The document provides advice and lessons learned from becoming an entrepreneur and starting a company. It discusses common misconceptions about entrepreneurship, such as thinking you can do it alone or that venture capital is evil. It also offers tips for starting a company, such as choosing an idea you are passionate about, understanding how to fund a startup through various options like friends/family or venture capital, picking a great team, and launching early with a minimal product to begin learning. The overall message is that starting a company is a learning process and not to believe common myths about what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur.

1. From Designer to Founder It’s the pants

2. Why become an entrepreneur? Times when I am truly happy Times when I am wearing pants Gap analysis: this is a gap here

3. Idea Entrepreneur (not fast enough) In reality, it’s more like this

5. So what’s it like? Not what you’d expect… Five lies I ran into, and five (personal) truths…

6. Lie #1 Finally a chance to do things right Truth: Finally a chance to learn why things are done wrong

7. Lie #2 I don’t know anything about business, I’m a designer Truth: Nobody knows everything On the other hand, now is a good time to learn excel

8. Lie #3: I can’t do it alone Truth: Then don’t do it at all

9. Lie #4: VC are evil Truth: VC have a job to do

10. Lie #5: I can do it like 37 signals. Truth: Don’t believe the hype. Anyone’s hype

11. So how do I do start a company? Let me tell you what I’ve got so far…

12. Choose your idea From Guy Kawasaki, Art of the Start Ability to provide unique product or service Value of customer compete on price stupid bankrupt The holy grail We designers are good at this!

13. Still… That doesn’t matter as much as this does. Passion trumps rational every time.

14. Signing up to be an entrepreneur is like signing up to be bipolar James Hong, Hot or Not founder

16. Math 10X return means taking a 2M investment = exit of 20M + a little something for the wife and kids… How big is your market?

18. Pick great people Take “the shopping mall test”

19. Launch crappy and learn

20. You suck Designers are jerks. Including me.

21. Lastly

22. Try not to be afraid

23. Christina Wodtke, Founder & CEO | christina@cucinamedia.com