Praise for How To Be Wrong

Every upcoming entrepreneur needs to read this immediately. Not just for the useful specifics, but more importantly, for his practical generosity: an empathetic and pragmatic perspective that is his real super-power. Ingest and apply that spirit to your own venture for the win-win.

Founding a startup is often glamorised as all excitement and a smooth ride to success. The reality? It's bloody tough, messy, and far from a fairytale. This book cuts through the noise with a no-BS take, packed with juicy tales from some of New Zealand's most well-known startups.

Rowan shows success and struggle are two sides of the same innovation coin. Each of his successful business is a result of years of testing ideas relationships, system teams and determination I enjoyed his discussion of government innovation policy as he strips down the borrowed hype of tech policy. This is a remarkably humble honest tale of taking risk, how to roll with it, how to beat it and why its worth the effort.

Exactly the sort of typical boring business-y drivel we've come to expect from you over the years, Dad. I'm sure it will be a bestseller.

It's rare that you get the insight and learnings from a startup or founders journey unless you're in it or working with them directly. This book is a delightful window into the world of some of New Zealand's best startups and in my opinion founders. If you ever wanted to be a fly on the wall this is your opportunity. If you want to build a multi-generational company from New Zealand, the lessons here will be a good place to start. Not all 'advice' is equal, why not take it from people who have actually done it, successfully.

A masterclass in evidence-based ecosystem building and a must-read for anyone interested in what makes startups tick. Rowan's deep thinking on startups and their broader environment is second to none. His writing combines an enviable intellect with pragmatism and lots of hard-won experience to give the reader an objective, nuanced, and accessible insight into why startups succeed or fail - with some rollicking good tales along the way.

The startup world needs more books like this - ones that value execution over performance, substance over style. Rowan's insight that 'quiet wins compound over time' reminds us all to focus on the work that really matters rather than constantly trying to look successful.

Rowan has done a very rare double act in life - wildly successful founder and investor. So anyone interested in start-up success must read this. And I especially loved his (sometime painful) pearls of wisdom about the roller coaster realities of successful start-ups.

Building Tractor, I've seen how Rowan Simpson is that rare breed of investor who truly moves the needle for founders. His deep thinking and willingness to tackle the hard stuff - from product pivots to the really hard moments - has been transformative for our business from day one. This book brilliantly captures his journey. What I love most is his refreshing honesty about both the wins and losses. "How To Be Wrong" is a masterclass in effective startup investing that every founder and investor needs to read.

Part memoir, part manual, part manifesto. A refreshingly honest account from someone who has been there, done that, and has the results to prove it. Ignore the noise from the derivative merchants, this is the essential read for anyone building or investing in tech companies in New Zealand or anywhere

We're living in a world where following the evidence and calling out what doesn't work gets you called a hater. Thankfully, that hasn't stopped Rowan Simpson generously sharing his expertise. Rowan shows why focusing on talented people rather than quick capital is the key to creating lasting value. If you want to know what actually works, read this book.

Rowan tells the story of the early days of the most important technology companies to ever emerge from this country, and the quiet one who worked on them all. It makes it clear why New Zealand's current approach ignores so many of the lessons learned along the way. And it takes those hard-earned insights and makes them accessible to anyone else who might dream of following in his footsteps.

Rowan brilliantly deconstructs the mythology of overnight startup success. His observation that "the best way to grow an ecosystem is to create one great company" should make everyone rethink how we support early-stage ventures in New Zealand.

Filled with rollicking tales from the bowels of company building, this is an engaging read for anyone serious about growing businesses from New Zealand or our national prosperity. There is no shortage of opinions on these matters but Rowan has actually been in the trenches, building consequential companies, multiple times. He combines these unique viewpoints with a rare ability to draw back, and see the broader lessons for structuring a New Zealand economy that works. Startup leaders will love it. Political leaders and their advisors must read it.

I loved the section on metrics. Using Trade Me as an example, Rowan has produced one of the best explanations of how to track useful metrics in a startup of anything I've ever read. I will absolutely be pointing founders to these paragraphs, it is a great contribution to the canon of startup literature!

Most start up books focus on hyping up the destination and downplaying the messy, boring and difficult work involved in actually getting there. Rowan has captured the lessons from a successful career and shaped them into practical advice that will be incredibly useful to any founder or early stage employee.

Rowan Simpson has an extraordinary gift for filtering signal from noise in the cacophony of startup advice. He cuts through the mythology to reveal what actually matters in building significant companies. This book distills decades of hard-won wisdom into clear, actionable insights - the kind that can only come from someone who has quietly shaped New Zealand’s most successful technology companies from the inside. Essential reading for anyone serious about creating valuable businesses.

Required reading for anyone who thinks New Zealand needs more startups. Rowan's argument that ecosystems are built by successful companies, not government programs, forces us to confront uncomfortable truths about where we've been investing our collective energy. The sections on capital recycling and talent development explain more about ecosystem building than a shelf full of academic papers.

No hustle porn, no highlight reel - just an honest account of the long slow grind of building great companies. Finally, someone tells the truth about what it's actually like inside a high-growth startup.