13 books every startup founder should read
Whatever niche you’re thinking of starting up, here’s a list of 13 books that will provide you valuable insights and tips on how to establish a successful startup.
1. The Startup Owner's Manual - Steve Blank, Bob Village
Besides focusing on problems prevailing in the corporate world, the book also provides forty checklists to help kick your business off the ground.
2. Zero To One - Peter Theil
Written by one of the first Facebook investors and the co-founder of PayPal, this book may contain some controversial pointers about the corporate world. However, Theil backs his claims up with adequate justifications.
3. Tools of Titans - Tim Ferriss
This book consists of tips and stories collected through more than 200 world-class entrepreneurs. It provides insights about a variety of topics, from employee motivation to personal productivity.
4. The Hard Thing about Hard Things - Ben Horowitz
Based on the problems faced by his own company nearly going bankrupt, Ben Horowitz focuses on hardships businesses experience, from their startup to their growth in the market.
5. Who - Geoff Smart
Few seem to understand that startups should focus on the “Who?” rather than the what. This book elaborates on the customers, the workforce and target audiences among other things, and is definitely a vital book to pick up before starting up.
6. The Lean Startup - Eric Reis
How do you establish a startup with minimal costs while facing the corporate world's uncountable problems? This book is perfect for technological entrepreneurs who aim to achieve just that!
7. The 7 habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen Covey
This book is not limited to personal development only - in fact, these habits can be implemented in any area of your life, particularly when establishing a startup!
8. The Innovator's Dilemma - Clayton M. Christensen
A bestseller for over a decade, this book focuses on why new technologies are causing the failure of great firms. Undeniably, this book has changed the game for America’s entrepreneurs.
9. The e-myth revisited - Michael E. Gerber
As a small business consultant with heaps of experience, Gerber’s book shows all areas of managing your own business - the good, the bad, the ugly - and give practical tips on how to handle each side.
- The ideal executive - Ichak Kalderon Adizes
Business literature takes an unforeseen twist as the author explores a mythical creature: the ideal leader. The book explores how the perfect executive cannot exist, and what can be done instead.
11. Founders at Work - Jessica Livingston
Livingston explores the answer for exactly why founders of leading companies got where they stand today. Surprisingly behind these corporate giants are people who started off with basically nothing in their pockets, but great ideas.
12. Good to Great - James C. Collins
How do some companies achieve greatness while others don’t? What’s so special about them? Collins answers these significant questions and more in Good to Great.
- Leading at the speed of growth - Katherine Catlin and Jana Matthews
While growth is encouraged, too rapid development can be confusing and daunting. How do you address that? This book helps you figure out what to do at every stage of your business.