Are you looking to start your own business? Do you fancy the idea of being an entrepreneur? This book is a good starting point! Entrepreneurship is not a fancy movement, this is a hard work that looks easy from the outside. The contents definitely resonate with my experience and I liked the exercises suggested too.

I feel I should begin this review by clarifying what this book and what is is not, because the title is a bit ambiguous. This book offers more tips in reframing your thought processes than practical tips for a business. If you're looking for tips to make yourself more marketable, more recession-proof or more financially effective, you won''t find them here. But you will find inspiration and a feeling of emotional support. This book is like listening to a friend offer you advice to help you become more resilient. It's simple and conversational, rather than practical and groundbreaking. I consider this a good thing when running your own business because days are sometimes hectic and draining and a light read can be appreciated. In my opinion, this book is for entrepreneurs just starting out. If you've been doing it for a while, you'll likely not find much here that you haven't already stumbled upon. Having said all that, it is an easy read and you get a feeling the authors are truly cheering for you. And who doesn't appreciate a little cheering on once in a while?

Disclaimer: I received an eARC from NetGalley for review. This review contains statements that are my opinions, so if you disagree, feel free to ignore them!

Overall, Misadventures in Entrepreneuring was an insightful but unnecessary book. Although it occasionally feels good to hear about other small businesses facing obstacles, there was no “learning from your mistakes” in this one - it was only about how hard it is to succeed. Unless you start reading this book with confidence and determination, it will make you give up out of fear.

A more basic fault I noticed is the confusion of the term ‘entrepreneur’. Misadventures in Entrepreneuring discusses the struggles of creating a business, working for low income, working with friends, and even more topics that do not overlap. The question is: what is an entrepreneur, and who is the audience of this book? Half of the so-called “advice” doesn’t apply to most readers which makes all of the content seem incredible.

Complimenting this, Mann drones on about subjects that have little to no meaning, such as the hurtful stereotypes entrepreneurs face. Apparently, all entrepreneurs are seen as sexy, rich and powerful and many find it hard to live up to those standards so give up completely. I’m sure some start-ups are intimidated by these stereotypes, but as an entrepreneur who works with dozens of others, the truer stereotype we face is that all Gen-Zs have “big dreams but no realistic way to reach them.” I would explain this stereotype further but it’s not at all progressive and inspiring, so I won’t.

Another problem I had with this book was the writing style, which was casual, unstructured, and scattered. Mann wrote Misadventures in Entrepreneuring in a story-telling narrative, as in he is reading you a story out loud. The dialogue style made it difficult to read and although this isn’t a fiction novel, Mann broke the fourth wall, thus distracting him from sharing more pertinent information, too often. A lot of this book was also repetitive; not only ideas or stories, but literal sentences. Mann needs to have more confidence that readers will understand what he’s trying to say the first time.

All of this said, I did find it nice to hear that I’m not alone when facing obstacles. Mann used his personal experiences starting “Entrepreneurial Spark” with a business partner which enhanced the credibility of the book. Although Misadventures in Entrepreneuring prepares you for failure instead of teaching you how to avoid it, it brings readers to terms with the simple facts. It is okay to make mistakes. It is okay to ask for help. We’ve all been there.