Eliot Peper is an entrepreneur, an investor, an advisor… and now an author of startup fiction. His first book, Uncommon Stock (published by Brad Feld’s new publishing company FG Press) at its surface seems like an uncommon next step for most entrepreneurs. However if you treat a novel like a startup, you can understand the decision better. This week, I spend some time interviewing Eliot around a few topics:

• How is writing a novel like doing a startup?
• What can entrepreneurs learn from authors and vise-versa?
• How does an author promote and do marketing for his work?
• Are you a plotter or a pantser?
• What writing apps do you use?
• Who inspires you?
• You were originally going to self-publish?
• What attracted you to self-publishing?
• Was it hard to decide between FG Press and self-publishing?
• Was it harder than you expected to write the book?
• What do you like best about writing?
• What’s next for you?

Chris Tacy is one of my startup mentors and close personal friends. He is not only a brilliant strategist, but he has had 4 successful start experiences in a row with 4 successful exits and no (major) failures. A rare occurrence in startups. He has some surprising advice to share, so find out his secrets.