About the Book

How do some people spot opportunities and turn inklings into enterprises that endure? What can you learn from them? A dramatic shift, catalyzed by new technology and interconnectivity, is creating unparalleled opportunities for individuals to shape the world they want to see. Startup founders, social innovators, and business pioneers young and old are seizing this moment. So can you. We’re all awestruck by today’s new iconoclasts, but until now no one has yet developed a comprehensive theory to explain how upstarts gain traction to achieve lasting results.

Amy’s book (forthcoming from Simon & Schuster) will weave together the collective wisdom of 250 high-impact founders, academic research, and case studies to reveal the surprising mindsets and powerful skills of those who are forging the front lines of the future. Her research reveals the six aptitudes of entrepreneurial success that every one of us can employ. The book will open readers’ eyes, engage their imaginations, and provide that rare insight that makes us look at the world and appraise our opportunities in a whole new way.

Interviewees include:
                                                                                                                                         Sheryl  Sandberg is the Chief Operating Officer of Facebook and former Vice President of Global Online Sales and Operations at Google.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Reid Hoffman is Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of the professional networking site LinkedIn, and a Partner at the venture firm Greylock Partners.

Peter Thiel is President of the hedge fund Clarium Capital, Managing Partner in the venture capital fund The Founders Fund, and previous Co-Founder and CEO of PayPal.

Pierre Omidyar is the Founder and Chairman of eBay, and Co-Founder of the philanthropic investment firm Omidyar Network.

David Neeleman is the Founder and former CEO of jetBlue Airways, and most recently the Founder and CEO of Brazilian airline Azul.

Robin Chase is the Co-Founder of Zipcar, and currently Founder and CEO of Buzzcar, a peer-to-peer carsharing company.

Jeff Skoll is Founder and Chairman of Participant Media, the Skoll Foundation, and the Skoll Urgent Threats Fund. He is the first President of eBay.

Alpheus Bingham is Founder of InnoCentive, a crowdsourcing and problem solving marketplace that connects employees, customers, partners and worldwide innovators.

Dean Kamen is an inventor and Founder of DEKA Research and Development Corporation. He is also the Founder of FIRST, a nonprofit that organizes the FIRST Robotics Competition to inspire students in engineering and technology.

Wendy Kopp is the Founder and CEO of Teach for America, a nonprofit that aims to eliminate educational inequity in the U.S. by enlisting future leaders to teach in low-income communities.