The MouseDriver Chronicles

Mark Welch writes: "'The MouseDriver Chronicles' chronicles a modestly successful startup whose mission was to build a product and sell it at a profit -- a concept that seemed almost obscene when the authors launched their new business in mid-1999.) I saw 'The MouseDriver Chronicles' in several bookstores, and passed because it sounded like it would be yet another story of dot-com failure. But finally I decided it looked like a 'fun read' and bought it, and I'm glad I did." Mark has a more complete review, and ChrisD adds his own reaction, below. The Mousedriver Chronicles author John Lusk, Kyle Harrison pages 244 publisher Perseus Publishing rating (See reviews) reviewer Matt Welch, then chrisd ISBN 0738205737 summary Blow-by-blow account of a high-tech startup; either great or awful according to the reviews below.

I'm adding The MouseDriver Chronicles as my number-two title (after Dot.Bomb, by by J. David Kuo) on my "must read" book list for entrepreneurs.

Dot.Bomb was more fun to read, in part because it was about a dot-com company that crashed and burned, and it's always more fun to write about failure than success.

Though The MouseDriver Chronicles isn't quite as fun to read, it is more useful for potential entrepreneurs. The book recounts many logistical and planning issues, in an exceptionally well-written style, using straightforward language and sharing more details (business and personal) than I'd expected (though the details seem to fade in the later chapters, presumably to protect the trade secrets of the continuing company).

Most important, The MouseDriver Chronicles is not about a crash-and-burn dot-com failure.

It's about a modestly successful startup whose mission was to build a product and sell it at a profit, a concept that seemed almost obscene when Lusk and Harrison launched their business in mid-1999. In January 2002, that concept (build a product and sell it at a profit) sounds much better, making the book more timely. Even if there are fewer entrepreneurs this year, they all should profit from reading The MouseDriver Chronicles.

The authors especially deserve credit for admitting how "ignorant" they were (in many respects) when they received their MBA degrees from Wharton, even after earlier careers working for consulting firms. They frankly disclose some embarrassing experiences, which should profit wise readers who may experience fewer mistakes as a result.

My main gripe with the book is that it ends before the end. I expected the final chapter to recount the company's failure, or its sale to a larger company, or some other "exit strategy" that would provide "closure" for the book.

Instead, the book's chronology ends in early 2001, but the company continues even today. Ending the book a year before it reached bookstores (in January 2002) seemed quite unfair (but that is the reality of the book-publishing industry).

Fortunately, the MouseDriver.com web site contains an archive of the author's "Insider" newsletter updates, so I could read "the rest of the story" (which is still unfolding, since the company is still plodding along).

Meanwhile slashdot author/editor chrisd has a different view:

I read an advance copy of The MouseDriver Chronicles (Hereafter referred to as TMD to save me from typing too much) and disliked it immensely. I'd been studiously avoiding writing a review of it as I take no joy from writing about how little I like something. However, since reader Mark Welch was kind enough to write a review (something we here at /. appreciate, thanks Mark!), I couldn't post it without giving my two cents.

As Mark noted, TMD is an enthusiastically, conversationally written book about the founding of a company to capitalize on a single idea. That idea is to make and market a mouse shaped like a Golf Club (Driver) head. While I'm not going to talk about carpal tunnel or repetitive stress injuries, I will say that this is a bad book if you want to be excited and have a view into what starting and running a company is like.

Basically, TMD is a book about two guys, one a former Wharton MBA student and the other an Andersen (not Arthur) Consulting guy who left their respective stations "to the disdain of their friends" to start their company making silly and painful looking mice. "To keep themselves motivated," they kept a diary which they somehow convinced Perseus to publish as this book.

I had to keep reminding myself while reading that this book is not about the product they are trying to sell, so much as about their experiences starting out. I really tried. The point of such a book is to live vicariously through the protagonists and learn something along the way. The only thing I learned was that they were very excited. I really don't want to know these guys, nor do business with them. (Not that they're knocking on the door to buy ads on OSDN, but I digress.) You'll learn very little about business and starting a company from this book. You'll also really not care much about what they do to sell thier product. There just doesn't seem to be much at stake.

They take some measure of pride in some of the "guerilla" marketing they chose to employ. Including crashing a benefit party at the SF metreon and sending "Personalized email (not spam) to publications and organizations that might take an interest in MouseDriver." Ugh.

The book isn't all bad. I mean, the writing isn't bad, much better than is usually seen in management books, and it flows pretty well. You don't pick up a book like this expecting Updike. It succeeds as the kind of book meant to be read while waiting at red lights. Also, it is clear that they see the book is just further promotion for their product and their company, something not usually so straightforward in this kind of book, so it's not crass in that manner.

But in the end, it's an empty book, devoid of useful content. Sort of like caffeine-free Diet Coke. Once you're done with it, all you know is that your glass is empty and your stomach has something in it. I mention this because this is not a cheap book; Barnes and Noble retails this book at $19, you can buy any number of nice things for $19.

Maybe if I was a golf nut this book might have been better.

How about this, if you want a scrappy startup book, go read defunct GO Corp CEO Jerry Kaplans book Start-up or if you want exhausting pacing, a Michael Lewis book -- you'll get more out of a chapter in either than from The MouseDriver Chronicles.

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