I am in the final writing stages of my book. It’s about my entrepreneurship (founding Comcate). It’s a business book, geared to young entrepreneurs and adult businesspeople. In addition to my story, it includes lessons, boxes, and guest excerpts — also known as take aways — which allow the reader to start realizing his or her own dreams by seeing the world through the prism of entrepreneurship. More on my book, soon.
The current working title is:
My Start-Up Life: What a (Very) Young CEO Learned on His Journey Through Silicon Valley
Do you have any better ideas or suggested modifications? Although I don’t control the title, I do have some input, and I’d appreciate your feedback. Thanks.
Your selling point is that you started a business at 12 years old and were successful. This doesn’t come through in the title very well.
Could you split test book titles? Perhaps using articles with possible book titles as headlines.
youre a gimmick, a novelty. you know deep down that the only that you have right now is the fact that you are a teen.
Journey Through Silicon Valley – I think by using this you are limiting your audience. If didn’t know about you through your blog, I would not purchase your book based on the title. The title suggests it’s a tech book/story.
“Reach your dreams through entrepreneurship. ……
“CEO by 17, how I started and grew a successful company before I finished high school.”
“What’s your excuse. How I started, managed and grew a successful all before the age of ..”
Hope these help. Best of luck.
To anonymous poster above:
preach on, brother!
how about, Up-Start to Start-Up:… ?
I disagree with the comments above, both positive and negative – your youth may be the hook, but your story is about how having a unique persepective and leveraging that can lead to success. I see what you’re describing as closer to “The Mind of Bill James: how a complete outsider changed baseball” than say an age based one like “The Radioactive boyscout: the frightening true story of a whiz and his homemade nuclear reactor”
email me if you’re interested in collaborating with me on a media-review site. I have this project of trying to map how one book or film or media thing opens out into more and more…[email protected]
from your booklist is sounds like something you might enjoy working on, and i’m trying to collect thinker types to contribute
The Square in the Round Hole: CEO by 15
The Story of Ben Casnocha and his multimillion dollar company
Either that or:
Jesus Saves. He Saved Me, Can He Save You Too?
I love that you have had this opportunity & are writing it!
I agree somewhat that the Silicon Valley reference might be somewhat intimidating to other (young) entrepreneurs.
Given that the title is already very long, I’d recommend:
My Start-Up Life: What a (Very) Young CEO Learned on His Journey
From the Classroom to the Boardroom:
The Story of teenage CEO Ben Casnocha
Glad to hear you’re working on this. I’ve got a book or two I need to write myself.
I kinda like “My Start-Up Life”–catchy and fairly memorable. I’m not as sold on “journey”–that, to me, implies a longer time period than what you’ll be addressing. Also–is this mainly about what you learned, or stories and memories…how much narrative, and how much musing? Is there a strong plot, or will this be a series of vignettes?
My Start-Up Life: The Adventures of a (Very) Young CEO
My Start-Up Life: The Reflections of a (Very) Young CEO
…I prefer “adventures,” because of the implicit liveliness, but without knowing the book’s tone, I can’t really stump for its appropriateness. I think I’m just assuming based on your blog and your presumptive audience that the book is going to be genuinely humorous and thoughtful and well-sprinkled with wacky CEO misadventures.
good luck!
Hey Ben, why don’t you pick a few titles and put up a survey on your blog. Let your current readers vote.
I agree that “My Start-Up Life” is excellent, and that the subtitle should be shorter, punchier, and less Valleycentric. So something along the lines of “My Start-Up Life: The Journey of a (Very) Young CEO” would be good.
Of course the selling point is that you’re a teen business prodigy. Until you have enough years behind you to develop another kind of personal brand identity, it’s one to be proud of. Imagine Tiger Woods writing a book and not mentioning golf in the title somehow. Fuhgeddaboudit.
…and don’t let the title of your book be chosen by a blog vote. It’s like focus-grouping names for a first child. Choose the title of your first book yourself, manfully as it were, by going with your gut instincts.
My Start-Up Life: The Adventures and Success of a Teenage CEO
I like “teenage CEO.”
My Start-Up Life: The Adventures of a Teenage CEO
is quite good. Almost suggests a sequel in 25 years:
My Personal Re-boot: The Midlife Crisis of an Overworked Former Teen-CEO Prodigy
Kidding, sort of. 🙂
“Growing Up CEO: The Adventures of a Teenage CEO”
the co never made millions what are you fools talking about? youth is seporator lets be honest.