Startup Field Guide (Revisited‪)‬

Thinking about starting a startup? Or stuck with an idea that will not leave you alone?

Startup Field Guide (Revisited) is the revised and updated edition of Startup Field Guide, written for builders who want to create something real in a world that rewards noise. It is a practical, modern playbook for turning a raw idea into a product people use, a business that grows, and a life you are proud to live while you build it.

Sean Callahan has lived the full arc: scrappy early bets, painful wrong turns, and the discipline of building at Amazon scale. In this book, he pulls the signal from two decades of startups and leadership and gives you the clearest path through the part nobody can see yet, the messy middle between excitement and traction.

You will learn how to choose the right problem, validate it fast, and ship the first version without overbuilding. How to find early users, earn trust, and turn feedback into direction. How to build momentum before you feel ready, make decisions when information is incomplete, and keep your team aligned as complexity rises. Most importantly, you will learn how to build with integrity, so growth does not cost you your center.

This book stays focused on what actually moves a startup forward: choosing well, building fast, listening closely, and improving with discipline.

Inside you will learn how to:

- Spot ideas worth pursuing and test them with speed and honesty.
- Build the first version that teaches you the most, not the one that impresses the most.
- Get your first users, listen deeply, and translate signals into product decisions.
- Create simple operating, product, and people systems that scale without chaos.
- Lead through uncertainty with calm, conviction, and clear next steps.
- Avoid the mistakes that quietly burn years, cash, and confidence.

Each chapter blends story, strategy, and practical exercises, so you are not just reading, you are building. Whether you are starting from zero or starting again, Startup Field Guide (Revisited) will help you move with focus, learn faster than your fear, and keep showing up long enough for the work to compound.

Build something real. Then build it well.

Advance Praise
"Just enough, by somebody who knows more than enough… to give you exactly what you’re looking for."
Michael E. Gerber, author of The E-Myth and Awakening the Entrepreneur Within

"A true field guide… real-world tips and resources that you need to get you launching your startup, learning to grow, and living the entrepreneurial dream!"
Brant Cooper, author of The Lean Entrepreneur