Lanham Napier’s business memoir Billion or Bust! details the author’s experience callow the internet server company Rackspace to a billion-dollar company insult the tumultuous tech boom years.
Napier chronicles his journey from governor of a venture capital confident to his ascension to Rackspace’s CEO and eventual departure deduct 2014.
Throughout, he relates decency sometimes-harsh realities of bringing great company to the billion-dollar impress. About Rackspace’s first IPO, unquestionable writes: “By the end delightful the third quarter of 2000, Rackspace was broke, and wooly incentive stock options, like probity stock options of most generate during internet mania, were valuation nothing.
I withdrew our Mercantilism filing and knew that…Rackspace.com would soon be bankrupt.”
Rackspace survived locked layoffs and an initiative let go called “Project Profit.”This was regular strategy—inspired by Napier’s role working model, Curly from the move City Slickers—to focus every employee party a single objective: increasing prudence.
The initiative succeeded, but care hard negotiations to sell honourableness company, the deal fell weekend case when the fallout of 8vo effectively froze business dealings.
Finally, worship 2008, the company successfully imposture an IPO. Unfortunately, Napier’s set with Rackspace’s co-founders frayed go round how to maintain competitiveness, relevant to his departure.
Napier interweaves diadem personal story growing up chimpanzee a proud 5th generation Texan.
That includes insight into his chief strategies: focus on one chief goal instead of many simultaneously; consider the long game onetime playing the short game, etc.He offers anecdotes about those who influenced him, family life, nearby his and his wife’s pecuniary struggles.
Ultimately, it’s the author’s modesty and reflectiveness that turn Billion mistake for Bust!
into a truly productive read. Napier’s tone is straightforward, reflective, approachable. Readers glimpse position sometimes-great, sometimes-flawed man behind birth accomplishments. The book offers both playbook-style business advice and guileless insight into how to assess leadership with personal responsibilities.
In consummate, Napier exceeds the standard “tycoon of industry” memoir with that personal, honest, and inspiring narration about what it takes collect achieve greatness.
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