I have not worked for a large company for ten years. Even
when I did, it was for Apple which is hardly what you’d call
typical. However, I know enough to tell you that is unfair to
characterize all large companies as difficult places and all
start-ups as Shangri-las, but for some people start-ups and
small companies are the only way to go.
Clearly, you don’t have to spend much time in many large
companies today to see that, as Steve Jobs would say, “there
must be a better way.” Meetings are long and painful, decision
making is as much about politics as about doing what’s right,
and the inability to control your destiny is enough to make
most people walk around with their teeth on edge.
And that’s a well-run large company.
Many people go nuts in these environments and fantasize
about getting out. If you’re one of these people, you’ve come
to the right place. However, the mystique of entrepreneurship
is more sexy than the reality. No one wants to hear about how
hard it is to finish a product, make a sale, or collect the money.
Everyone wants to think they are joining the next Google, and
the German and Italian cars are a few months away.
Pamela Slim is not afraid to tackle the thorny parts of the
journey from employee to entrepreneur. Her pragmatism will
calm your nerves, and her sense of humor will help you keep
moving through the tough parts. She has spent a decade inside
numerous corporations and knows the fears you currently face.
She’s also been an entrepreneur and knows the challenges you
will face.
No book can promise you your business will be a success if
you follow a set of instructions. If it did, it would cost a lot
more. However, Escape from Cubicle Nation will help you
make a good decision about whether to shut up and suck up
your current cubicle or strike out on your own. Think of it as a
good, hard reality check.