Mayht co-founder turns startup story into new book for entrepreneurs

Mattias Scheek’s new book, "100: The Audio Startup That Turned the Volume All the Way Up," shares the rise of Mayht from a scrappy idea to a $100 million Sonos acquisition. The book, published by SXSW Books and now available, aims to encourage founders to build with limited resources and keep going through uncertainty.

Why it matters: - Mattias Scheek is positioning the Mayht story as a roadmap for founders who are starting without money, access, or certainty. - The book frames scarcity as an advantage in the long run, not just an obstacle. - The story matters beyond audio because it blends startup lessons, personal resilience, and a rare founder exit.

What happened: - Scheek released "100: The Audio Startup That Turned the Volume All the Way Up," a book about building Mayht with his brother Timothy. - SXSW Books published the title, and Simon & Schuster distributes it. - The book is now available. - Mayht grew into a Netherlands-based audio company before Sonos acquired it in 2022 for $100 million.

The details: - Scheek says the book is meant for people who believe in an idea but may not feel comfortable calling it great. - The early Mayht business was supported by an aunt and uncle who became the company’s first customers. - Scheek writes that their belief in the company helped push the founders to keep going. - The book includes both setbacks and wins, rather than presenting the company’s rise as a straight line. - Scheek says the brothers started with creativity instead of capital and character instead of comfort. - He writes that the company heard more noes than yeses and faced more closed doors than open ones. - Scheek argues that scarcity can become a training ground for entrepreneurs. - In a direct quote, Scheek writes: “If you are holding an idea that feels bigger than your current reality, know that you do not need perfect conditions. Whatever your starting point, you already have enough to begin.” - In another quote, Scheek writes: “We started with creativity instead of capital, with character instead of comfort.”

Between the lines: - The book is part memoir and part motivational guide. - Scheek is using a successful exit to make a broader argument that early constraints can build founder discipline. - The Mayht sale gives the story credibility, but the book’s main message is about mindset, not just valuation.

What's next: - Scheek wants readers to leave with practical and emotional guidance for building through uncertainty. - The book aims to help founders understand how to succeed despite scarcity and, in Scheek’s view, because of it. - SXSW Books continues expanding its publishing slate around innovators, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders. - Mattias Scheek is an entrepreneur, industrial designer, and audio technology innovator, and he holds a BSc in Industrial Design Engineering from Delft University of Technology. - Scheek is a first-generation entrepreneur raised in Amsterdam by parents of Surinamese descent.

The bottom line: - "100" turns a startup exit into a founder playbook for readers who want proof that an idea can grow before the conditions look ideal.