Startup Spark

Interview with the entrepreneur and author, Ben Casnocha - Part 1

by steve on June 18th, 2007

I recently had an opportunity to interview Ben Casnocha, an entrepreneur who just published his first book, called “My Startup Life”.
Ben just covered his luck in getting a New York Times Book Review. Here is the direct link to the review. It is an excellent and balance review that has the pluses and minuses of the book. Since so many have covered the book itself, I wanted to talk with the entrepreneur about being, well an entrepreneur.
In this first part of a three part interview, we discuss entrepreneurship and our shared passion of being a “bookslut”.

PART 1: ENTREPRENEURSHIP

SS: For those who have not read your book yet, could you provide us with a quick personal timeline in business and entrepreneurship?
BEN: I started my business Comcate in 2001. I had some other companies before Comcate but they weren’t very significant.

SS: You current venture is Comcate. What’s your elevator pitch for it?
BEN: We increase staff efficiency and improve customer service in the local governments we serve. Our software manages all customer service issues a city or county might have.

SS: Do you think entrepreneurship is a learned skill or a wired trait?
BEN: Both. You have to have some natural inclination, but there is also a lot to learn. I talk about some of those skills in my book.

SS: What, in your opinion, are the most important elements of a successful startup company?
BEN: The most successful startups have a combination of a product that fills a need and good market timing. Timing is underrated.

SS: I liked your comment on page 15 about being frugal about things that don’t matter and a full fledged bookslut. Could elaborate on the meaning?
BEN: To be frugal about things that don’t matter means cutting the appropriate corners. You can’t be frugal with everything. You have to splurge in some places. Figure out what matters and what doesn’t and act accordingly. For example, I don’t care about clothes. I don’t care about fashion. I am very frugal, then, when it comes to buying new clothes.
Bookslut means I love books.

SS: On page 28, you talk about the “myth of business plans”, could you share some more details on this?
BEN: Business plans are essential but useless. Essential because it’s a good thinking exercise. Useless because they rarely serve practical purpose after you write them. In other words, you rarely reference your business plan on a going forward basis.

SS: What advice would you offer entrepreneurs that are living the life or thinking about living it?
BEN: Remember there is no single path – find your own!

NEXT TIME IN PART 2, we discuss failure, growth and life balance.

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POSTED IN: Business, Entrepreneur Interviews, Leadership, Passion, Young Entrepreneurs