This book describes how one Silicon Valley insider has blazed a path of professional - and personal - success playing the game by his own rules. Silicon Valley is filled with garage-to-riches stories and hot young entrepreneurs with big ideas. Yet even in this place where the exceptional is common, Randy Komisar is a breed apart. Currently a "Virtual CEO" who provides "leadership on demand" for several renowned companies, Komisar was recently described by the "Washington Post" as a "combined professional mentor, minister without portfolio, in-your-face investor, trouble-shooter and door opener." But even more interesting than what he does is how - and why - he does it. Komisar has found a way to turn an ambitious and challenging work life into his life's work."The Monk and the Riddle" is unlike any other business book you've read. Transcending the typical "leadership book" model of lists and frameworks on how to succeed in business, "The Monk and the Riddle" is instead a lively and humorous narrative about the education of a unique Valley insider. It unfolds over the course of an ongoing dialogue between Komisar and would-be entrepreneurs, "Lenny and Allison," and is at once a portal into the inner workings of Silicon Valley - from how startups get launched to how venture capitalists do their deals to how plans get prepared and pitched - and a deeply personal account of how one mover and shaker found fulfillment, not in work's rewards but in work itself.As the narrative follows Komisar through meetings with venture capitalists and eager entrepreneurs, and as his conversations with Lenny evolve toward a resolution, "The Monk and the Riddle" imparts invaluable lessons about the differences between leadership and management and passion and drive, and about the meaning of professional and personal success. "When all is said and done," writes Komisar, "the journey is the reward."
Industry Reviews
Silicon Valley is the backdrop for this helpful book, written by a successful professional business adviser. Komisars experiences have included working with LucasFilms, Apple, WebTV, TiVo, and Claris Corporation. Devoting himself to a handful of startup companies at a time for about a year or two, Komisar is regarded as a `Virtual CEO` who provides planning and decision-making advice and is not involved in day-to-day operations. Here, Komisar demonstrates his expertise through his conversations with potential entrepreneurs interested in starting an online funeral business. However, while the book does deal with the specific wheelings and dealings of Silicon Valley (such as the role of venture capitalists) Komisar for the most part offers the type of general advice that can be helpful for any entrepreneur. He mixes lofty opinions about business (`Business is one of the last remaining social institutions to help us manage and cope with change`) with practical advice (`Business conditions are forever changing. You need to reconsider your strategies and business models constantly and adjust them where necessary. But the big idea that your company pursues is the touchstone for these refinements`). One key issue that Komisar writes about is the danger of the `Deferred Life Plan,` where one is led to believe that you need to `do what you have to do` before you `do what you want to do.` As Komisar tries to explain, time is the only resource that matters, and what will make an entrepreneur truly successful is the ability to combine both the drive with the passion. The intriguing title refers to a February 1999 incident when Komisar encountered a monk in Burma, an incident that confirmed his belief that `the journey is the reward.` While perhaps not written for those interested in get-rich-quick schemes, Komisars account provides enough business tips and Zen-like ideas to inspire would-be entrepreneurs. (Kirkus Reviews)
