Joe Flood is a reporter and co-host of the Numbers & Narrative podcast, and co-author of Entrepreneurs in the Midst: Stories from Founders, Creators, and Builders. Joe received the Bronx Recognizes Its Own (BRIO) award from the Bronx Council on the Arts for his book The Fires on NYC’s 1970s fire epidemic and fiscal crisis.
“Everyone who plans to start a business should read this first. There are many books that celebrate entrepreneurial success after the fact. In Entrepreneurs in the Midst, 16 entrepreneurs bare their hearts to share their stories before the outcome is certain. That’s a brave thing to do and a gift to those who follow in their footsteps.”
—Frank Bonsal, cofounder, New Enterprise Associates (NEA)
“Renny and Joe avoid an oft-idealized account of entrepreneurship, instead providing an honest and realistic view of founders’ day-to-day struggles and triumphs. If you’re thinking about starting a company, read this book.”
—Clara Sieg, partner & founding member, Revolution Ventures
How do people decide to start a company or help grow one in its infancy? How do they build those companies? There are plenty of stories about people on the other side of the journey, who have already achieved great success. But what about people in middle of the process, for whom outcomes are still uncertain? That’s what entrepreneur Renny McPherson and reporter Joe Flood—the hosts of the Numbers & Narrative podcast—set out to uncover in interviews with entrepreneurs who are building companies.
The stories are inspiring, but tempered with honest talk about the struggles and challenges of entrepreneurship, a path none of these individuals took lightly. Entrepreneurs in the Midst is a fascinating read for anyone planning to pursue entrepreneurship and looking for role models on the journey, or for those curious to know how resilient, hard-working young people are building tomorrow’s businesses.
“Entrepreneurship, the lifeblood of innovation, is not one-size-fits all. This book gives aspiring entrepreneurs a view inside a variety of start-ups being built by a broad array of founders and builders. This is a must-read for those who wish to build businesses and anyone interested in understanding the next generation of business builders.”
– Howard Cox, Special Limited Partner, Greylock, former Chairman National Venture Capital Association
“Entrepreneurs in the Midst will certainly arm you with practical insights into the trials and tribulations of building a business. Renny and Joe have a gift for engaging with young entrepreneurs on subjects ranging from strategy to personal development.”
—Max Wessel, investor at Sapphire Ventures
“Before you start your own struggle, read this book.”
—Louis Beryl, founder and CEO of Earnest
Entrepreneurs in the Midst: Stories from Founders, Creators, and Builders
Numbers & Narrative is a long-form interview-based podcast. New podcast episodes air every Monday. Co-hosts Joe Flood and Renny McPherson interview an eclectic group of storytellers who love data and data junkies who tell great stories.
Joe and Renny first met in college. Both writers for the school newspaper, they were assigned to write an article together. They had to distill large amounts of data and show the stories behind the numbers. Since writing that first story over a decade ago, Joe and Renny have spent countless hours learning from, interviewing, and listening to people whose stories deserve a wide audience.
Through this podcast, they share their passion with a community of people who believe that Numbers & Narrative guests should be widely heard.
Visit: numbersandnarrative.com