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Fail Forward Fast: The Truth About Startup Success review

A $17.99 ebook about learning from startup failure, credited to a doctor with an invented specialism.

Pass

Failure analysis is a serious subject and the idea of shortening the loop between mistake and correction is what the entire lean startup literature is about, so the book is at least pointed in a real direction. What it is missing is exactly what makes that literature useful: named companies, dated decisions and numbers. The examples here are promised but unnamed, and the credited doctor holds a PhD in Startup Failures Case Studies, a specialism that does not exist as a degree, which is a particularly awkward invention for a book whose selling point is case studies.

Price
$17.99
Billing
One-time payment
Best for
Founders who want the argument, not the cases
Not for
Anyone who wants named, dated case studies

Fail Forward Fast: The Truth About Startup Success at a glance

The contents are why failure is part of entrepreneurial success, analysing mistakes quickly, iterating and pivoting, building resilience and persistence, and examples of startups that turned failure around. It is an instant download with no page count given, sold at $17.99 beside a printed $47, with 60 days to claim a refund and no add-ons in the cart.

Format
Ebook, instant download after purchase
Length
Not stated: the order form gives no page count
Contents
Why failure is an essential part of entrepreneurial success; How to analyze mistakes and learn from them quickly; Strategies to iterate, adapt, and pivot your business effectively; Tips to build resilience, confidence, and persistence; Real-world examples of startups that turned failure into success
Price
$17.99 one time, listed beside a regular price of $47
Refund window
60 days on the order form
Credited author
Ayesha Sarwar
Credited co-author
Dr. Jean Donald, described as holding a PhD in Startup Failures Case Studies with 28 years of experience
Readership claim
Claims 356000+ readers
Sales page
None: the Digistore24 order form is the only description
Seller
GhulamBooks, listed as the merchant on the Digistore24 order form; no website, address or phone number is given anywhere. Digistore24 Inc. is the reseller of record.
Digistore24 ID
635393

Shorten the loop from mistake to fix

Why failure matters, analysing it, iterating, pivoting and persistence.

This is the territory of the lean startup literature, which does it with named companies.

Case studies with nobody in them

Real-world examples are promised without naming a single company.

For a book credited to a doctor of startup failure case studies, that is a conspicuous gap.

The co-author's degree does not exist

The listing credits Dr. Jean Donald with a PhD in Startup Failures Case Studies and 28 years of experience. No university awards a doctorate in that, and it is the pattern across all 84 titles from this seller: each book gets its own doctor with a PhD in exactly that book's subject.

Three of those names appear twice with different doctorates and different decades of experience, so the credentials are generated rather than held.

The rest of the numbers are decoration

Claims 356000+ readers, although the seller has no website, no catalogue page and no way to check. The $47 regular price sits next to $17.99 on every title in the catalogue and is never charged.

The reviews carry first names and US or European cities, which cannot be verified either.

Pros and cons

What works

  • Serious, real subject
  • Covers pivoting as well as persistence
  • 60-day refund window on the order form
  • Instant download, no add-ons in the cart

What does not

  • No named case studies
  • Credential invented for a case-study book
  • Co-author credited with a degree that does not exist
  • Permanent $47 anchor price
  • No sales page, author bio or sample

Fail Forward Fast: The Truth About Startup Success FAQ

Which startups does it discuss?

None are named in the listing.

Is it about lean methodology?

It covers similar ground without the named literature.

How much does it cost?

$17.99 as a one-time payment, with no sales tax added for a US address.

Can I get a refund?

Yes, the order form shows a 60-day money-back window.

Who wrote it?

The listing credits Ayesha Sarwar, with Dr. Jean Donald as co-author. Neither has a verifiable profile, and the doctorate given is not a real academic field.

The bottom line

Failure analysis is a serious subject and the idea of shortening the loop between mistake and correction is what the entire lean startup literature is about, so the book is at least pointed in a real direction. What it is missing is exactly what makes that literature useful: named companies, dated decisions and numbers. The examples here are promised but unnamed, and the credited doctor holds a PhD in Startup Failures Case Studies, a specialism that does not exist as a degree, which is a particularly awkward invention for a book whose selling point is case studies.

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