A Guide to My Favorite Startup Books
Are you looking for your next business book? Do you think you’ve read all that is out there? I promise you’ll find at least one book on this list that’ll jump off the screen and create a mad-dash one-click purchase, and for that reason, I’ve done the work for you by linking all of the titles straight to their corresponding Amazon page.
This post is the second of a 2-part series called “How to hack your book list and your startup.” In part 1, I encouraged you to give Audible a try by making a compelling case for why listening to books is preferable to reading. Now in part 2, we’re going to fill up our wish lists with my favorite startup books.
One important note before we get started. This list is not meant to represent some exhaustive MBA crash course. I have left out many business canon because my goal is to create a list of contemporary startup classics for the “listening generation” that expresses the edge of thinking and innovation in the Valley and beyond. These books captivated my imagination and I’ll think they’ll do the same for you. The minimum criteria for my 5-Star List was my having listened/read the title at least twice.
My 5-Star Startup Book List
Chaos Monkeys: Obscene Fortune and Random Failure in Silicon Valley by Antonia Garcia Martinez — best as an audiobook — This insider-tells-all book shares some of the most refreshingly honest backstories on startup culture and the Valley tech scene. It ranks as the funniest and most insightful Valley book I’ve come across. Chaos Monkeys is a must-read for any startup type prone to “wantrepreneur” fantasies who possibly take themselves too seriously (no not me!) or the Valley scene at large. This book comes in as the longest audiobook to make the list at 15-hours, while that may seem like a long time, I highly recommend the audio version as the narration is pure gold.
The Hard Things About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers by Ben Horowitz — best as an audiobook —This book permanently changed my perspective on what it takes to build something out of nothing. The pain and burden founders carry has never been clearer. The book illuminates that at every step of the way, there will be landmines, potholes, and an unmistakable sound of nails being hammered in the coffin, but the trick is to not take yourself out of the game. If there was ever a startup anthem for overcoming the craziest, most bewildering odds, this is it.
Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel — best as an audiobook — My political leanings aside, there is no denying Thiel’s prescience and brilliant mind. I found myself furiously writing notes to capture the originality of his words. The whole concept of zero to one is a fascinating thought exercise and is deserving of a follow-up book that takes the conversation even deeper. Thiel’s discussion of various topics like “definite optimists,” “the power law,” and “fault conventions” are some of the most cogent comments on entrepreneurship.
#AskGaryVee: One Entrepreneur’s Take on Leadership, Social Media, and Self-Awareness by Gary Vaynerchuk — best as an audiobook — Looking for an NYC kick-in-the-ass? Want to understand the leading digital channels? Gary is your guy. I’m always a bit surprised by the number of startup and marketing types who don’t know about him. Gary is a social media legend with a cult-like following. An entrepreneur. Master marketer. He’s a hustler with the energy of a candied-up kid and a magnetizing personality that creates unmatched gravitational pull. This book is a collection of his podcast The #AskGaryVee Show. Also, his book Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook is worthy of an honorable mention as it purports a much-needed perspective on how marketers ruin everything and how as marketers we need to add value first, second, and third (jabs) before asking for something in return, like a sale (right hook).
Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance — best as an audiobook — This book tops the list as my most listened with a current count of 4 times end-to-end; and at 13 hours in length, I’ve crossed 50 hours with this book. It says a lot about the quality of this book, and maybe my obsession with him too. I’m beyond fascinated by the portrait of a flawed, risk-taking, genius man that is undoubtedly our generation’s Rockefeller. At the time of this posting, he dominated the 2016 Golden Kitty Awards product of the year categories for multiple Tesla products. Oh, and then there is that whole human settlement on Mars thing.
Starting Something: An Entrepreneur’s Tale of Corporate Culture by Wayne McVicker — only available as a physical book — This book has a particularly close place in my heart and experience because Wayne is my business partner at Blueberry Home. While you might think this is just a shameless plug, his against-all-odds story illustrates a masterful view of the viciousness of big money and big egos in the Valley. I appreciate how he starts each chapter with a delicious quote that encapsulates his experience, insight, and wisdom in the pages ahead. He shares with a great deal of honesty and humility the trials of being a father, husband, and entrepreneur. I’m humbled and grateful to be in the foxhole with him.
Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers by Timothy Ferriss — Only available as a physical book — Probably 2016's Book of the Year. I can’t put it down, and I’ll spend a lifetime referring to it. Tim Ferriss, who has also seemingly slipped below the mainstream conversation has a cult-like following amongst Millennial lifehackers. He is just a cool dude and probably sits second behind Musk for “the person I’d most like to trade spots.” Undoubtedly, this is Ferriss’s best book to date. In an interview style, he captures the unique voices, experiences, and perspectives of some of the most respected people in the world and it is an absolute gift. Like literally, it’s the perfect gift!
Honorable Mention
Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products by Nir Eyal
Traction: How Any Startup Can Achieve Explosive Customer Growth by Gabriel Weinberg and Justin Mares
Platform Revolution: How Networked Markets are Transforming the Economy — and How to Make Them Work for You by Geoffrey Parker, Marshall Van Alstyne, and Sangeet Paul Choudary
The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses by Eric Ries
