Do More Faster by David G. Cohen & Brad Feld Summary

Do More Faster provides practical advice for entrepreneurs, distilling insights from Techstars mentors and founders into seven key themes: Ideas and Vision, People, Working Effectively, Product, Fundraising, Legal and Structure, and Work and Life Harmony. The book addresses critical startup challenges, such as managing founder conflict and choosing between bootstrapping and funding, with real-world examples from contributors like Tim Ferriss and Eric Ries.

Aspiring entrepreneurs, early-stage startup founders, and innovation leaders will benefit from this book. It’s ideal for those seeking actionable strategies to accelerate growth, avoid common pitfalls, and build sustainable businesses. Investors and mentors in startup ecosystems will also gain insights into scaling ventures effectively.

Yes, the book is a valuable resource for its concise, actionable lessons from experienced entrepreneurs. It blends tactical guidance (e.g., fundraising tips) with broader mindset shifts, making it useful for both new and seasoned founders. Over 2,000 Techstars-backed startups have applied its principles.

The book emphasizes proactive communication and aligning visions early. It advises founders to formalize roles, equity splits, and decision-making processes to mitigate disputes. Real-life examples illustrate how unresolved conflicts can derail startups, offering frameworks to navigate disagreements constructively.

Cohen and Feld recommend evaluating business goals: bootstrapping maintains control for slower-growth ventures, while funding accelerates scaling for high-potential startups. The book compares tradeoffs, such as dilution versus resource access, and shares case studies like SendGrid’s journey.

• Prioritize customer feedback over perfect products
• Build a complementary founding team
• Optimize for speed in decision-making
• Balance fundraising with revenue generation
• Maintain personal well-being amid startup pressures

Contributors like Matt Mullenweg (WordPress) and Isaac Saldana (SendGrid) share lessons on product-market fit, hiring, and scaling. The book aggregates diverse perspectives into thematic chapters, providing multi-angle solutions to common challenges like pivoting and investor negotiations.

While both emphasize agility, Do More Faster focuses on execution over theory, with mentor-driven anecdotes vs. Eric Ries’s systematic methodology. It complements The Lean Startup by addressing post-validation stages like team dynamics and scaling operations.

The book’s principles on remote teamwork, rapid iteration, and resilient mindset align with trends like AI-driven product development and global talent acquisition. Updated examples reflect post-pandemic startup realities, emphasizing adaptable business models.

• Overvaluing originality in ideas
• Neglecting founder agreements
• Scaling prematurely before validating demand
• Underestimating legal complexities
• Ignoring work-life balance

The book rejects the “hustle culture” myth, advocating for structured routines, delegation, and mental health prioritization. Founders share strategies like “unplugged weekends” and outsourcing non-core tasks to sustain productivity without burnout.

Cohen argues execution matters more than novelty, citing Techstars companies that succeeded by improving existing solutions. The book encourages testing ideas quickly, using customer feedback to refine even unoriginal concepts into differentiated offerings.

It simplifies complexities like equity distribution, cap tables, and entity formation (LLC vs. C-Corp). Mentors provide checklists for hiring, IP protection, and term sheet negotiations, emphasizing early legal diligence to prevent costly errors.

The book uses Techstars’ mentorship-driven accelerator model as a framework, illustrating how access to networks, rapid prototyping, and curated resources (like pitch coaching) accelerate startup trajectories. Success stories demonstrate the program’s global impact.