List of 10 books for early-stage founder.
My personal library for startup success.
I am not a typical bookworm who enjoys reading in my free time, but if I come across a book that brings value and solves my current problems, I can't stop reading it.
Over the years, I've established my Top 10 list, a foundation for how I think about startups and life. I often find myself revisiting these positions - I keep them at my office desk as a part of the "design," and I'd advise you to do the same.
I've read most of these books 3+ times and constantly revisit my favorite sections filled with sticky notes with comments. The order is not accidental and loosely follows the trajectory of starting a new business
Let's dive into it!
1. Zero to One by Peter Thiel
Why: my forever favorite. It's the first book that inspired me to go down the startup path. I put it as a no. 1 because if you read only one book out of this list, it should be this one, and you will do just fine. Thiel talks about the importance of creating new things (going from 0 to 1) rather than reinventing existing patterns and structures. Essential lessons from PayPal, Facebook, LinkedIn, and many more will inspire you to rethink the ideas you are working on and fundamentally change your perspective on how to build the future.
2. How to Get Rich by Felix Dennis
Why: it was recommended to me by a friend, and I thought, "oh Jesus, another self-help/motivational book that will tell me to invest in stocks and real estate." I was provoked by the title and wanted to prove it wrong, so I started reading… and reading…, and now I recommend it to others. It's written in plain simple language, without jargon, and it's ideal for getting your wheels going once you move down the list. It talks about developing focus and insane work ethic, the importance of willingness to fail, and finding the enthusiasm to start over and over again. It touches on why you should care about ownership and freedom of time.
3. The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon by Brad Stone
Why: aside from obvious reasons like "It's Jeff Bezos, duh," it digs deep into what it means to become an entrepreneur and how a simple idea of selling books online can grow into a multi-industry, multi-billion dollar behemoth, all started by one man known for his passion and love for execution. Honestly, the title is pretty self-explanatory.
4. Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight
Why: this was a no-brainer for me as a former athlete and die-hard Nike fan. But if you are none of the former, you might still be drawn to a story of a person who was on a quest for greatness and built one of the most-loved companies in the world. It is not the usual startup story (a technical founder, venture-backed, growing like crazy, with an insane exit) but a memoir of a years-long journey and unique insights straight from Phil Knight's head.
5. The Hard Things About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz
Why: so, we've all watched The Social Network, which covers Facebook's early days, and thought, "wow, being an entrepreneur/founder/CEO is really cool." In reality, it is pretty cool but much more complex than people think. In the early stages, you are faced with dozens of problems daily, and often they are existential to the whole business. This book answers the majority of challenging questions you may have and should be used as a war guide for every founder/CEO.
6. Why Startups Fail by Tom Eisenmann
Why: when you start a business, you usually have all the good things it can bring in mind. Like what fantastic product you will bring to market, what a great team you will build, how much your customers will love you and pay for services, and maybe exit opportunities like IPO or a big merger. Not to rain on your parade, but most startups fail. It is worth spending some time studying why, so you can avoid duplicating some mistakes. There is also a great "Letter to the first-time founders" at the end of the book, which revisits conventional Silicon Valley advice reminding us there are always two sides to the medal.
7. The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
Why: now that you (hopefully) know why startups fail, you are probably thinking: "huh, so how do I manage my risk?" Often by running a so-called 'Lean Startup,' and this book describes precisely how to do that. It gives actionable advice every founder should consider and, in most cases, the route they should take.
8. The Cold Start Problem by Andrew Chen
Why: this is a relatively new book compared to others, written by a person who basically invented the term growth hacking. Andrew Chen brings inspiring stories from his early days at Uber and many other companies he worked for or invested in, like Tinder, Zoom, Airbnb, or Substack. He teaches the importance of network effects and how to successfully incorporate them into your business.
9. Blitzscalling by Reid Hoffman & Chris Yeh
Why: stories of companies that found the product market fit and now are off to the races. Blitzscalling talks about how to grow uncomfortably fast and capture markets at a stunning pace by sharing anecdotes from companies like Netflix, Airbnb, Facebook, and more. Plus, it gives a unique insight into how venture capital works and what is expected to grow.
10. Good to Great by Jim Collins
Why: last book on my list but equally crucial to the rest. By now, you've covered books on ideas, motivation/stories, early-stage mistakes, running a startup, growth, and leadership, so you have good fundamentals to run a good business. This book discusses the next step and what it takes to create a great company. It is well-researched and pretty complex, so I advise reading it carefully and taking notes. In fact, you should always be actively taking notes when reading or at least marking important things with sticky notes.
Hopefully, this list will serve you well and set you up for success with your venture. If you have book recommendations, you’d like to share with me or others, drop a comment below - I’m always hunting for the new stuff!