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Not specifically, but what do you think Armstrong’s first words from the moon were? I’ll give you a hint, they weren’t the “giant leap” line. Neither were they “Houston, Tranquility Base here, the Eagle has landed.”The first thing Neil Armstrong said after landing on the moon was, “Out of detent, auto.” He was confirming what Buzz Aldrin had just told him, that a knob had been turned, ending an automatic altitude control mode that might otherwise continue to fire the thrusters. This routine banter was neither scripted nor required; it was just good, standard test pilot procedure. Only after finishing the engine shutdown checklist with Buzz did Neil specifically address Mission Control with the line, “Houston, Tranquility Base here, the Eagle has landed.”(Neil’s “Shutdown” would have been voiced a moment or two before landing. The engine was shut down prematurely to prevent rocks from being thrown up against the lander.)Unlike the checklist, this was entirely Armstrong’s own poetic instinct. There was no line in the flight plan reading “CDR reports successful landing.” That would have been obvious to everyone listening on the radio or watching the telemetry. This was the equivalent of dad pulling the family car up to the Grand Canyon and announcing, “We’re here!” In fact, if memory serves, Buzz Aldrin wrote in his autobiography “I didn’t know what the hell he was talking about,” referring to the comment and the words “tranquility base.” There is not, and has never been, anything remotely like a “base” there.Neither did NASA write or approve the “giant leap” line delivered hours later from the lander. Years later, Neil’s brother, Dean, said that Neil came to him during the pre-launch family visitation and said it had occurred to him he should have some word prepared, and asked him if the giant leap line sounded okay. Dean said it did, and he remembers it as “one small leap for a man…”

Full disclosure: I was among the fortunate few to receive a copy of the early manuscript from David S. Rose, who asked for my thoughts and suggestions on his latest book. As such, this review refers to that version, though I expect there would not have been major changes before it went to print.I was keen on checking this book out for a couple of reasons. One, I have long admired David S. Rose for his significant contributions and advice on Quora – both on venture capital as well as on our shared interests in publishing. And two, as someone who has been involved with five different startups — three as an employee/service provider and two as partner – I have more than a passing interest in the subject.What’s the book about? Exactly what it says on the tin. Or to put it in different words, it’s a step-by-step guide on how to start a startup, grow it, and plan for the future. The 25 steps are spread out over three sections: Prepare to Launch; Launch and Build; and Raise Funds and Plan Your Exit.Now, it’s easy to get fired up about starting a company when you have the seed of an idea. If you are like many (most?) first-time entrepreneurs, chances are you’re looking to charge ahead at a million miles an hour…getting your product or service developed and launched before somebody else captures that space.And if your experience is similar to that of many first-time entrepreneurs, you will come to the painful realization that a fast start can also result in many missteps that could prove costly. Launching a company needs to be approached with the mindset of a marathon, where strategy and pre-planning is key. Unfortunately, very few first-time (or even repeat) entrepreneurs really know how or what to plan for when launching a new company.That’s where The Startup Checklist comes in. It makes no assumptions about your depth of knowledge about business. The book leads you by the hand on issues such as translating your idea into a business model, how to put a team together, how to allocate equity, and building a minimum viable product.It also underlines the importance of lawyering up, selecting an accountant (and an accounting system) and choosing technologies and platforms right from the beginning. Data analytics – something that is so important today – gets its own chapter, and will allow you to measure your business performance. There are even tips on when to hire and when to use freelancers, and how to incentivize your team.The final section takes you through the fundraising process, what investors look for, understanding your company’s valuation, and planning an exit strategy while (hopefully) cashing in on the work that has gone before.Who is the book for?The ones who would benefit most from the book will be startup entrepreneurs with a long-term vision – those looking to create, scale up, and possibly sell or go public. That would take you through all 25 steps as outlined in the contents.However, you don’t need to find value in every one of those steps to find the book useful. I would go so far as to say there is plenty in the first couple of sections alone to more than merit giving this book a read.Is it any good?Overall, I loved it. It’s a wonderfully laid out roadmap that I wish I had access to when I first got into business. It exposed significant gaps in my knowledge about what goes into the building of a successful startup. As such, this is a book I will readily recommend to any entrepreneur, not just those dipping their toes in for the first time.There is a wealth of information; every step is well laid out and presented in a manner that's easy to follow and actionable. It's a surprisingly pacy read; even the technical terms and formulas are explained in language that is easy to understand.Some of the advice (such as incorporating as a Delaware ‘C’ corporation) is US-centric, but there is still plenty of value to be had for entrepreneurs even outside the States.A recommended read.The Startup Checklist: 25 Steps to a Scalable, High-Growth Business, by David S. Rose, hardcover, 320 pages, published April 2016 by Wiley. ISBN-13: 978-1-119-16379-4. Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other booksellers.

I'll cover procedures from initial electrical power-up through engine start. I'll omit taxi procedures and everything thereafter. We'll assume it's an APU start with no external power, start cart, or external air. Note that this is just the minimum amount of switchology you need to get the plane up and running — normally responsibilities would be split between captain and first officer, and there would be specific flows and checklists to be run. I'll also omit preflight planning aspects such as the takeoff and departure brief.Preflight Procedure (Battery and APU On)Battery — on.Standby power — on, guard closed.Alternate flaps master switch — off, guard closed.Wipers — off.Electric hydraulic pumps — verify off.Landing gear lever — down, lights on.Weather radar — off.Fire test and extinguisher test — perform.Left aft fuel pump (used by APU) — On.APU — StartAPU transfer bus — On.BUS OFF, TRANSFER BUS OFF, APU MAINT, APU LOW PRESSURE, APU FAULT, APU OVERSPEED lights — extinguished.Wheel well fire system — test.Lights — as desired.Recirculation fans — Auto.Packs — Auto.Isolation valve — Open.Engine bleeds — On.APU bleed — On.Engine Start (APU)Packs — off.Fuel pumps — On.Electric hydraulic pumps — On.Ignition switch — left.Left engine start knob — START position.When N2 reaches 25% or max motoring: Left fuel cutoff handle — Idle.Monitor EGT, oil pressure, and N1 for proper start indications.When left engine N1 stabilized, verify starter cutout and normal indications.Left engine start knob — Ground position.Repeat steps above for right engine.Before TaxiEngine generators — On.Probe heat — On.Packs — Auto.Isolation valve — Auto.APU bleed — Off.APU — Off.Engine start switches — AUTO (if available) or CONT(inuous).