Unicorn Focus: The Key to Building Billion-Dollar Startups in the Age of AI

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Unicorn
Focus

The Key to Building

Billion-Dollar Startups

in the Age of AI

The Key to Building

Billion-Dollar Startups

in the Age of AI

Buy Unicorn Focus on Amazon

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Who It’s For

Founders

Who want a proven framework to validate and commit to the right idea

Entrepreneurs

Who want to scale with focus and discipline

Startup teams

Aiming to align goals, priorities, and execution

Business leaders

Looking for tools to sharpen execution and team alignment

endorsements

Unicorns aren’t born from  a single breakthrough  or a brilliant idea. They’re  built by founders who stay  true to themselves, pivot as needed and execute with discipline. Igor’s book captures what it takes  to build that kind  of endurance.
Working with Igor has always felt different because he thinks like a founder, not a financier. In an AI era where founders navigate countless options, his message is refreshingly simple: focus  is one of the last unfair advantages left. This book  is the operating manual  for founders who want  to play the long game  and scale globally.
The only rule worth following in startups  is simple: solve a big problem, build reliable systems, stay tough when it gets hard. Igor’s book lays out that frame with rare clarity and practical depth.
In startups, the only variable you can truly control is focus: what you direct your time, energy, and attention toward. Over time, that focus compounds—in talent, product, insight, and customer trust—to create the nonlinear results that define great companies. Few understand this fact better than Igor Ryabenkiy. In Unicorn Focus, he reveals proven methods for honing your focus into the ultimate founder superpower.
Unicorn Focus nails what most founders get wrong — not the idea, but the attention and focus. Igor doesn’t just talk about focus; he gives you the frameworks to protect it in the chaos of building. Every founder who’s ever felt stretched thin or overwhelmed will find something here that resets their perspective.
I've been lucky to work closely with Igor for many years and have seen unicorns grow under his wing. His advice has always been simple but hard to live by: focus beats brilliance. This book turns that philosophy into  a framework, practical  and painfully honest.
Nobody can hand you a formula to build a unicorn. But Igor’s book gives you the principles and frameworks that dramatically improve your odds of success.

What You’ll Learn

Focus Fundamentals

Why focus beats tech in the AI era and how the “focus flywheel” compounds advantage.  

Neuroscience of distraction and the hazards of multitasking.  

Simple tactics used by leading companies to keep teams locked on one goal.

Focus During the Ideation Phase

Validate fast by using battle-tested frameworks to test ideas before you waste months of work.

Compare options side by side and avoid chasing every “shiny object.”

Commit with clarity: Select the one idea worth pursuing and set aside the rest.

Execution and Growth Discipline

Ship MVPs fast with a lean, disciplined roadmap.

Prioritize what matters — cut feature bloat, say no to distractions, and keep momentum.

Align your team and investors around clear goals as you scale.

Get a Free Chapter from Unicorn Focus

Preview The Art of Choosing a Business Idea, a practical guide to evaluating opportunities and building with clarity.

Spot common traps and dead-ends before they waste your time and resources

Build conviction and focus, so you can commit fully and move forward with clarity

Use clear filters to evaluate opportunities and pick ideas with real potential

Get a Free Chapter

Get Igor’s First Book for Free

The first 200 readers to purchase Unicorn Focus will receive a free digital copy of Igor Ryabenkiy’s bestselling book, Adventures in Venture Capital.

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What you'll get:

A practical guide that demystifies how founders and investors think differently and why understanding both sides can help you build a unicorn. It’s your insider look at the venture capital world — a perfect complement to Unicorn Focus!

Inside, you’ll learn:

How investors evaluate early-stage teams and ideas
How founders can pitch more effectively
Common failure patterns and how to avoid them

about the author

Dr. Igor Ryabenkiy is the founder and general partner at AltaIR Capital, a global VC firm with 350+ tech startups and multiple unicorns in its portfolio, and the bestselling author of Adventures in Venture Capital.

With 30 years in entrepreneurship and VC, and after seeing tens of thousands of companies, he’s convinced that focus is the main factor separating success from failure. In his book, Igor shares proven strategies for developing focus—in product, sales, team management, and growth—to build standout companies and thrive in a distracted world.

Why I wrote this book

Long before becoming an investor and backing unicorns like Miro, Deel, Turing, and PandaDoc, I was a young founder making the same mistake many do: trying to do everything at once. Only when I learned to focus relentlessly did my ventures thrive. Unicorn Focus distills those lessons and insights from decades of investing into a playbook founders can use to avoid failure and build enduring companies.

Dr. Igor Ryabenkiy

Ready to build the next big thing?

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The Entrepreneurs' Superpower

The Key to Building Billion-Dollar Startups in the Age of AI

Unicorn
Focus

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Already bought?

