Becoming a Social Entrepreneur: Starting Out, Scaling Up and Staying True

Description

What’s it like to be a social entrepreneur – not a textbook social entrepreneur but one on the ground? This book offers an explanation. Michael Gordon, leading Social Entrepreneurship expert from the University of Michigan, spoke with more than one hundred social entrepreneurs – from six continents, young and old, just starting out to several decades in, addressing seemingly every societal problem of the day. This book uses their words and experiences to provide a kaleidoscopic description of what it means to become a social entrepreneur. It ranges from the personal and emotional challenges they often face to the grand impact many hope to produce. It touches on the sublime but focuses on the everyday, highlighting the mistakes that have been made, the lessons learned and, especially, what advice they would give to those wanting to start a social venture. This book presents the truth, not the varnish, and is ideal for use in the classroom with students studying social entrepreneurship, and for all new and experienced social entrepreneurs seeking real-life examples of how to overcome challenges. For anyone else, it offers a penetrating portrait of the lives of those committed to changing the world. Cover Half Title Endorsement Page Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents Preface: Listening to social entrepreneurs Acknowledgments Introduction Part 1: Before you Chapter 1: Lessons to learn Sanga’s birthday Lessons left on the ground Note Chapter 2: Are you a social entrepreneur? A new wave From the sweet spot toward profit Which market? Mission, not profit, lights the way Are you a social entrepreneur? (Take two) Being a social entrepreneur Notes Part 2: You Chapter 3: Before they were social entrepreneurs Immerse yourself Life comes at you hard Survivor Off the track Invite the world in Knowing versus understanding Unflinching Real life Experienced with meaning Faux immersion Notes Chapter 4: Ideas Paths Sludge Impulse to act Developing an idea The doctor and the priest On whose shoulders? Complexity from simpler parts Intention for impact Recover, integrate, act Strong “number 2s” Notes Chapter 5: Necessity Is it necessary – Really necessary? Originality is not necessity Markets don’t define necessity Notes Chapter 6: Join The siren call of social entrepreneurship Joining the chorus Necessary and unwelcome Chapter 7: Personal challenges Not just action Awards notwithstanding Work intensity Stress and risk You don’t know your own venture Misunderstood Burning your social enterprise Myths and shells Notes Chapter 8: The sanities of ­pro-social behavior Act for yourself; act for others Persistence Flexibility Nonproductive persistence Your goodness or mine? Reframe A taste for equity Notes Chapter 9: Committing Ready? Really? Always stepping on the gas When your venture gives you lemons Breathe in Acting from values Pushing forward Charmed “whys” Critical “whys” Wisdom Breathe out Notes Chapter 10: Gaining skills Now, just a product Language of enterprise Prepare thyself! Learn Becoming technical Ask New mistakes Too cool for school? Data Climb with others Soft skills Credibility Seizing opportunity In-credible personalities In-credible winners In-credulous: Talent doesn’t have hues Notes Part 3: Your team Chapter 11: Go team, go If the bus comes There’s no “team” in “I” It’s not about you Chapter 12: Co-founder Start together Invest together You or “yous” Critical feedback Building partnership Notes Chapter 13: Team formation School work to real work Embracing new roles Warm relationships Organization structure: Benefit or crutch? Pluripotency Note Chapter 14: Hiring Bad language, bad hires Mindful hiring Basics of hiring Away from home The people the people you know know Talent is everywhere P.S. Vision attracts talent Notes Chapter 15: Compensation Compensation: Values Compensation: Experience Non-monetary economics Hiring expresses values Note Chapter 16: Volunteers Local talent is not voluntary talent Why would anyone volunteer? Volunteer structure Select and train Your team in the cloud Note Chapter 17: Training Rooted in business Adaptive hiring Learners and rockers Chosen few Notes Chapter 18: Culture Organizational software Like them. Trust them. Be yourself. Think different Emote different Inward and outward Notes Chapter 19: Mentors Others’ shoes One mentor or two? Who’s your mentor? Wise moments Facets of support Get your mentor – Now? Who’s your mentor? Menteeship Moments, lifetimes Note Chapter 20: Networks Network of support Relationships Help with your taxes, and maybe a hug Free lunch? Chapter 21: Board Your board: Get interested Boards 101 Formation Don’t shake on it You are not perfect Yes, you raise money Smart and gray Notes Part 4: Your business model Chapter 22: Two businesses Flying to Miami Your two businesses Modeling impact Mission statement Notes Chapter 23: Know your customers Your business business TAM SAM SOM … mat ter Note Chapter 24: Value proposition Why you? Chapter 25: The economics of your business Accounting 101 E pluribus business model Poop and carbon Chapter 26: Value chain Chained value Every link matters Chapter 27: Revising your model Jazz Competition ain’t a model Take the money and … Fresh eyes Part 5: Running your business Chapter 28: Small ain’t easy Small businesses, still complex Chapter 29: Selling your stuff That’s a what? Aspiration versus illumination Who will buy? As a scientist Minimum viable product Analogs Easier than this? Pure Notes Chapter 30: Operations Running your business business Rows and ducks By the book Mimic Design Does it hold water? Get moving Becoming sophisticated Notes Chapter 31: Managing What you didn’t sign up for Managing: Pro tips Tips from the front lines Ninja management Stranger in a strange land Chapter 32: Legitimacy Taken seriously Chapter 33: Legal Legal turn U-turn Legalitie$ Note Chapter 34: Expenses Ramen Afloat Waves roll in, waves roll out Rolling out Chapter 35: Fundraising Financing: Appetizer Strings attached The challenge of fundraising Hot truth John Anner is not like you Chapter 36: Investors Investor-speak Ready? No. Still … What’s the what? No interest Chapter 37: Fundraising tips Fundraising tip: Authenticity Fundraising tip: Spare change Too soon Chapter 38: Fundraising trajectories Trajectory: Zambia Trajectory: United States Potatoes, large Potatoes, small Chapter 39: Funders’ perspectives Funding: No work for you Funding: Fair A/B testing the virtual reality of monetizing The physics of funding Social? No, risky. Chapter 40: Seller, beware Part 6: More than you: Impact Chapter 41: Scale Early-stage scaling? Destiny Waste not Anticipate Build on top of The market giveth and the market taketh away Jenga Small and right Think exit early. Stay small Exits Notes Chapter 42: Measure If a tree falls in a forest … Who means why Impact machines And now it gets messy Net improvement Change what you change Through funders’ eyes Notes Chapter 43: Poets versus Quants Softball RCT Impact as dollars Power in numbers Fitbit Evaluation mistakes Gut Help wanted Real impact is not gamed Impact, business, impact Happy ending progress Notes Part 7: Beyond you Chapter 44: This moment Now, move Volatile Subversives Note Chapter 45: Beyond scale Passage to change Think exit early. Grow large Volatile: Money and food Not just a loan Mind of God A deliberate course toward movement Beyond organization and cause Pragmatics of care And now, this Seeing Liberation Cosmos Notes Chapter 46: Our moment It’s all about us Yesterday. Tomorrow Decide Notes Appendix 1: Methodology Appendix 2: The entrepreneursand the organizations Index