Seth GoldmanMission in a Bottle: The Honest Guide to Doing Business Differently--and Succeeding

At first I thought that I would be irritated by the 'graphic novel' style, but I think it works very effectively, especially to get over some pretty subtle points. I very much liked the graphic means of storytelling. Storytelling makes an emotional appeal to grab the reader and Mission in a Bottle does that even more effectively than would have been the case had Seth and Barry used a classic business book approach. I particularly enjoyed the way they described the turning down of the offer from Nestlé and the acceptance of the one from Coke. It displayed the company's strategy in a way that is not 'fluff', the term of disapprobation used by Richard Rumelt ( Good Strategy Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters ) for so many weak strategy statements.Entrepreneurship students (I teach both entrepreneurship and strategy on an MBA program) would do well to read this book very carefully, as much for what the authors do not say about the entrepreneurial adventure. I told Barry that i was likely to use the book as a set text on my course next year. So I must have liked it a lot.There are so many theories of entrepreneurship and for every one there are examples of its disproof, While I do make some general statements about what works, each case is different. That's what makes Mission in a Bottle so appealing, because the reader can draw on very specific case material, and realize that, for example, the issues in soft drink distribution do not apply in other sectors, but the 'moral' of the story can still be drawn.I wish I had read Mission in a Bottle before I wrote my ebook,  Telling StartUp Stories: Keep the End in Mind , since Mission in a Bottle is one of the best examples of startup storytelling I have ever encountered.

This book is nothing like I thought it would be. It started out as a read for a college course, but actually became super interesting. The comic book layout made the entire thing more engaging and fun to read! As a blossoming entrepreneur I found it super helpful to see the steps that Seth and Barry went through when curating Honest Tea.

in the late 90's I lived a few blocks from the Honest Tea offices. At the time they were just a small local company struggling to carve out a niche against giant brands like Snapple.Fast forward to 2014 and they are now owned by Coca-Cola, but still focused on being a company for change- organic teas, fair trade labor standards, and a culture that promotes doing the right thing along with being profitable. They didn't shortchange their values for a quick dollar.What the authors manage to do is tell that story in an amazingly enjoyable way. Yes, there are struggles, mistakes, moments when the future of the company is on the brink. But it's told in such a way that it becomes a page turning 'mystery' instead of a dry, dull business book.The graphic novel format the authors chose makes it even more enjoyable to read and the graphics are beautiful and only add to the story.Don't be fooled by the beautiful artwork- this is a real business book with hard learned lessons, failures, successes, tough choices and everything that makes a great business success story.If you're not familiar with the Honest Tea line of products- find some. If you're not familiar with the decade long story of 'the little tea company that could'- read this book and enjoy.

Very enlightening. I found myself empathizing with the authors, appreciating their efforts and their mission to change the world through a small drink business. Proving that consumers care about quality. While reading I was learning from their mistakes and mentally taking notes about their strengths and ideals.I found the graphic novel format to be a much more approachable format to tell their story. The art was well-done, and used to enhance the story with visuals, but not in any way distracting. This is not the type of book I normally read, but due to its uniqueness compared to other business books, I was intrigued. This book has helped me understand the day-to-day struggles of being an entrepreneur, and about the rewards for the ones who can overcome them.Highly recommend it for upcoming entrepreneurs and young, impressionable minds who enjoy graphic novels. I believe the best way to get a child to read this, is to read it in front of them, and let their curiosity get the best of them.

This is an interesting, quick-read book which I found to be refreshing given it's graphic novel format. It tells us of the founders' experiences, the challenges they encountered, and how Honest Tea became what it is today. I have personally drank some of their teas before but only found a few i.e. less than five flavors to my liking. I am still not fully convinced with the part of being bought out by Coca-Cola even though the management team has remained intact but I can understand their position if I was in their shoes. The last part had a few tips which I much appreciate. Overall, an honestly good read and one that I would recommend for those looking to start a business, especially one in the F&B industry.

One of the most interesting business books I've ever read. It's unique way of telling business concepts related to startups is amazing. Must read for entrepreneurs and startups.

Outstanding and uniquely presented story of the multi-year roller coaster journey to "overnight success".Captures well the spirit and determination and talent and good and bad fortune involved. Loved every page of this wonderfully illustrated book.

Interesting and easy read

Content is very good, but blue brint is tough to read

I love the graphic novel layout, which makes this a quick and fun read. Since it's a honestly told real life story, there are lots of lessons to be learned from it. Am looking forward to reading this many times and sharing it with many founders