To an Amazing Group of Endorsers-Thank you!

Last week, I expressed my gratitude to the many folks who have contributed to my 30-year startup journey and to the creation of my book, The Startup Lottery, available on November 15, 2023 on Amazon. I would also like to acknowledge the incredible group of superstars who read the book and shared your positive endorsements prior to publication. Your words of encouragement and praise for the book mean more to me than I can fully express.

Thank you!

Adam Dakin , Alison Davis , Ariel Eckstein, CPCC , Kristen Fitzpatrick, Steve Kaufer , Phillip Merrick , Ted Niedermayer, Jacob Stiglitz , and Katharine Weymouth.

Here's What They Said About:

The Startup Lottery: Your Guide to Navigating Risk and Reward

“THE STARTUP LOTTERY is a quick and enjoyable read for entrepreneurs, potential investors, and joiners alike! It is especially useful for people thinking about joining a startup. Over 25 percent of my students consider the startup path while at HBS, and the ‘Employee’s Due Diligence Checklist’ will help them make well-informed decisions as they embark on their careers.”

– Kristen Fitzpatrick , Managing Director, Career and Professional Development,

Harvard Business School

“THE STARTUP LOTTERY is the must-have read for anyone considering joining a startup or founding one without prior experience. With over three decades of experience in the startup world and a Harvard MBA, Gus goes through everything from what questions you should ask before joining a start-up, how to evaluate an offer, to what an exit looks like.”

– Katharine Weymouth Entrepreneur, Investor, Former Publisher, The Washington Post

“THE STARTUP LOTTERY offers core lessons for surviving and thriving in startup life. The insights in this book will help you evaluate opportunities, embrace change, and manage risk. It’s not enough to work hard. You need a good navigation system to reach your destination. THE STARTUP LOTTERY is the GPS for your startup career.”

– Steve Kaufer , Co-Founder and former CEO, Tripadvisor

“THE STARTUP LOTTERY acts as a mentor-in-print, guiding readers through the labyrinth of startup dynamics. It fills crucial gaps in our understanding of equity and value, making it an indispensable resource for anyone eyeing the startup world. This concise guidebook is a must-read that promises repeated returns.”

– Jacob Stiglitz Director, Georgetown University Venture Lab

“There are plenty of how-to guides for founders, but few resources address the much greater number of professionals who join the startups those founders create. THE STARTUP LOTTERY does this group a huge service, helping them make educated and informed choices by documenting the risks, rewards, adventures, and (sometimes) misadventures they can expect along the way.”

– Phillip Merrick , 6-time startup founder/CEO, Washington Magazine “Tech Titan”, Deloitte Fast 500 Top 5 CEO

“As part of the team that has grown LinkedIn into the world’s most successful professional network, I have had the privilege of coaching and advising many young people contemplating start-up life. Going forward, for anyone considering such a move, my first piece of counsel will be ‘Read THE STARTUP LOTTERY’.”

– Ariel Eckstein, CPCC , Vice President, Talent Solutions, LinkedIn

“Trek into the Amazon without a compass, a knife, and an experienced guide, and you may come out alive, but you probably won’t. THE STARTUP LOTTERY is the essential tool for your survival in the startup jungle. I encourage my entrepreneurship students at Penn to read this book before they even interview with a startup.”

– Adam Dakin , Partner, Dreamit Ventures, Entrepreneurship Course Instructor University of Pennsylvania

“THE STARTUP LOTTERY provides a great framework for evaluating the risk of a startup combined with practical advice on whether a startup is right for you. Easy-to-follow explanations of complicated compensation topics with a healthy dollop of realism useful to counterbalance typical startup hype. An invaluable resource for anyone considering a role in a startup!”

– Ted Niedermayer, President of Fitch Solutions, Board member of the

Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth

“THE STARTUP LOTTERY is an excellent book. I have never come across anything so useful for people looking at joining a startup. The book condenses a lifetime of learnings and wisdom, offering practical advice, demystification, and great frameworks for evaluating career options. I highly recommend this book to anyone considering working at a startup.”

– Alison Davis , Experienced public and private company board director and venture capital investor in more than 800 early-stage companies

Gus Bessalel is the author of the upcoming book, The Startup Lottery: Your Guide to Navigating Risk and Reward, due out November 15, 2023 on Amazon. The book is an essential guide for anyone considering a career in startups. To be notified of the book’s release, please visit thestartuplottery.com.?

A former Inc. 500 CEO, serial entrepreneur and 30-year veteran of startup life, Gus has a BA and MBA from Harvard University and started his career in management consulting at Bain & Co. He was also the Co-Founder of Compass Pro Bono, a volunteer consulting organization that advises nonprofits. He mentors young companies and entrepreneurs and writes about startups and business, among other eclectic topics.thestartuplottery.com