Learn more about startup studios in this Startup Studio Playbook review.
Here, you can read about how a startup studio can help secure funding for your startup.
And, before you approach a startup studio, why not learn about the startup studio framework first?
This post — a detailed review of the Startup Studio Playbook by a serial entrepreneur — will let you do that.
By the end, you will understand how the startup studio framework works and operates.
Overview
Startup Studio Playbook is a book by Attila Szigeti.
In the book’s first edition, he shares how he created his first startup in 2014. And much to his dismay, it became a painful failure.
Beyond that, he has a reputable authority.
He is the Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Drukka Startup Studio. It is an online community for entrepreneurs and startups.
And before working for startups, he worked at Fortune 500 companies. These include International Business Machines (IBM) and Citigroup.
His book takes a deep dive into the strategic nature of business.
It’s an informative resource for you (and everyone) looking to learn more and launch your studios.
It discusses everything you must know about this studio framework. There are also examples of online and hardware startup studios.
From what they are and how startup studio entrepreneurs come together to launch new ventures, you can learn them in this book.
It’s where you can discover inspiring stories, case studies, and tips to help you build your startup easier.
Facts about startup studios according to the Startup Studio Playbook:
- You can also call them venture builders, startup factories, or foundry.
- They operate by adding shared infrastructure and internal funding.
- They offer an ideal environment for experimenting and venturing into new and previous ideas.
- They provide an easier way for startups to get started.
- They give promising rewards to venture capitalists.
- They are organizations that create multiple startups from internal resources.
- They resemble incubators or accelerators.
Startup Studio Playbook: Book chapters
Startup Studio Playbook consists of three parts.
As the author mentions in the beginning, he wants readers — especially entrepreneurs, pioneers, and creators — to familiarize themselves with the startup studio approach.
That way, they can gain a strong foothold in the startup studio world.
And if things pan out well, they can build new products and ventures faster and with a good chance of success.
Part 1: Overview
For the introductory part of the book to be easier to understand, Attila Szigeti divides it into the following sections:
- A place for pioneers and creators
- Startup studios in a nutshell
- Are startup studios for me?
Here are the discussions in this chapter:
- It also clarifies that the book is for everyone. But, while everyone can benefit, it’s a useful resource for entrepreneurs, builders, innovators, investors, and corporates.
- It features a general view of startup studios — what to expect from a startup studio community and what a successful startup studio looks like.
- It helps readers embrace the mission of a startup studio.
- It shares the author’s high-level understanding of the startup ecosystem.
- It talks about business logic and execution basics.
- It facilitates executing team strategy, solving problems, building products, and measuring results.
Part 2: Stories
The second part of the book contains stories (organized into the sections below):
- Emerging from Beta
- TechnoSpark: A conveyor of hardware startups
- Game Plan
- Building a 100% co-owned venture builder
- Building startups from megatrends
- Culture is a verb
- Ahead of time
- Changing eCommerce, one startup at a time
- Stretching our limits
Here are the stories featured in this chapter:
- Betaworks, a startup studio and venture capital firm, shares about the growth, monetization, and user acquisition issues faced by one of its startups.
- eFounders, one of the most successful startup studios in Europe, talks about how it strikes a chord in the heart of aspiring startups.
- AdVentures, a French startup studio, raises high-level questions that can finetune the decision-making skills of those who want to launch their venture builder.
- Backspace, an Amsterdam-based studio focused on financial technology, details how it grew into an international company with multiple offices worldwide, including places in Amsterdam, Berlin, London, New York City, San Francisco, and Sydney.
- Lab.Coop, an entrepreneur-owned venture builder, details how its innovative idea carried it from its “failed startup” status to “success”.
- Ryan Negri, the founder of Laicos, a Tampa-based startup studio, discusses why and how he helped Laicos transform itself into a better version.
Part 3: Framework
The third part consists of the following sections:
- Studio Leadership
- Vision and strategy
- The Studio Funnel
- Entrepreneurs-in-Residence and CEOs
- Core Team
- A preview of financial modeling
- Fundraising and investor relations
- Corporate venture builders
Here are the essential messages featured in this chapter:
- The founders of a startup studio are one of the cornerstones of a proven startup studio framework.
- Startup studio leaders may face a variety of challenges. And it’s up to them to commit to rising above.
- Startup studio leaders need to learn conflict-resolution skills. After all, when working in a startup studio (with strong-willed and steadfast entrepreneurs), it’s common for conflicts to arise.
- Some startups will mature, and other ventures will not work out — it’s important to understand this and let go as necessary.
- Regularly measure your market performance and make changes as you see fit.
- To generate revenue, a startup should focus on developing products and/or services that people need
- Startups should always strive to be in a strong negotiation position, especially when dealing with financial and operational guidelines.
Reception
The books mainly garnered positive reviews.
Below are some testimonials from readers.
Amazon
- “Attila has distilled these different proven approaches into an easy-to-read, informative and thoughtful resource that will help any studio founder form their own perspective on how to launch.”
- “Attila’s book shows us a new, efficient way of building new ventures based on repeatable, systematic processes.”
- “I highly recommend the book for everyone who’s into the startup game, who wants to invest her money in a smart way and who has startup/startup-studio clients as a consultant.”
Goodreads
- “Interesting basic framework for a venture studio.”
- “Very informative —I enjoyed part 2 of the book the most which represent case studies of various venture builders. I also liked and so much agree on how much the emphasis on building the right culture is really foundational.”
- “Give me more concrete ideas of how to start building Startup Studio. A lot of case studies and summary process of them.”
Startup Studio Playbook Review: Pros and Cons
Pro: It Offers a Unique Perspective of the Startup Studio Framework
Startup Studio Playbook stands out from other books about building startups.
It also provides concrete definitions of the startup studio models. Plus, it addresses the essence of structure, having a development agency, and the foundational elements of a startup studio modelhttps://blog.symalite.com/startup-studio/.
Con: It Does Not Fit Well Within a Hustle Culture
While some people want to build startups fast, they should understand that great things take time.
This book reveals that. It does not provide an expanded studio framework.
There is nothing wrong with working fast. But, sometimes, shortcuts can lead to questionable paths.
If they like to take shortcuts or grind 24/7, Startup Studio Playbook may not be a book for them.
Pro: It Was Written by Attila Szigeti — A Respectable Authority
According to people, Attila Szigeti is the number 1 authority in the startup studio world.
He was featured in numerous online publications and walked through early-stage startups — helping them succeed.
Importantly, he knows how to help raise capital, run efficient operations, and build investor relations. He can also help you take care of the financial forecasting part of a startup studio.
Plus, he’s had his share of ups and down. And before he landed the position of COO at Drukka, he helped build startups and kept failing.
Pro: It Reveals Indispensable Entrepreneurial Advice
Startup Studio Playbook also highlights a new generation of audiences. It’s also for those with a futuristic startup studio approach.
It welcomes anyone who wants to enter the startup world and operate venture builders from scratch — may they be new studios with a new method.
Plus, it shares how startup studios are an option for first-time entrepreneurs and the younger crowd.
If they want to start a business but need help figuring out what to do, a startup studio may be right up their alley.
Verdict: What You Can Learn in This Startup Studio Playbook Review
Startup Studio Playbook tells you everything you need to know about a startup studio model.
The book provides you with the basics of a startup studio.
It also acknowledges the challenge of building next-generation startups. But, with a foundational knowledge of something that lasts, a reader should be reassured.
Ready to ask a startup studio for help?
Learn more about a startup studio first. Then, check out promising studios. And finally, approach the ones you think are right for you.