovation and tech startups. It provides a framework for quickly, scientifically, and intelligibly evaluating startups, validated and enriched by legendary Tony Tether, former Director of the US DARPA.

The methodology for startup valuation presented here is geared towards the uncertainty of innovative ventures and enables you to navigate it more confidently. It introduces an agile non-cash-flow methodology, offering practitioners a holistic risk and innovativeness assessment framework, and shifting the traditional capital-at-risk approach towards an opportunity-at-risk mindset.

The Book About Startup Valuation and Startup Risk Management

“This is an extraordinary book that unveils the secrets of navigating the world of startups and innovation. I wholeheartedly recommend this exceptional resource to practitioners seeking to contribute to the advancement of our society.”

Serhiy Kvit

President at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Stanford University alumnus

Revolutionising Startup Valuation and Management of startup Risks

The book opens with a dive into the world of business, innovation, and strategy, distinguishing between traditional business and innovative tech startups. It considers the challenges faced when applying conventional valuation methods to the unpredictable nature of innovation and articulates the need for a more agile and responsive approach to startup management. This lays the groundwork for the subsequent introduction of the Hypothesis Testing Method, a novel approach that allows you to gauge the potential of innovative startups through a structured, four-step evaluative process that aligns with development stages and intrinsic risks.

The narrative methodically classifies innovation, dissecting the intricacies of different types, levels, and degrees, and underscores the necessity of understanding these nuances for effective startup risk management. This analysis goes beyond the surface, examining innovation management methodologies and their limitations and establishing the groundwork for the Hypothesis Testing Method. Suggested classification serves as a valuable tool for founders, helping them identify and capitalise on various innovation types to foster growth and success in the competitive business landscape.

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A Manifesto for Startup Valuation and Startup Risk Management

The book further explore inherent uncertainties and risks in tech startups, questioning traditional valuation methods. By introducing the Hypothesis Testing Framework, it presents a new lens to view strategic flexibility, advocating for a more informed and agile approach to managing and evaluating tech startups. This is a pivotal point in the book, bridging the conceptual framework with its practical application.

In a broader context, the book then relates the strategic agility of tech startups with the macroeconomic imperative of postwar recovery. It provides a rich narrative of how systemic innovation ecosystem development, exemplified by Silicon Valley and Israel's startup miracle, can serve as a blueprint for countries like Ukraine. The Hypothesis Testing Method is posited as a transformative catalyst, offering not just a methodology for startups but a framework for rebuilding entire economies through innovation driven growth.

Bibliography: Shestakov, D. (Apr 2024). When Businesses Test Hypotheses: A Four-Step Approach To Risk Management For Innovative Startups. With a foreword by Anthony J. Tether. Ibidem Press, Ukrainian Voices, vol. 52, 124 pages. ISBN: 978-3-8382-1883-0

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