Forward by Frank Caufield
"This book captures the essence of good business practices!
It’s very clear that the current business environment is rapidly and constantly changing. Speed, flexibility, creativity, and constant adaptation are the mantras of this new playing field.
Successful businesspeople work smart and stand ready to reinvent their business strategies, or, if necessary, themselves. Regardless of your age, education, or skill set, reinvention can be achieved with the right attitude and commitment to practice certain disciplines.
When John and Mark first asked me to write the foreword for this book, I thought back to the specific disciplines that guided me through my own life. Working in venture capital for over thirty-five years, I analyzed and helped fund hundreds of companies. That led me to think about the disciplines displayed by the successful leaders at those companies.
Everyone who achieved breakout success had one thing in common: a set of disciplines they rigorously followed and, most importantly, executed with great commitment.
I have known John and Mark for over twenty years, and they have raised the bar in isolating the most essential disciplines that true success demands. I’ve seen brilliant people who operate without these disciplines simply fail, and conversely, I’ve seen people of average talent who execute with these disciplines become incredibly successful.
The Street Smart Disciplines can be learned, practiced, and perfected. John and Mark have packed these pages with clear thinking, sound advice, and lots of street-smart common sense. Achieving extraordinary success is never easy, but the rewards of unrelenting discipline can be monumental.
Sincerely,
Frank Caufield, Cofounder
Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers
About Frank
Frank Caufield has been active in the venture capital field since the early 1970s. He is a cofounder of Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield, and Byers (KPCB). KPCB is one of the largest and most prominent venture capital firms in the United States. Mr. Caufield has served on the board of Quantum Corporation, Caremark, Inc., Megabios, Verifone, Inc., Wyse Technology, Quickturn Corporation, AOL, the Council on Foreign Relations as well as many other private and public companies.
He is currently the lead independent director of Time Warner. He also serves as a director of The U.S. Russia Investment Fund, The U.S. Russia Foundation, Refugees International, and the San Francisco Film Society.
He is a past president of both the Western Association of Venture Capitalists and the National Venture Capital Association. Frank is a graduate of the United States Military Academy and holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School.