Reading is a common habit shared by many successful business owners and it is a very cost-effective way to become a smarter business person. It provides you with exposure to new concepts and can change your approach to how you run your business and life. By learning about others’ successes and failures, philosophies and tactics, you can expand your vision and enhance your performance.
To honor the month of reading, we have compiled a list of recommended reads that we hope will bring you some benefit.
Whether you are contemplating to start a business or you already have, here are 3 books that have great concepts on how to create, manage and excel.
THE FOUR STEPS TO THE EPIPHANY: Successful Strategies for Start-ups That Win
By Steve Blank
If you are looking to start a business or have already started one, this book can help you to realistically identify the step your start-up is currently in and to take appropriate action. Written as a methodical textbook, it certainly isn’t an easy read, but it’s very useful if you are in the process of launching a start-up or developing new products. This book focuses on customer discovery as the secret formula to building a company and creating new products; figuring who your customer is and what products they are willing to buy.
The Goal: The Process of Ongoing Improvement
By Eliyahu M. Goldratt
The Goal conveys management principles through a fast-paced story of Alex Rogo, a plant manager, whose factory is on the verge of being shut down. In 90 days, Alex turns the business around through a process of identifying and eliminating the bottlenecks in production with the help of his former professor Jonah. Different from conventional business books, Goldratt’s work demonstrates how to determine the points in your business where productivity is limited — and how to fix these issues. While focused on manufacturing, this book will help you think about productivity in any industry differently.
From Zero to One: Notes on Start-ups, or How to Build The Future
By Peter Thiel
In Zero to One, legendary entrepreneur Peter Thiel shows how we can find singular ways to create new inventions and explore unfamiliar frontiers. This book offers far more than a simple how-to theory on being successful and surviving as a start-up, it is filled with many great insights and take-aways. In this book, Thiel suggests that all great start-ups need to start by carving a niche and dominating a small market by providing products that are at least 10x better than anything else.
Self-Development is key whether you are running your own business or looking to grow your career. These three books provide advice on how to face difficulties, work effectively with people and determine your abilities.
The Hard Thing About Hard Things
By Ben Horowitz
In this book, Horowitz shares his insights from his experience on how to navigate the difficulties when starting and growing a business.
How to Win Friends & Influence People
By Dale Carnegie
A leadership classic for more than 70 years. This book teaches you how to effectively work with other people, become a better manager, leader and connector.
What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20
By Tina Seelig
Stanford professor, Tina Seelig shares what she offers her students in the Stanford Technology Ventures Program; to look at the world with fresh eyes, experiment failure, plot your own course and test the limits of your abilities.
These three books share insight into how these three large corporations work and came to be.
Just Do It
By Donald R. Katz
Written in 1994, this is a brilliant portrayal of the Nike empire and its values, giving readers an understanding of how organizations, brands and reputations are built.
What Would Google Do?
By Jeff Jarvis
A clear summary of the way not just Google but social media and the web are changing many industries, including journalism, media, and education.
The Pixar Touch
By David A. Price
The story of the establishment of Pixar starting as an imaging branch of Lucasfilm, transforming into a hardware company before it could finally focus on making feature animated movies.
And finally, a few classic read recommendations
The Art of War
By Sun Tzu
“In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity”
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
By Lewis Caroll
"Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast."
1984
By George Orwell
“The best books . . . are those that tell you what you know already.”