Claim your free bonus

Who It’s For

Founders

Who want a proven framework to validate and commit to the right idea

Entrepreneurs

Who want to scale with focus and discipline

Startup teams

Aiming to align goals, priorities, and execution

Business leaders

Looking for tools to sharpen execution and team alignment

What You’ll Learn

Unicorns aren’t born from  a single breakthrough  or a brilliant idea. They’re  built by founders who stay  true to themselves, pivot as needed and execute with discipline. Igor’s book captures what it takes  to build that kind  of endurance.
Unicorns aren’t born from  a single breakthrough  or a brilliant idea. They’re  built by founders who stay  true to themselves, pivot as needed and execute with discipline. Igor’s book captures what it takes  to build that kind  of endurance.
Unicorns aren’t born from  a single breakthrough  or a brilliant idea. They’re  built by founders who stay  true to themselves, pivot as needed and execute with discipline. Igor’s book captures what it takes  to build that kind  of endurance.
Working with Igor has always felt different because he thinks like a founder, not a financier. In an AI era where founders navigate countless options, his message is refreshingly simple: focus  is one of the last unfair advantages left. This book  is the operating manual  for founders who want  to play the long game  and scale globally.
Working with Igor has always felt different because he thinks like a founder, not a financier. In an AI era where founders navigate countless options, his message is refreshingly simple: focus  is one of the last unfair advantages left. This book  is the operating manual  for founders who want  to play the long game  and scale globally.
Working with Igor has always felt different because he thinks like a founder, not a financier. In an AI era where founders navigate countless options, his message is refreshingly simple: focus  is one of the last unfair advantages left. This book  is the operating manual  for founders who want  to play the long game  and scale globally.
The only rule worth following in startups  is simple: solve a big problem, build reliable systems, stay tough when it gets hard. Igor’s book lays out that frame with rare clarity and practical depth.
The only rule worth following in startups  is simple: solve a big problem, build reliable systems, stay tough when it gets hard. Igor’s book lays out that frame with rare clarity and practical depth.
The only rule worth following in startups  is simple: solve a big problem, build reliable systems, stay tough when it gets hard. Igor’s book lays out that frame with rare clarity and practical depth.
In startups, focus is the only variable you truly control — where you invest your time, energy, and attention. Over
time, that focus compounds
into talent, product, insight,
and customer trust, creating
the nonlinear results behind
great companies. Few know
this better than Igor Ryabenkiy. In Unicorn Focus, he shares proven ways to turn focus into your
ultimate superpower.
In startups, focus is the only variable you truly control — where you invest your time, energy, and attention. Over
time, that focus compounds
into talent, product, insight,
and customer trust, creating
the nonlinear results behind
great companies. Few know
this better than Igor Ryabenkiy. In Unicorn Focus, he shares proven ways to turn focus into your
ultimate superpower.
In startups, focus is the only variable you truly control — where you invest your time, energy, and attention. Over
time, that focus compounds
into talent, product, insight,
and customer trust, creating
the nonlinear results behind
great companies. Few know
this better than Igor Ryabenkiy. In Unicorn Focus, he shares proven ways to turn focus into your
ultimate superpower.
Unicorn Focus nails what most founders get wrong — not the idea, but the attention and focus. Igor doesn’t just talk about focus; he gives you the frameworks to protect it in the chaos of building. Every founder who’s ever felt stretched thin or overwhelmed will find something here that resets their perspective.
Unicorn Focus nails what most founders get wrong — not the idea, but the attention and focus. Igor doesn’t just talk about focus; he gives you the frameworks to protect it in the chaos of building. Every founder who’s ever felt stretched thin or overwhelmed will find something here that resets their perspective.
Unicorn Focus nails what most founders get wrong — not the idea, but the attention and focus. Igor doesn’t just talk about focus; he gives you the frameworks to protect it in the chaos of building. Every founder who’s ever felt stretched thin or overwhelmed will find something here that resets their perspective.
I've been lucky to work closely with Igor for many years and have seen unicorns grow under his wing. His advice has always been simple but hard to live by: focus beats brilliance. This book turns that philosophy into  a framework, practical  and painfully honest.
I've been lucky to work closely with Igor for many years and have seen unicorns grow under his wing. His advice has always been simple but hard to live by: focus beats brilliance. This book turns that philosophy into  a framework, practical  and painfully honest.
I've been lucky to work closely with Igor for many years and have seen unicorns grow under his wing. His advice has always been simple but hard to live by: focus beats brilliance. This book turns that philosophy into  a framework, practical  and painfully honest.
Nobody can hand you a formula to build a unicorn. But Igor’s book gives you the principles and frameworks that dramatically improve your odds of success.
Nobody can hand you a formula to build a unicorn. But Igor’s book gives you the principles and frameworks that dramatically improve your odds of success.
Nobody can hand you a formula to build a unicorn. But Igor’s book gives you the principles and frameworks that dramatically improve your odds of success.