Dot.com Divas #2

eBusiness Insights from the Visionary Women-founders of 20 Net-Ventures

from Carol Fitzgerald/CEO Book Reporter.com 1/11 enhanced by Peter\Wiz4biz 9/13

Info on each Biz continued. Over the past years so much valuable advice has come from my peers, as they learn the intricacies of building a business where shifts in strategy happen weekly. Author of the book has managed to take a very diverse group of businesses and tell a great story about them. Each chapter is succinct, and they need not be read in order. After reading the sections of people I know, which proved the credibility of the book to me, I found myself exploring the others in random order.

The Dot.com bust. The volatility of the market has taken its toll on many of these businesses, just as it has on the rest of the Dot.com sector. But for having been in the space, these entrepreneurs have a snapshot of the industry – unlike any of those still hanging on the outside looking in. In fact, a Head-hunter recruiter called a few weeks ago looking to fill a high-level job and was quick to tell me that they eagerly would entertain a candidate from a failed Dot.com, just for his or her experience. The best part of any conference is hearing the heads of companies talk about what worked — and what did not. The stories in this book are very upbeat, and I wish there had been one more section — “the one big mistake I made” or “what I would have done differently.” Every entrepreneur has a story like that, and often the best lessons come from those moments.

Resources: The Author has assembled a terrific appendix of resources, as well as a list of Net Biz Buzz-words that will ensure that even a casual reader will have a better take on the medium – once they finish the book. While the advice here is very Internet-related, much of it is applicable to any number of entrepreneurs out there. Do note that I quibble with the title of this book. No definition that I found of Diva defines who these women are. They are not Prima Donnas — this business cannot tolerate an extremely sensitive, vain, or undisciplined person.

Cowgirls. If anything, these women are more like Cowgirls kicking their boots through a lot of muck, often trying to tame some pretty wild horses who buck & toss. (Over the years, I often have joked that I am going to buy myself a pair of Cowgirl Boots) The Internet is one tough business that absorbs a founder 24/7, and every one of these 20 women knows the risks when you take your eye off the ball. Not one of these women should be taken lightly, and their advice is not to be dismissed. You would gain a lot from reading it.

Comments: Do you know any other Dot.com Divas? Share their story.