My pleasure to introduce Eliot for AMA today at 1 PM PST!
Eliot Peper is the author of The Uncommon Series, the tech startup thriller trilogy. When he's not hacking away at his next novel, he works with entrepreneurs and investors to build new technology companies as a drop-in operator and advisor.
@eriktorenberg thanks for having me. I’m excited to field questions from the @ProductHunt community!
For anyone unfamiliar with my books, The Uncommon Series follows a young entrepreneur, Mara Winkel, as she leads her company from garage to IPO. They develop a new kind of algorithm that can help uncover fraud in financial data but get sucked into an international conspiracy along the way. It’s a page-turner about tech entrepreneurs.
Exit Strategy is the third and final book in the trilogy but you’ll want to read the book in order. You can find all of them here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product...
Thanks for doing the AMA @eliotpeper! Love the startup thriller idea you've built. How much of your writing gets based on real life interactions you have with entrepreneurs? Feel free to name names :)
@kunalslab The Uncommon Series is fictional so I get to make everything up :). The characters, plot, etc. are all imaginary. That said, the story and setting are definitely informed by the work I’ve done and the friends I've made in the startup world.
I worked at my first startup in college. The company was developed a waste-to-energy system using plasma arc gasification technology. After that, I cofounded a consultancy with a few friends and we advised clean tech companies on international market entry (our clients ranged from energy storage startups all the way to one of the top 10 global solar firms). Then @ghorowitt recruited me to be an entrepreneur-in-residence at T2 Venture Capital where I sourced/vetted deals, accelerated our portfolio companies past growth milestones, and helped advise foreign governments on innovation policy. Now I work as an independent strategist, helping entrepreneurs and investors build new technology companies.
@bfeld at Foundry Group has been an enormous supporter of The Uncommon Series since I drafted the first few chapters. He’s inspired and refined the story enormously and many of the lessons I’ve learned from him and his writing have made their way into the books. I’ve also learned a ton from @mattblumberg at Return Path, @bobholmen at Miramar Venture Partners, George Eiskamp at @GroundMetrics, Ken Davenport at @MissionEdgeSD, @daniellemorrill at Mattermark, @davidcohen at Techstars, @dgmandell at Pivot Desk, @micah, @craiglauer, and so many others who have been extraordinarily generous with their time and mentorship.
@fmariev I'm still waiting for J.J. Abrams to call me back, he's probably just out of the office or something...
The process of turning a book into a movie is labyrinthine. An agent sells a film studio the option to make the movie, then the studio has to decide to ACTUALLY make the movie, then they *hopefully* do and, if everything goes swimmingly, it hits theaters. Although authors generally have very little to do with the process, I haven't embarked on it yet.
And that brings us to your second question. The reason I haven't yet pursued Hollywood is because I'm working on a new novel. It's a new story with new characters that takes place in a near future Bay Area ravaged by income inequality and persistent surveillance. I'll be writing the rough draft over the next few months and I look forward to getting your take on it.
Backchannel
Neon Fever Dream
SlidesUp API
Neon Fever Dream
Neon Fever Dream