Murder at First Principles

From venture capitalist Ben Wiener comes a rollicking debut novel that artfully blends business strategy with murder mystery, and keeps you guessing to the very end.

Addie Morita, a frustrated young crime researcher, finally gets her big career break when a serial killer targets her successful former classmates from an elite San Francisco Bay Area college. Addie must match wits with both the taunting killer and the intimidating Special Agent assigned to the case, racing to decipher key clues buried in a famous startup strategy book — before it’s too late.

Murder at First Principles is the debut Startup Fiction novel by successful venture capitalist Ben Wiener. Written as a murder mystery, the plot is designed to enlighten and entertain, introducing readers to Hamilton Helmer’s iconic work, 7 Powers, and its seven market-proven strategies for sustained competitive advantage. Every suspect in this story is hiding something — strap yourself in and try to uncover their secrets while discovering the secret “powers” innovative businesses harness to create persistent differential returns.

“A well-designed thriller that I didn’t want to put down! Ben Wiener's incisive, fast-paced novel balances plot and well-developed characters with strategy lessons drawn from Hamilton Helmers’ renowned 7 Powers.” — NICOLAS COLIN, cofounder of The Family, writer at European Straits, author of Hedge: A Greater Safety Net for the Entrepreneurial Age

“Ben Wiener has a gift for weaving together clever, captivating narrative and essential startup principles.” — IAN HATHAWAY, Co-Author of The Startup Community Way

“An educating, entertaining, and captivating book for novices and executives alike. A fun read!” — JOSEPH LIPUMA, Senior Lecturer and Global Entrepreneurship Faculty, Boston University Questrom School of Business