3 books to read before you start a startup
Are you currently thinking to co-found a startup with a couple of your friends or partners? Do you already have a concrete idea on what you are going to build? Have you thought of how to build your startup to the next level?
Those are the questions I have had during the course of starting up my own business, I have gone into many pitifuls and unhappy experiences throughout my startup’s journey, starting a startup is hard and tough, you would really need to hustle very hard everyday to get your business from zero to zero point one. With all the pains and tears I been through, I started to realize I wasn’t ready for it yet until I have read the 3 books below.
Today, these 3 books have equipped me to be a stronger person and perpare me face any upcoming roadblocks. I wish I would had someone guided me into those books before I first started it. If you are thinking to start a startup soon, try to spend some times to read them all, I am pretty sure it will be something valuable down the road for you!
By reading this post, I’d have assumed that you already have an idea in mind. However, have you ever thought of how to validate it? So the first book you should read is:
The Lean Startup
This book is the must read for anyone thinking to build from their ideas, it teaches a lot of techniques on how to test and validate your idea in the market, how to get market feedbacks, how to fine tune your prototype, and how to go lean in every step during your startup journey.
I could tell you from my experience that you are currently very excited when you dream about your future of your startup, but in reality, you must build something people want in order to get a successful outcome and get you to the dream you wanted to be in, therefore, get your idea validated thoroughly and build your product based on your market needs with all customers feedbacks you have gathered.
Every so often a business book comes along that changes how we
think about innovation and entrepreneurship… The Lean Startup has
the chops to join this exalted company. FINANCIAL TIMES
After you got a pretty good understanding and tractions with your prototype, it is time to look for the co-founder(s) or partners to scale the business with you. Depending on what your skills are and your needs are; do make sure you are perfectly clear on what skill sets will be most needed for the success and the best fill for your startup. I have co-founded a startup with a couple of business guys, where none of us have any technical belts on our waist, it cost us a fortune to get our business going, then things started to get out of control.
The Founder’s Dilemmas: Anticipating and Avoiding the Pitfalls That Can Sink a Startup
Co-founding a startup isn’t an easy task, especially dealing with co-founders that could be your close friends, strangers, or even family members. This book breaks down all the possible pitfalls you will be facing, it tells you what to do and provide you with guides on how you should co-found your business with anyone. It will save you a lot of troubles if you could avoid it all before it get started! People management is always the most frustrating part of any businesses.
“This book provides the rare combination of practical advice and scholarly research. It gets to the heart of the people issues that can bedevil every, and I do mean every, startup. Issues such as founder motivations, equity splits, and equity control can make or break a company. I guarantee that the price of this book is approximately one-thousandth of what you’ll pay lawyers to clean up your mess if you don’t read it.” Guy Kawasaki, author of Enchantment and former chief evangelist of Apple
At last, I am sure your idea is worth a billion, but how do you get there? What did the most successful startups do to get funding? What are the steps and tools you need to accelerate faster? This book will guide you throughout the milestones and what you need to get started and preparing for:
How to Build a Billion Dollar App
The book’s name speaks for itself already, it is an ultimate guide on how to get your startup started, when you think you are at the right moment or valuation, this book tells you what to do next. It also tells you their success story of Hailo, such as; how did they co-found the team, what are the tools they were using to track their progress, how UX/UI was the key to some of their successes, and how to monetize their startup to the next level. When I was reading this book it leads me to fantasize a lot about the future possibilities of my startup. It is a great book to help you bootstrap your way up.
‘A practical guide on how to start your mobile app company. A must read for anyone who wants to start a mobile app business’ RICCARDO ZACCONI, FOUNDER AND CEO KING DIGITAL (MAKER OF CANDY CRUSH SAGA)
I hope you enjoy reading this and found it useful for your startup journey, let me know what have you read to kick start your journey.
Wishing you all the best luck with your startup!
