A young tech entrepreneur's memoir of building his hugely successful company and the mental and physical price he paid for it
At the age of twenty-six, John Roa founded ÄKTA, a Chicago-based tech-consulting and design firm that became one of the fastest-growing companies in America, which he sold in 2015 for a fortune to the largest tech company in San Francisco, Salesforce. His account of his rise from a self-described below-average student, to becoming a poster boy for the ambitious, successful young entrepreneur, to nearly destroying himself in the process is the subject of A Practical Way to Get Rich . . . and Die Trying.
Roa's twenty-year-long journey from being dead-broke to wealth he never imagined is an absurd and often comical story of talent, luck, risk, rapidly changing technology, larger-than-life personalities, sex, gambling, and excessive alcohol and drug consumption. Roa's intention for his memoir is not to present a glamorous rags-to-riches saga, but, instead, to serve as a cautionary tale of the toll that entrepreneurship can take on ambitious young people unprepared for the peril, responsibility, long hours, relentless pressure to grow and be profitable, and the physical and mental costs that "making it" can take.
Those pitfalls are seldom acknowledged in the romanticism that pervades the tech scene, and they eventually took their toll on Roa, who, in the face of round-the-clock pressure and risk taking, ultimately suffered a psychotic breakdown from which he almost didn't walk away. As he healed in the aftermath, he began to question the ethos that had brought him to that dark place, and he learned from other entrepreneurs that they, too, had experienced similar debilitating issues that they felt unable to admit, let alone discuss.
A Practical Way to Get Rich . . . and Die Trying is a compelling memoir and the foundation for a strong and important campaign of honesty and vulnerability in an industry that currently allows neither. Roa aims to be the bridge to helping young leaders confront mental health issues and abuse that too often accompany the tech startup that so many have embraced as their salvation for their future.
About the Author
John Roa is an entrepreneur, technologist, philanthropist, international business investor, and podcast host. In 2010, he founded innovation and design consultancy KTA, which was acquired by Salesforce in 2015. He now runs the investment group Roa Ventures and nonprofit organization Digital Hope. He lives in New York City.
Industry Reviews
A Practical Way to Get Rich and Die Trying is a scathingly honest memoir of entrepreneurship's dark realitythe crushing stress, the minuscule odds of success, the trauma of failure that is always peering over most founders' shoulders. As editor of Inc. magazine, I followed John Roa's successful rise at AEKTA. To learn from this book what was really going on in his heart and his company at that time is powerful and sobering. I would advise every entrepreneuroror anyone who dreams of becoming oneto read this book. There's no better way to understand how immensely challenging the entrepreneurial path really is, and what heroes the people who undertake that journey truly are.
Eric Schurenberg - CEO, Fast Company and Inc.
I thought I would be reading a story about a friend and successful entrepreneur. What I got instead was One of the most honest and well-articulated narratives that I've ever read on the rollercoaster that comes along with success in our modern culture. John's vulnerability and security shine through as he gives a genuine insight into his journey of success that also reflects upon the necessary resilience to persevere through tough times as a leader, and make the journey all the more rewarding. I would encourage every leader, entrepreneur and coach to read this immediately.
Sean McVay, Head Coach of the L.A. Rams
"John is one of the few shining a light on the dark side of entrepreneurship. The same drive that makes a lot of us successful is the same force that drives a lot of us to stand face-to-face with our demons. This is a must-read book."
Jordan Harbinger, Host of the Jordan Harbinger Show
For young entrepreneurs seeking to win the glitteringbut personally destructivestartup game, it is essential reading. . . . A candid and disturbing memoir of the ups and downs of entrepreneurship.
Kirkus Reviews
"Business memoirs are so often heroic accounts of innovation, growth, and crushing the competition that it's gratifying to encounter a book like Roa's A Practical Way to Get Rich, which turns the standard narrative on its head by looking at the personal costs of success rather than just its benefits. Roa's deep but hilarious look at his own failures and missteps can serve as a caution and inspiration to a generation of upcoming entrepreneurs."
Mario Lopez, Actor and TV Host
"From a story-telling perspective, this is about as good as it gets. John does a brilliant job of combining personal vulnerability and business intelligence with raucous humor, keeping the reader deeply engaged. This is a gripping and compelling page turner."
Anthony Hemingway, Golden Globe-winning Director
![A Practical Way to Get Rich . . . and Die Trying : [Tentative] A Cautionary Tale - John Roa](https://www.booktopia.com.au/covers/big/9781984881229/1524/a-practical-way-to-get-rich-and-die-trying.jpg)
