Unlikely Entrepreneurs

Wins, Losses, and Crucial Lessons on Building Great Companies

By: N. Louis Shipley, Patricia Favreau

Narrated by: William Sarris

What does the USA's number one online casket company, a nationally distributed sustainable sausage brand, and the company behind the editing system used by The Matrix have in common? These thriving ventures were founded by unlikely entrepreneurs whose journeys reveal what it takes to succeed in launching and growing a startup.

In Unlikely Entrepreneurs: Wins, Losses, and Crucial Advice in Building Great Companies, the authors―who hail from Harvard Business School and MIT Sloan School of Management―combine expert insights, elements of the case study method, and an engaging storytelling style to take a deep dive into the key challenges that founders face. They set the stage for each profile—including those of entrepreneurs helming billion-dollar companies to mom-and-pop businesses—whose colorful, unlikely stories showcase entrepreneurial best practices that listeners can adopt to succeed.

Throughout the book, the authors weave in lessons from the classrooms of top-ranked business schools and expert insights from venture capitalists, investors, CEOs, business authors, and Ivy league researchers―on what it takes for startups to scale in a competitive marketplace. Unlikely Entrepreneurs is a must-listen for anyone considering launching a business and for those looking to scale their company and expand their offerings.

©2026 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (P)2026 Ascent Audio