Startupland: How Three Guys Risked Everything to Turn an Idea into a Global Business

Mikkel Svane, Carlye Adler · First published December 1st 2014 (first published November 13th 2014)

The real story of what it takes to risk it all and go for broke. Conventional wisdom says most startups need to be in Silicon Valley, started by young engineers around a sexy new idea, and backed by VC funding. But as Mikkel Svane reveals in Startupland, the story of founding Zendesk was anything but conventional.

Founded in a Copenhagen loft by three thirty-something friends looking to break free from corporate doldrums, Zendesk Inc. is now one of the hottest enterprise software companies, still rapidly growing with customers in 150 countries. But its success was anything but predestined. With revealing stories both funny and frank, Mikkel shares how he and his friends bravely left secure jobs to start something on their own, how he almost went broke several times, how they picked up themselves and their families to travel across the world to California and the unknown, and how the three friends were miraculously still together for Zendesk’s IPO and (still growing) success.

Much like Zendesk’s mission itself–to remove friction, barriers, and mystery in order to make customer service easier and more approachable–Startupland removes some of the myths about startups and startup founders. Mikkel’s advice, hard-won through experience, often bucks conventional wisdom and entrepreneurial tropes. He shares why failure (whether fast or slow) is awful, why a seemingly boring product or idea can be the most exciting, why giving back to the community is as important as the bottom line. From how to hire right (look for people who are not offended by swearing) to which personas generate the highest response rates, Mikkel answers the most pressing questions from the perspective of someone still in the trenches and willing to share the hard truth, warts and all.

While there are books by consultants who tell you how to build businesses, or by entrepreneurs now running billion-dollar businesses, there are few books from people still in the trenches who acutely remember the difficult daily decisions, the thrill (and fears) of the early days, the problems that scale with growing a business, and the reason why they all went on the adventure in the first place. Startupland is indispensable reading for all entrepreneurs who want to make their ideas the next big thing. The book will inspire and empower you to follow your own dream and create your own story.

“Startupland: How Three Guys Risked Everything to Turn an Idea into a Global Business” by Mikkel Svane is the story of Zendesk, a customer service software company, and its journey from a small startup to a successful global business.

1. Start with a customer problem: Identify a real customer problem and focus on solving it.
2. Build a great team: Surround yourself with talented, dedicated individuals who share your vision.
3. Keep it simple: Focus on delivering a simple, easy-to-use product that solves the customer’s problem.
4. Build a strong culture: Develop a company culture that supports your goals and values.
5. Be patient: Don’t expect immediate success. Be prepared to put in the time and effort needed to build a successful business.
6. Focus on customer success: Make customer success a top priority and focus on delivering a great customer experience.
7. Continuously iterate: Be open to feedback and willing to make changes as needed to improve your product and service.
8. Embrace failure: Embrace failures as opportunities to learn and grow.
9. Stay focused: Stay focused on your core strengths and don’t let outside distractions distract you from your goals.
10. Believe in yourself: Believe in your abilities and be confident in your decisions.