What is your one favorite startup book?

Question

You're on a lonely island and this is going to be the only book you'll read till the end of your life :)

Tom Frauenfelder · Accepted Answer

Probably no use to me if I'll be stuck on an Island for the rest of my life, but an essential read for founders! And/or 4-steps

Nir Eyal · Answer

Thank you for the upvotes! So happy we wrote something so many talented change-makers found useful. I'm in awe from all that's been done with the Hooked Model. Thank you!

Niv Dror · Answer

Zero to One is a great book to share with people outside of the tech industry as well. Lots of practical life lessons that makes you think differently about how you view the world, and what's a good outcome.

Tejas Kinger · Answer

Intercom is pretty much my personal reference model when it comes to the subject of scaling a startup. This book summarizes the journey pretty well.

Nivas Ravichandran · Answer

I would recommend The Lean Startup and Zero to One. Two Must Read Books for Entrepreneurs.

Nicolaj Højer · Answer

I know...a cliche, but the book is really great!

Janine Yorio · Answer

This book changed my worldview and my approach to building a company.

Dave Millman · Answer

Steve Blank introduced the concepts of Customer Development and Product-Market Fit. He got Eric Ries started down the Lean Startup path. Just read it.

Paul-Henri Brunet · Answer

If you want to build better products fast, you just need to do what it says !

Walter Chen · Answer

Building a product that retains users and customers needs to be the 100% focus of every startup.

Dave Millman · Answer

Step-by-step guide to identifying your Target Customer Profile, Identifying Key Assumptions and much more. A straightforward way to avoid errors of management omission.

Leif Baradoy · Answer

Amazing book. Best read 2-4 years into your startup journey.

Linda Bannon · Answer

My team read this book together as we went through the early phases of our B2B startup. As a tech geek and first time entrepreneur, I have read many startup books. I found Nail It Then Scale it to be a very helpful step-by-step guide during the early stages of our startup process. Our team would often re-read sections towards the end of the book as we went through the customer interview process.

Francois de Fitte · Answer

Great life story of an entrepreneur. Highly inspired by the resilience showed by Tony when growing Zapos from a small e-commerce to a billion dollar company.

Keyul · Answer

Step by step process to teach you how to build and design the great product.

Lee Lance · Answer

A lot of great books on broad theory (like Lean Startup / Ries) or focused on one aspect (like Scrum / Sutherland), but this one really does a great job of touching on all aspects of starting and growing your startup. And it's filled with tons of references to other great books / authors / thought leaders on the various subjects it covers.

Gregory Kennedy · Answer

Steve Jobs was a fan. A classic like this is often imitated. But, rarely duplicated. Expect timeless advice on leadership, strategy, and maintaining clarity of mind during even the most challenging of times. Written by a Roman General who is literally the definition of Stoicism.

Deepak Srinivasan · Answer

This book gives us insights on most important things such as techniques to increase revenue, profitability and productivity.

Dave Boni · Answer

Gotta be Rework... Quick, to the point, makes you want to get started today.

Chris MacAskill · Answer

I heard Kevin Systrom of Instagram tell Kara Swisher this is what drove their thinking on Stories. I love this book and think it's vastly under estimated. It gets you to understand the whole picture and fully understand what your customer is using your product for.

Answer

The concept of jobs-to-be-done completely changed the way I think about personas and market segmentation

Charlie Kaplan · Answer

Back when I first realized building companies was what I wanted to do with my life, someone tipped me off to this book and it's remained the healthiest framing for my thinking about any problem in startups to this day. More powerful even than the methodological bent of this book is its brilliant use of anecdotes and examples that come back to mind on a weekly basis. I've sent it to friends who have toyed with the idea of working on new projects, regardless of how serious they are about the pursuit: This book identifies a way of thinking that is useful in many corners of life. I highly recommend it.

Ryan Shillington · Answer

I don't live by this book, but I learned a lot and I think back on it often.  I was surprised to not see it in this list.

