Under the Radar : Starting Your Net Business Without Venture Capital

Forget everything you've ever read about starting an Internet business. Forget the moon-shot IPO's. Forget Silicon Valley and venture capital. The start-ups featured in Forbes, Fortune, and The Industry Standard represent only a sliver of what is happening on the Internet.Under the Radar tells the story of Web companies that bear little resemblance to the cash-burning businesses that were the media darlings before the Internet bubble burst. In this distinctive and timely guide, Arnold Kling, an experienced "Netstrapper" who sold his Internet start-up for 85 million, introduces the reader to more than two dozen business founders-all of whom launched their sites without venture capital-whose stories inspire and instruct. Kling advises Internet entrepreneurs not to waste time trying to woo big-time investors obsessed with billion-dollar jackpots. Instead, he offers clear, tough-minded coaching on every important aspect of building a real Internet enterprise -from evaluating business ideas to finding the best partners and making wise use of web technology. His step-by-step plan produces solid businesses that are free from market turbulence and investor control, making it easy to operate "under the radar."