The Mount Rushmore of Entrepreneurial Content — Top Books, Blogs, Podcasts and Videos
A prospective student asked a great question a few weeks ago: what should I be reading if I’m interested in entrepreneurship?
I withheld the urge to immediate share 20 titles. There’s so much out there! For NDSU students and prospective students, I’ve found the biggest hurdle is starting. Having the confidence to share an idea and see if it will work.
With that in mind, here’s the one book, blog, podcast and video I would recommend.
Top Book for Entrepreneurship — $100 Start Up
Chris Guillebeau’s book is a great launching pad to understand that an entrepreneur does not need to look like Bill Gates or Steve Jobs. Instead, he helps readers walk through how to pick an idea and launch it within a month.
His simple frameworks provide nice clarity for decision-making. Plus, his story about my brother and I starting 9 Clouds helps push this one over the top.
If you enjoy the book, also check out his podcast, Side Hustle School, which shares a quick 5 minute story of someone who launched their business on the side of their 9–5.
Top Blog for Entrepreneurship — Seth’s Blog
Seth Godin has had the greatest impact on my thinking of creating value and leaving an impact in the world. His blog encapsulate big ideas into short, digestible posts published every day.
This is a great entry point into big ideas about marketing, positioning, decision-making and other skills essential for entrepreneurs. There are plenty of prescriptive blogs out there talking about entrepreneurship. What Seth gets right is giving you a few ingredients and then challenging you to put together the recipe, great training for an aspiring entrepreneur.
If you enjoy his blog, he has a number of fantastic books like Linchpin and We Are All Weird.
Top Podcast for Entrepreneurship — Gimlet’s Startup
The first season of Gimlet’s podcast about starting a podcast company is fantastic. It shares in real time the questions, challenges, excitement and steps a business can take to grow. Hosted by Alex Blumberg, formerly of Planet Money and This American Life, it is as entertaining as it is educational.
Top Video for Entrepreneurship — Start With Why
Simon Sinek’s famous TED Talk is a great seed of inspiration to help aspiring entrepreneurs figure out why they want to start their project. With powerful stories and a clear challenge to entrepreneurs, this video is worth re-watching regularly to stay focused and relevant.
If you’re looking for a bit more educational content, check out Steve Blank’s online course on How to Build a Startup. All of the videos are on this playlist.