Martin Eriksson · Answer

I maybe biased but a large part of this book was written based on interviews with founders and product leaders around not just how to build great products but the teams who build them too.

Adam Riggs-Zeigen · Answer

This book strongly influenced the creation of our latest product (reward-driven fitness chatbot). Our first few thousand users have been proving just how much this hook model works every day.

Abhishek K. Singh · Answer

Worth the read 📖

Mindy Gibbins-Klein · Answer

So motivational to read how so many people can achieve so much, starting with so little money!  :-)

Paul Millward · Answer

A great guide to evolve your idea and building your company around it.

Nick Abouzeid · Answer

Recommended by Naval, Charlie Munger clearly and efficiently walks you through dozens of mental models that he's used to understand the world.

🚀 Götz Thümecke · Answer

Named by Gartner as a top trend in 2016, the platform revolution is transforming the traditional pipeline way we think of doing business. The rise of the digital platform economy has produced recent upstarts such as Uber and Facebook, (some of whom have attained higher market values than centenarian dinosaurs like Ford), so I'd say it's vital to any startup aspiring to produce the next giant digital platform.

Photis D. Mata · Answer

There are hundreds of books on money and wealth but here's the thing:  reading a book that doesn't have the best advice, can actually harm your journey to wealth. And I heave read them by dozens... With Mj DeMarco things change. Once you pick up the book you instantly know he is no BS.  I guarantee you'll be disappointed with many previous books you've read and I'm talking big names here. But at the same time, your level of understanding of wealth will deepen and you'll start to see things like they really are (remember Neo in the Matrix starting seeing things in green code? that's the feeling). This book climbed in number one of my read books (right next to Mj previous book, "The Fastlane Millionaire")

Tigran Hakobyan · Answer

One of the greatest books for startup founders to understand how marketing works for tech products.

Tigran Hakobyan · Answer

This is a must-read book for every startup founder. Read this book before rushing to write the first line of the code for your new idea.

Saul Fleischman · Answer

We're bootstrapped 5.5 years, a team of 25, but need to know how investors think and maneuver. The book also helps you re-think equity.

Rajarshi Chakraborti · Answer

Tells us the change in the entire marketing scenario and how startups can leverage that, irrespective of budget and location.

Ryan Morley Male · Answer

Each chapter is a method to validate a Product idea all the way from concept through to validating rapid-prototyping before needing to pivot during the more expensive design and build phases of production. Priceless method when you are operating on a budget and trying to validate your idea works!

Data 360 · Answer

It's just plain awesome.

Will Sims · Answer

Before you start anything you need to get your head right! The Secret is a book that explains the law of attraction. Once you've read this read, Secrets Of The Millionaire Mind: Think rich to get rich!

Avi Zuber · Answer

So much to learn about working as part of a team, the importance of being candid, not giving up, building a positive company culture and how to deal with living on the edge of failure.

Qaunain Meghjee · Answer

Shows how Steve Jobs went against all odds, took crazy risks and managed to create another game changing billion dollar business / industry which required him to pivot. Also shows his vision and how he understood the next phase of that business sector better than it's leaders (film, creative and Hollywood)

Robson NawrocQi · Answer

Because everything starts and it's based on --> customer needs :)

Yusuf Ali · Answer

Great manual.

Kent Clark · Answer

Here’s a compilation of the books that I have found most valuable, organized by the three high-level stages of a startup.

Answer

I learned that disruptive innovations aren’t necessarily revolutionary or bring transformation. They normally start out being simpler, cheaper, more reliable or convenient than established ones.

Laef 🐶🐱 · Answer

Even once you come up with a good idea and develop a great product, no one will ever care or ever buy unless you market your product well. This is a simple book that tells you the simple truths about marketing. I loved every minute of my read, and I found every tip endlessly useful.

