In 2009 the Slovenian tech entrepreneurs Iza and Samo Login set out with the goal of creating a new startup that they would build into a successful business and sell in order to dedicate all their time to philanthropic pursuits. In just 7 years, the Login's sold their $250,000 startup for $1 Billion to a Chinese investment group, catapulting them among the wealthiest Europeans and making them the richest Slovenes.
They founded Outfit7 and created the Talking Tom app—a Tamagotchi for the iPhone generation—the wisecracking, adventure-seeking virtual Talking Tom Cat has been described as the “world’s most popular cat” and has been downloaded 13+ billion times.
The high school sweethearts are the first married couple to reach this level of success in business, creating a true “unicorn” in such a short time. This spring they are releasing a book, 7 Unicorn Drive, which explores how their unique approach to business and leadership paved the way to financial success and is now allowing them to invest their time and resources in sustainable and eco-friendly endeavors, including large-scale farming projects to help combat climate change.
Equal parts love story, business history, and how-to guide, this debut covers a lot of ground. Polajnar takes a unique approach to biography: Danny, the fictional protagonist, is a stand-in for the reader, more a vessel for the Login’s life lessons than a well-crafted character. His failures (such as his bungling of an interview with the Logins’ son) are difficult to care about–he’s a 2D character in a 3D world. Polajnar strives to fit everything into one story—the history of Outfit7, the account of its early development, and the enduring message of the company— but the fictional material overshadows the most interesting subject matter here: the entrepreneurs, the specifics of their day-to-day, and their search for meaning and success.
Polajnar draws from the Logins' unique approach to leadership valuable lessons for entrepreneurs and others looking for a change. This unusual biography touches on everything it takes to run a profitable company while also exploring why someone would want to start a business in the first place. (The Logins founded Outfit7, for example, to fund philanthropic environmental projects.) This is not just a business history, but a spiritual guide, and will appeal to self-starters looking to redefine success.
Takeaway: This unique biography, part business history and part self-help guide, advocates a more fulfilling life beyond monetary success.
Great for fans of: John Strelecky’s The Big Five For Life, James R. Nowlin’s The Purposeful Millionaire.
Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: C+
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-
