The Launch Pad: Inside Y Combinator, Paperback/Randall Stross

A behind-the-scenes look at how tomorrow's hottest startups are being primed for greatness Investment firm Y Combinator is the most sought-after home for startups in Silicon Valley. Twice a year, it funds dozens of just-founded startups and provides three months of guidance from Paul Graham, YC's impresario, and his partners. Receiving an offer from YC creates the opportunity of a lifetime. Acclaimed journalist Randall Stross was granted unprecedented access to Y Combinator, enabling a unique inside tour of the world of software startups. Over the course of a summer, we watch as a group of founders scramble to make something people want. This is the definitive story of a seismic shift in the business world, in which coding skill trumps experience, undergraduates confidently take on Goliaths, and investors fall in love. About the Author: Randall Stross writes the "Digital Domain" column for the New York Times and is a professor of business at San Jose State University. He is the author of several acclaimed books, including eBoys, Planet Google, and The Wizard of Menlo Park . He has a Ph.D. in history from Stanford University.