Riding the Unicorn

The Legends are True. The Unicorn is out there. Think unicorns — those billion-dollar startups as rare as their mythical namesakes — are just Silicon Valley fairytales? Think again. After interviewing some of Australia and New Zealand's innovation rockstars, Wenee Yap and Thomas Derricott have cracked the code on what makes a startup a unicorn. Riding the Unicorn skips the dry business theory and instead gives you battle-tested strategies from startup legends, wrapped up in stories that'll keep you hooked from page one. You'll get the unvarnished truth about what it really takes to launch, scale and — if you're lucky — sell your way to startup glory. You'll learn how to build your own unicorn, systematically moving through six stages that guide you from idea to product development to company growth to exit. You'll also find: Valuable insights from the minds of startup royalty, including Tim Fung of Airtasker and Pasha Rayan of Forage Research-backed tactics for success, delivered through stories so good you'll forget you're learning Straight-talking advice that works whether you're a fresh grad with big dreams or a seasoned entrepreneur ready to bet on yourself Whether you're in tech, education, creative industries or anywhere in between, Riding the Unicorn isn't just a book; it's your guide for taming your next billion-dollar idea. Time to saddle up and start your journey from side hustle to success story.

About the authors Introduction 1 How to make mistakes (because you will) 1 2 What’s the problem? 23 3 What to do before you launch 41 4 Let your network build your startup 61 5 Find your MVP 83 6 How to secure funding 101 7 How to find (and keep) the right people 129 8 Be honest: are you running a startup, a side hustle or a regular business? 143 9 Find your product–market fit 169 10 Get profitable: riding the mini-unicorn 185 11 Become a problem-solver-in-chief 199 12 What’s your ‘why’? 221 13 How to avoid the growth ceiling 233 14 Grow with your business 251 15 How to exit your business (or stay with it forever) 275 Conclusion 289 Glossary of terms you’re too embarrassed to ask about 291 Acknowledgements 301 Bibliography 307