Book Review
Not surprisingly, a serious business book being written as a graphic novel (aka. comic book) got some press. Mission in a Bottle is the story of Honest Tea, as told by founders Seth Goldman and Barry Nalebuff, illustrated by artist Sungyoon Choi. From a pure book marketing perspective, it’s brilliant. The graphic novel format got the attention of NPR and many others in the national press. So, I had heard about the book and when one of the Eat Drink Law readers recommended it I quickly picked up a copy. I find entrepreneur success stories compelling to begin with and one about a mission-driven company making it big in the hyper-competitive beverage world was certainly worth checking out. I certainly liked the subtitle, “The Honest Guide to Doing Business Differently—and Succeeding.”
What I didn’t realize before I got the book was that Barry Nalebuff was actually a business school professor. You could probably teach a course on food and beverage entrepreneurship using this book alone (and maybe he does). So, it’s got a great story, spot on business lessons, an easy to read format, and fantastic art—living proof that business books don’t have to suck.
The organization of the book is logical and sure to be appreciated by entrepreneur readers. It covers three critical periods in the company: startup, early growth, and establishing a national brand. Thankfully, it also includes an epilogue that fills in the gap from their initial deal to be purchased by Coca-Cola in 2008 to when the book was written in 2012. The company started in 1997, so it chronicles a 15 year run that reminds us that success is rarely as fast as we think it will be. Each section ends with a lessons learned section. It really allows you to get caught up in the story and then make sure that you aren’t missing out on the business lessons too.
My favorite thing about the book is really the details of Seth’s struggles to balance growth, mission, and business relationships, all with the challenges of a young family. Of course, the fact that they also relate trademark, contract, trade secret, and other legal challenges provides a nice cautionary tale for starting entrepreneurs and gives me a good reason to encourage others to read it. I don’t make this stuff up. Intellectual property and contracts really do matter to your business, so it is nice to see a real world example that is still fun to read and has a happy ending.
So, go get yourself a copy. You can find it at Amazon.com, the publisher’s website at missioninabottle.net, or, better still, support your local bookstore.
