Karaoke nation, or, How I spent a year in search of glamour, fulfillment, and a million dollars Book

"Four years ago, Steve Fishman decided to make a million dollars. Why not? Despite his lack of business background, financial skills, or the slightest interest in management, 1990s America seemed to offer very few obstacles to his dream; in fact, in the midst of the entrepreneurial boom, it seemed almost unpatriotic not to want to be a business success. And so was it any wonder that, in the same way that it called to Benjamin Franklin, Horatio Alger, Andrew Carnegie, or Thomas Adams (the inventor of chewing gum), the siren song of success whispered in Steve Fishman's ear?" "Or that he sang right back?" "What the sirens whispered was a little business idea: hip-hop karaoke...over the Internet. His flash of genius, KaraokeNation.com, began almost as a caper - involving a former rock 'n' roll drummer, an aspiring novelist, and an ex-paratrooper - but quickly became an obsession. And again, why not? Music business legends like Russell Simmons (hip-hop's godfather) and Chuck D (founder of Public Enemy) bought in...to say nothing of New Economy kingpins Jerry Colonna (CEO of Flatiron Partners) and Joseph Park (founder of Kozmo.com), who, each in his own way, encouraged a budding entrepreneur. But mostly, this tale became, if not a success story, then a story about success. Karaoke Nation is Steve Fishman's journey into what was truly the heart of the American dream, 1990s style: self-actualization through entrepreneurial success. It's the best, funniest story yet of the dot-com boom, a gold rush the likes of which America hadn't seen since Roughing It, Mark Twain's story of the 1861 Nevada gold and silver strike. It chronicles one of those rare times when it seemed as if anyone - ANYONE - could become hugely wealthy, just by collecting the dollars that floated down from the sky." Karaoke Nation follows Steve from before he had even a germ of a business idea (or a business inclination) through the germination of a business. He signs partners (with big dreams and ridic