“The secret to successful scaling isn’t doing more of what got you here — it’s learning to do different things well.” — Reid Hoffman In 2011, Airbnb faced a problem most founders would consider enviable: it was growing so fast that the growth itself was threatening to break the company. Bookings were doubling month over […]
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How Worth the Work Maps to a Semester
Posted by David Wallace on August 31, 2026
If you’re evaluating Worth the Work for course adoption, the question that actually matters isn’t “is this a good book” — it’s “does this fit how I have to structure fifteen weeks.” Here’s a direct answer, part by part. The book is organized into six parts and eighteen chapters, structured to follow the entrepreneurial journey […]
Read MoreYou Can Be Profitable and Still Go Bankrupt
Posted by David Wallace on August 31, 2026
“Cash flow is the lifeblood of any business. You can have profits on paper, but if you can’t pay your bills, you’re dead.” — Richard Branson Chapter 10 of Worth the Work opens with a story that makes Branson’s point uncomfortably real. A founder — call her Jessica — launches a boutique marketing agency with […]
Read More“A Goal Is a Dream With a Deadline.” Chapter 4 Is About the Translation.
Posted by David Wallace on August 27, 2026
Napoleon Hill’s line opens Chapter 4 of Worth the Work, and it names the exact place where a lot of promising businesses never actually start: the gap between having a compelling vision and having something you can act on Monday morning. The trap of eloquent generalities Worth the Work illustrates this with a founder — […]
Read MoreCulture Isn’t a Perk. It’s Infrastructure.
Posted by David Wallace on August 25, 2026
Research cited by Forbes has found that companies with strong cultures grow revenue up to four times faster than competitors with weak ones. Not because culture makes people happier, though it often does, but because culture is the operating system that determines how fast and how well every other decision in your business gets made. […]
Read More“It’s Not Whether You Get Knocked Down.” Chapter 2 Is About What Happens After.
Posted by David Wallace on August 19, 2026
Vince Lombardi put it this way: “It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get up.” It’s the quote that opens Chapter 2 of Worth the Work, and it’s there because it’s the single most accurate description of what entrepreneurship actually tests. Not your idea. Not your resume. Whether you get up. Mindset […]
Read MoreMore Than 5,000 Entrepreneurship Courses Are Taught in the U.S. Right Now. Most Are Using the Wrong Kind of Textbook.
Posted by David Wallace on August 17, 2026
According to the Kauffman Foundation, the number of entrepreneurship courses offered at U.S. colleges and universities grew from roughly 250 in 1985 to more than 5,000 by 2013 — and nearly 90% of American universities now offer at least one. Entrepreneurship isn’t a niche elective anymore. It’s one of the fastest-growing areas of undergraduate study […]
Read MoreFrom Idea to Exit: Building a Business That Lasts
Posted by David Wallace on March 3, 2026
I recently joined Deborah Agrafojo, Partner at Touchstone Advisors, to discuss my new book, BYOB: Build Your Own Business. Below are the audio podcast and video recordings of that conversation. The podcast is also available through Apple podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music under “Touchstone Talks.” In this episode, David Wallace, author of Build Your Own Business(BYOB) […]
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