This New Comic Book Teaches Entrepreneurship to Kids as Young as 8 Life doesn't come with an instruction manual, but now aspiring entrepreneurs have a comic book to draw from.

By Carly Okyle

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

My First Startup

Steve Jobs was a kid once. So was Richard Branson. So who's to say your son or daughter won't be among the next generation of breakout innovators and entrepreneurs?

A new book called My First Startup, created by Brooklyn, N.Y.-based YourComicStory.com, aims to get kids thinking about business by teaching them lessons in time management, organization and communication. The Kickstarter page for the product launched today with a goal of $10,000.

Company co-founder and chief marketing officer Dave Kieve said the lessons in the book could have been helpful during his own younger years. "As a kid the only thing I did was save my lunch money and bought toys with it," he says. "I should have learned about investing or something."

my-first-startup-cover-promo

Image credit: My First Startup

Related: 3 Ways to Teach Your Kids About Entrepreneurship

The 32-page comic -- intended for kids between 8 and 12 -- follows the stories of two young entrepreneurs, Tanya and Kevin. Without giving too much away, the story follows both kids as they pursue their entrepreneurial aspirations. Kevin learns the ins and outs of what it takes to get an idea from concept to execution, while Tanya discovers the difficulties of maintaining work-life balance. The lessons are meant to be practical, actionable, and universally applicable, just as the book is meant to be appealing to children of all backgrounds.

The idea for an entrepreneurship-focused comic book came naturally to Kieve, 32, whose company YourComicStory.com creates personalized comics for businesses to use in their marketing or individuals to commemorate special occasions. He and fellow founders Russell Geyushev and Andrey Grubin combined their passion for entrepreneurship and My First Startup was born. It took about six months to go from concept to prototype and, so far, has cost the company $10,000, money spent to pay artists and writers and to create the video on their crowdfunding page.

The final product is the result of discussions from entrepreneurs, an economics professor and child psychologists, culminating in a story that Kieve hopes is not only packed with necessary advice, but also a story that's fun to read.

my-first-start-up-comic-sketches

Image credit: My First Startup

Related: Marvel Comics' Stan Lee on Success, Creativity and Following Your Passion

"[The story] is not patronizing, not forced on them," says Kieve. "They're at the age where they're dreamers and they have all of these awesome ideas, and then adults come in and tell them, "No you can't do that. You have to be responsible.' We want to get to them before that happens."

What's next for the company depends on the success of the comic, which will retail as an ebook for $5 and in print for $12 to the first 100 backers. Ideally, YourComicStory.com would follow up the Kickstarter campaign by selling My First Startup via traditional retail avenues and then spawn more kid-friendly products with an entrepreneurial focus. "We have some ideas," says Kieve.

For him, success would mean breaking the Kickstarter records among the educational books category. Selling between 10,000 and 20,000 copies would be "amazing," he says, adding, "That would make me very happy and proud."

kevin-high-res-page

Image credit: My First Startup

Related: This All-In-One Travel Jacket Is Now One of the 10 Most Funded Projects Ever on Kickstarter

Carly Okyle

Assistant Editor, Contributed Content

Carly Okyle is an assistant editor for contributed content at Entrepreneur.com.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Buying / Investing in Business

Former Zillow Execs Target $1.3T Market

Co-ownership is creating big opportunities for entrepreneurs.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Operations & Logistics

Save on Business Supplies with 60% off Sam's Club Deal

Just $20 to access Sam's Club with a 1-year membership.

Science & Technology

3 AI Tools to Help You Start a Profitable Solo Business in 2025

Ready to automate your business and scale without a team? This video is your step-by-step guide.

Business News

IBM Replaced Hundreds of HR Workers With AI, According to Its CEO

IBM CEO Arvind Krishna said the move led to more hiring in other areas.

Business News

Warren Buffett Says to Forget About 10,000 Hours of Practice — If You Want to Master Something, Do This Instead

At the 2025 Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting, the "Oracle of Omaha" described the systematic approach to success that has worked so well for him over his storied career.