Tony Loyd · Answer

Full disclosure, I wrote this book. However, this isn't my story. The subtitle is "10 Lessons Learned from 150 Leading Social Entrepreneurs." Each week I interview changemakers who are making a real impact in the world. They share their successes, their failures and what they're learning along the way.

Keyul · Answer

A short guide that will help you on taking right decesion about the product.

Avi Zuber · Answer

So many valuable lessons in this gem.

Niv Dror · Answer

All things Y Combinator 💯

Marv Cluff · Answer

One of the first startup books, Nail It Then Scale It has been successfully helping entrepreneurs for over decade. The release of the companion road map called The Big Idea Canvas, a lean startup canvas by Ahlstrom, has kicked this startup processes into high gear. It's just a well thought-out validation process making it one of my favorite go-to startup guides.

Basil Alias · Answer

Recommended one

Mark Spurgen · Answer

Every time we apply this process we make greater strides

Francis · Answer

Worth the read 👍

Chris MacAskill · Answer

I love this because I used to work for Steve Jobs and loved striving to make something insanely great, and Elon is like that. I'm contrarian about Lean Startup or Reid Hoffman's you should be embarrassed about your first rev. The ones I really respect made great things, they didn't saddle their customers with something mediocre at 1.0.

Fabio E · Answer

Amazing book giving you and inside look at Elon's trajectory. Not all that glitters is gold, people have to go through ups and downs to be who they are, its a continuous cycle and the more you are willing to accept it, the faster you will grow. Helped me tons!

Paul Dunn · Answer

it was a very interesting story and gave some wonderful insights on what it takes to be as successful as Elon has been

Austin Ash · Answer

Briefly but effectively sums up main challenges faced, and provides proven strategies for overcoming them

Basil Alias · Answer

Good one regarding

darkguyy · Answer

This book describes the things very nicely. A must-read book.

David · Answer

This is the perfect bedside book to learn more about early web (now famous) companies and their founders, how they actually get started. Gold.

Niv Dror · Answer

The original must-read startup book, by Jessica Livingston

Robert T. Maisano · Answer

It's a no frills, no bs story about a guy who's setup simple systems instead of goals to find success without any specificly gifted talents.

Great book for generalists and creatives.

Plus it's hilarious.

Luca Mauri · Answer

Great book with a story teaching how to transform your business in something more valuable and ready to sell big

Basil Alias · Answer

Amazing one

Gil Akos · Answer

Tons of great, accessible content with takeaways for entrepreneurs ranging from the strategic to the tactical. I re-read this one a couple times a year. Plus there are great hip-hop quotes at the start of each chapter. Corresponding Spotify Playlist by dumb_zeus: https://open.spotify.com/user/dumb_zeus/playlist/3GM9amrqSNcpc49cTYmdB2

Yusuf Adeyemo · Answer

I have read Zero to One and I feel like reading it again and again.it widen my horizon about starting up a company.

Deepak Fialok · Answer

Filled with real world experience

Saïd Martínez-Calderón · Answer

This was the first time I heard of the term MVP (Minimal Viable Product) and it got me excited about closing the gap between software development and market launch.

Basil Alias · Answer

Recommended one

Vinit Agrawal · Answer

I think this is one of the most valuable books you can read if you are thinking of working on your company. Although chances are high that the lessons in this book is something you will understand in retrospect. But even with that you will save a lot of time that could have been wasted.

Deepak Fialok · Answer

Perfect for avoiding waste...

Basil Alias · Answer

Great product, found it as a sequel to charles duhigg 'the power of habit'

D Tom · Answer

Oh! it is great to read. Why not?

Basil Alias · Answer

Very helpful

Marlon Parker · Answer

It's Impressive and the Author is a huge inspiration to me personally, so by all accounts, it's definitely worth remembering.

Thibault Jochem · Answer

This one with "The Lean Startup" are the go to read to get in the startup mood !

Rajarshi Chakraborti · Answer

This changes your perception. Not only about starting up but how to build and make better value out of life.

