Watching startups rise and fall has become something of a spectator sport for the business world. Yet beneath each headline announcing another company’s stumble lies a lesson that could have saved them. That’s precisely why seasoned tech entrepreneur Furkat Kasimov has stepped forward with a refreshingly blunt take on business survival. His newly released book, “Don’t Do This: A Guide to Business Survival,” cuts through the typical business-advice fluff to deliver what struggling entrepreneurs might need most: a clear roadmap of what not to do.
Kasimov, who climbed the corporate ladder to become VP of Digital Marketing at InsuranceLeads.com before striking out on his own, doesn’t pull any punches in his assessment of modern business challenges. His guide packs in over 150 real-world examples that might make some readers wince with recognition – and that’s exactly the point.
“AI is creating opportunities for founders that did not exist a few years ago,” Kasimov notes, with the kind of directness that characterizes his approach. “Adopt or be prepared to become irrelevant.” It’s the sort of stark observation that can only come from someone who’s witnessed the digital transformation firsthand.
The author’s journey reads like a classic American success story, but with a modern twist. After graduating college in 2006, he joined InsuranceLeads.com, where he played a crucial role in transforming the company into a powerhouse in the digital marketing space. When the company was acquired in 2011, Kasimov didn’t rest on his laurels – instead, he co-founded LeadsMarket.com with former colleagues, proving that sometimes the best opportunities come disguised as endings.
Rather than offering vague motivational advice, the book dives deep into the nitty-gritty of business operations. Readers will find themselves nodding along – perhaps a bit uncomfortably – as Kasimov tackles everything from pricing strategies gone wrong to hiring decisions that seemed smart at the time.
His current work keeps him at the cutting edge of tech innovation – he’s been tapped as a judge for both the 2025 Globee Awards for Artificial Intelligence and the 2025 Techround UK Fintech 50 competition. This hands-on involvement in the tech sector adds weight to his observations about the role of technology in modern business success.
What sets this guide apart is its refreshingly practical approach to learning from others’ missteps. “Mistakes are inevitable,” the book acknowledges, but as Kasimov demonstrates through numerous case studies, they don’t all have to be your mistakes. This perspective proves particularly valuable for first-time business owners who might otherwise learn these lessons the hard way.
The guide tackles several critical areas that can make or break a business:
- Financial management that goes beyond basic bookkeeping
- Leadership lessons learned in the trenches
- Marketing approaches that actually move the needle
- Smart technology adoption (without getting caught up in every new trend)
- Practical methods for scaling without imploding
Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting out, Kasimov’s direct style and real-world examples cut through the usual business book fluff. The guide includes plenty of additional resources for those who want to dive deeper into specific topics, making it both a quick reference and a comprehensive study.
Available now on Amazon and Google Play, “Don’t Do This” represents something increasingly rare in business literature: practical advice from someone who’s actually been in the trenches. For entrepreneurs looking to avoid common pitfalls while building their own success story, Kasimov’s guide offers a refreshingly honest roadmap.
Those interested in learning more about Kasimov’s approach to business survival can visit dontdothis.ai or follow on LinkedIn.
