Menn, whose resume includes the LA Times and Bloomberg, takes an unbiased look at Napster and the decisions that they made. He documents the internal fighting that he proffers as the cause of the company's failure. He provides details about every Napster transaction, from the original 30/70 split between Sean Fanning and his uncle (respectively), the company's angel funding, investment by Hummer Winblad, the Bertelsmann loan, and the company's eventual bankruptcy.
The book, though, reads more like a novel than a business book. The book also incorporates afterthoughts from the company's principals about what they would have done differently in retrospect. With the exception of John Fanning (who ostensibly refused interview requests), Mann incorporates lessons learned from all of the principals both interspersed within the heart of the book and in a post-mortem chapter that serves as an epilogue.
For a company that once flew so high to have died so quickly is somewhat amazing (though not as much so today as perhaps it was five years ago). This book chronologies that trip. It is an exciting ride!
Primarily, this book just bored me to death. The prose is written like a long newspaper article and worse still, the storyline delivers nothing but whining. Incessant whining. Nearly every character tortures you with their pleas for a scapegoat; the "WHY" this $100 million project ended up on the scrapheap can be simply put. Summary Judgement.
- Shawn Fanning's encounter with Courtney Love (according to the book he met her one night)
- Business tips from Shawn Fanning's estranged biological father (the author tracks this loser down to get his take on Shawn's new business - and he recommends Shawn sell it ASAP)
- Shawn's love affair/tryst with a woman we are told is "beautiful"
FOLKS THIS RUSHED PROJECT I GIVE 1 STAR.