Justin Gilchrist · Answer

In-depth booking covering not just the product development side of building a starting, but also the technical and HR sides too.

Stephan Leicht Vogt · Answer

I loved the citations from the interviewed persons and the personal insights from the author.

Basil Alias · Answer

Love this book

Answer

Lots of great advice both for product and company management

Tekeste Kidanu · Answer

This book is by Basecamp founders and they go into great detail about what you actually need to do to have a successful company!

Francis · Answer

Another book I would like to add to this list. Probably not a Startup book, but very useful when designing or building anything. If your startup is making something, this book will help you with seeing your objectives from different angles.

Quentin Aisbett · Answer

Ryan proved that newsjacking is a serious way of gaining widespread publicity. Perhaps the ultimate strategy for the startup.

Answer

We often say that one can learn more from Failures than successes. TMPHS is an instructive book on one of the earliest unicorns of dotcom years - it was a unicorn long before anyone came up with the term unicorn. The book explains what were the trials and tribulations that a unicorn startup goes through and in instructive in "what not to do" for startups.

Jim Lyons · Answer

A fun read with great advice.

Lucjan Kierczak · Answer

One the most actionable and no-bullshit books about marketing or business I've ever read.

JP Kuehlwein · Answer

SECRETS OF THE UEBER-BRANDS: Because go-to-market reinvention is great but building a brand that has meaning to people beyond the material is priceless.  Read about how brands as diverse as Aesop, Ben & Jerry's, Chanel, Dyson or Patagonia, Shinola, Tesla, Yuan Soap elevate their brand and experience - including online - to become 'peerless, priceless and profitable.'

Ruslan Geyushev · Answer

Educational comic book about startups and entrepreneurship for kids.

Wesley James · Answer

Well written for anyone starting a business!

Matt Warcholinski · Answer

Step-by-step guide on building a startup. I think it is easier to understand for non-startup person or even has some valuable insights for experienced entrepreneur.

Short and sweet - you don't have a feeling that while reading this book (like most of the business books) you could throw away a half of the pages.

Matt Warcholinski · Answer

it's a basic lecture for each entrepreneur that want to reinvent/disrupt the markets :).

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This book helped me get out of my own way. As a serial entrepreneur, experience and wisdom can often get in the way of just going for it. Fear, judgement or even failure can often stifle your pursuit of success or traction.

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Great read for those looking to find focus and clarity to executing their startup with high performance.

Arshath Raja · Answer

Seeing What's Next offers a practical model that helps decision-makers spot the signals of industry change

Alejandro · Answer

Its just awesome, they nail every topic, if you didn't read it yet I highly recommend it

Scott · Answer

By Author @vitalyg. Step by Step in how to avoid common mistakes. Practical exercises to follow.

J. Mark Bangerter · Answer

This is a great book if you want to grow and scale your company.

Daniele Ugolini · Answer

Essential reading for technology age!

Bart Clareman · Answer

A terrific breakdown of the forces that cause big companies to lose (despite significant and productive R&D spend) and allow disruption to happen

Dmitry Mamyrin · Answer

A great step-by-step guide on startup funding, which is a pretty rare material and Nicolaj Højer does an outstanding job unfolding it. This book provides a hands-on advice to entrepreneurs with or without experience in the startup universe.

Vibhas Goyal · Answer

Needless to say much as the reviews say it all, It helped me to focus on the business model and the customers in very specific ways.

Niv Dror · Answer

The single best resources for startup knowledge (especially if you're raising money).

Nora Dunn · Answer

For people who want to change their lifestyles and start up a new type of career or online business.

Ross Rojek · Answer

Looking beyond incrementally adding to your market and looking for entirely new products and markets. While most of the examples are large companies that either created new markets or services (think south west airlines with smaller airports and no assigned seats), but anyone with a good understanding of a market can use some of these techniques to find new opportunities.

One of my favorite books.