INNOVATIVE COMPANIES THAT OBTAIN HOCKEY STICK REVENUE GROWTH AREN'T CREATED OVERNIGHT. Successful startups result from hard-fought, multi-year projects that require trial-and error, short-term failures, wasted money, and experimentation. These are the "blade years"-the first three years when revenue and growth are low. This is a scrappy stage when founders must figure things out. In The Blade Years, you'll get the inside stories from founders of all types and how they managed their biggest challenges-but hung in there to eventually obtain hockey stick growth. Dig in; the stories are entertaining, educational, and downright interesting. Bobby Martin has cofounded two successful start-ups, one of which, First Research, a leader in sales intelligence, was sold to Dun & Bradstreet. He's deeply involved with eight other start-ups as an angel investor and advisor. Martin is chairman and cofounder of Vertical IQ, a leading provider of sales research insight for banks. He speaks frequently about entrepreneurship at universities around the United States and at corporate events. He was the recipient of the Triangle Business Journal's 2006 "40 Under 40" Award in Raleigh.