This year more than five million entrepreneurs will launch a new venture. Many of them believe they have the Next Big Thing. But very few startups live to see five years, and even fewer make it to ten. Even fewer still go on to become a global success story. This book is a practical guide to evaluating your business idea and a must-read for all aspiring entrepreneurs. You'll learn: -that if your new venture doesn't follow the 10x Rule, you should not quit your day job and why -how early customer development can transform a good idea into a great opportunity; -which opportunities are worth selling everything for Brad Feld and Dr. Sean Wise have been assessing startup opportunities for more than two decades. They have witnessed more than 30,000 pitches and participated in more than 500 startup launches. Now two of North America s leading minds in venture capital share how they determine which startups will succeed and which will fail. This book is indispensable for anybody who has ever thought about starting a business or fumbled their way through giving advice about starting a business. Dr. Sean Wise is an expert on startups & venture capital. He uses this expertise in his various roles as: university professor, bestselling author, international business speaker, and partner at Ryerson Futures, a seed stage venture capital fund and technology accelerator. Dr. Wise has published five books and more than two dozen peer-reviewed research papers and case studies of high-growth startups. Dr. Wise spent five seasons as a consultant for CBC on the mega hit venture reality show Dragons' Den before moving in front of the camera as the host of the Naked Entrepreneur, which airs on the Oprah Winfrey Network. Dr. Wise has been called the Dr. Phil of Entrepreneurship and in 2014, Dr. Wise was named Entrepreneurial Mentor of the Year by Startup Canada. -- Brad has been an early stage investor and entrepreneur since 1987. Prior to co-founding Foundry Group, he co-founded Mobius Venture Capital and, prior to that, founded Intensity Ventures. Brad is also a co-founder of Techstars. In addition to his investing efforts, Brad has been active with several non-profit organizations and currently is chair of the National Center for Women & Information Technology, co-chair of Startup Colorado, and on the board of UP Global. Brad speaks and writes extensively on the topics of venture capital investing and entrepreneurship. Brad holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Management Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Brad is also an avid art collector and long-distance runner. He has completed 23 marathons as part of his mission to finish a marathon in each of the 50 states.