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Acknowledgements

It’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years since I wrote the first edition
of So what? who cares? why you?® Like many founders, I began
this journey without really knowing where I was going or what
to expect of it. All I knew was that I was deeply passionate about
helping founders shed light on the value of their ideas, and a book
seemed like a good way to share what I’d learned.

Today, ten years later, I can confidently tell founders this: there will be many

magical moments that will happen to you along your journey, and the most

important of these will be the people you meet along There will be many
the way. I owe a number of people a deep debt of magical moments
gratitude for their friendship, entrepreneurial spirit, and

unwavering support. that will happen

Every founder hopes to find at least one committed to you along your

lead customer – someone who believes in what they are journey, and the
doing and is willing to take their idea at the early stages most important of
and shape it into a complete product. For me, this lead these will be the
customer was Darlene Boudreaux at TECH Fort Worth. I people you meet
met Darlene not long after I’d founded WKI. She had just along the way.
exited as CEO from a pharma startup and quickly jumped

into her next challenge helping Fort Worth launch

companies that would impact the world. Darlene has been an enthusiastic

champion of So what? who cares? why you? ever since. The WKI Certification

Program is modeled after her philosophy for supporting and nurturing early

stage ideas and founders. You will also find her advice and insights sprinkled

throughout the examples inside this book. I am thankful to Darlene on many

levels, but perhaps most for her friendship and support.

Acknowledgements VII