Accelerate This! A Super Not Boring Guide To Startup Accelerators And Clean Energy Entrepreneurship

by Ryan Kushner  

Soooo, what is an accelerator?! And should you do one to grow your business? What's an accelerator versus an incubator? How do you find a good one, get in, and make the most of it? If you're running a program, how can you do that more effectively? 

Accelerate This! will cut through all the confusion so you can:
- Decide if you want to join a program
- Learn how to grow your idea into a business
- Create a program (or run yours better!)

Accelerate This! covers the whole shebang, tip to tail, inside out, and outside in. We've collected quotes, insights and best practices from the world's best programs (Y Combinator, 500 Startups, Techstars, Cleantech Open, Google/Alphabet X, The Buckminster Fuller Institute, XPrize, Elemental Excelerator, Free Electrons and a TON more), most interesting entrepreneurs (Justin Rosenstein, Casey Fenton, and more), gathered some of the most useful tools (Lean Startup, Four Steps To The Epiphany, and so on) and put it all together a super NOT boring format for you to learn, work smarter and create change.

Do you want to Accelerate This!?

What Readers Are Saying

“Kushner is a clear thinker and clean writer. He's found a way to sneak in a lot of valuable insights by offering a fun narrative pattern comprised of reflections, analysis, quotes from luminaries and many pretty infographics. The effect is that "Accelerate This" captures the Zeitgeist, a kind of historical document of what's happening in Accelerators on this planet right now”
-Joshua Cambridge

"Accelerate this is a great guide for anyone who is either running an accelerator program or who is considering applying for an accelerator. This is a practical guide and the accelerator model canvas is a great framework for understanding the lens and focus of an accelerator program. In full disclosure - I was also very excited to contribute to this book from the perspective of building a global network of impact focused accelerators. Ryan did a fantastic job of sourcing insights and feedback from a wide range of leaders across the field."

-Avary Kent

“Ryan's book is a great read that is full of critical foundational concepts and nuances, mixed in with real world insights from his own front line experience and network. I work in and around this space and know when someone is exaggerating or "making it up". Ryan knows what he is talking about and learned a lot from the stable of contributors.”

-Matthew W. Burks    

“As a scientist turned entrepreneur, this book provides a clear path towards accessing support and providing options in the accelerator world. It is a must-have.”

-Karen Momper

“Sitting down to read this book is like going to coffee with 3 dozen global entrepreneurs to find out what they do and why they do it - only, this author already paid for all the coffee and is giving you the insights. The result is a really interesting look into innovation projects, and a great read for any manager who's asking questions about how to generate new ideas, push ideas forward, be competitive, and oh yes CHANGE THE WORLD. What he says is true: super not boring!”

- Marjory Garrison

The book is not only an extremely useful guidebook, but also asks critical questions like if accelerators are good for the economy and world. Kushner manages to keep a potentially dry topic fun all the way through tone and graphics without overdoing it. One thing I'd like to see more of is nonprofit, social enterprise, and cooperative accelerators. They do cover a few, like the Buckminster Fuller Institute, but there could be more. That said, this book is the best guide to the field I know of.

- Neal Gorenflo

Ryan's book is a great read that is full of critical foundational concepts and nuances, mixed in with real world insights from his own front line experience and network. I work in and around this space and know when someone is exaggerating or "making it up". Ryan knows what he is talking about and learned a lot from the stable of contributors. Most importantly, even as a leading practitioner, Ryan maintains a level of humility that is both refreshing and important in understanding the opportunities and potential pitfalls. Kudos and appreciation to Ryan and the contributors for putting this together.

- Matthew W. Burks

I once worked on an advocacy campaign to get all the incubators and accelerators around the country to agree to get to a certain target of women-led businesses in their cohorts. What I found was frankly a hot mess, different interpretations of what is an accelerator versus an incubator and many different ideas about what makes them successful. I'm thrilled that someone who actually knows what he's talking about decided to document it and set us all straight. Awesome read for those of us in the proverbial trenches!

- Nathalie Molina

Ryan's writing style combined with the excellent visuals and the design of the book make it a super easy read - and the content is superb.

- Bobby B

“This is a great book for an MBA student or even an undergrad. Kushner is a welcoming and an insightful guide and the book is presented beautifully — very accessible for the non-specialist but there is a lot here for the expert too.”

- Benjamin Orbach