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7 Books Every Entrepreneur and Start-Up Founder Must Read

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7 Best Books for Entrepreneurs and Start-Ups

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I have always been a huge advocate of learning through reading. To me, nothing will help you learn about something as thoroughly as reading about it. I read a lot of non-fiction books, and I know how good the impact can be. Even when I have no time to read, I read the summaries on Blinkist to get the core takeaways of the book.

The one consistent advise that every successful person out there gives to budding entrepreneurs is to read! Every entrepreneur who has made it in life knows the value of reading and has a set routine they follow which allows them to read. I have talked about the reading habits of highly successful people to motivate people to read more.

I have also written about how you can read more in less time and comprehend more because when you are starting, time is of the essence. Making time to read shouldn’t take away from other tasks, and reading shouldn’t be put on the back burner because you don’t have time. That being said, reading more means nothing if you don’t comprehend what you read. With fiction, it is okay if you forget. But, with non-fiction, the point of reading is to understand, learn and implement

Here are some books that every entrepreneur starting out should take lessons from. It can be scary in the beginning but knowing some things can ease the path for you. These seven books teach you the importance of various qualities you need to have and the lessons you need to learn in order to be successful.

1. Crushing it! By Gary Vaynerchuk

How Great Entrepreneurs Build Their Business and Influence- And How You Can, Too

7 Best Books for Entrepreneurs and Start-Ups

Crushing It! hit Amazon’s #1 bestseller list even before it was launched. This book is preceded by the book “Crush It: Why Now is the Time to Cash in Your Passion.” Many people get confused about the books because of their similar name.

Released in 2018, Crushing It explains and explores why having a strong personal brand is crucial in business. It offers brand new lessons and strategies. Gary Vaynerchuk uses his and dozens of influencers’ and entrepreneurs’ experience to showcase why having a strong, noticeable presence across multiple channels of digital media can be your blueprint to success. The advice and tactics mentioned in this book can help you become a household name via various social media channels.

If you are starting out and looking to build a brand, this book is a must-read. It will help aspiring entrepreneurs to take their business to the next level. Even if you are not into business and work a day job, it will help you increase your professional opportunities. This helps people understand the game-changing nature of digital and social media.

2. Smarter Faster Better by Charles Duhigg

The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business

7 Best Books for Entrepreneurs and Start-Ups

Smarter Faster Better uses personal stories of Charles Duhigg along with business research to show how being productive isn’t just about managing your to-do list. People can sometimes get stuck in the idea of being productive because they tick off everything on their to-do list, but being productive is more than that.

This book is different than the other productivity-based books out there based on its approach on the subject. It focuses on how you think rather than spending time managing what you think. The book also argues that our focus on getting the big tasks done first is flawed. Charles states how getting smaller and easier tasks done have the potential to create big changes in your life and business.

Being productive includes making the right choices and maintaining the right mindset. This book offers advice on how to stay motivated, keep yourself on track and work in teams effectively to maximize your creativity, productivity and success. Anyone with a serious long-term goal will benefit from this book.

3. The Lean Startup by Eric Ries

How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses

7 Best Books for Entrepreneurs and Start-Ups

In this classic book on entrepreneurship, author and entrepreneur Eric Ries explains the lean startup approach. This book helps start-ups and tech companies develop a sustainable business model, which has changed the way that many start-up founders build companies.

It is largely based around the principle of continuous rapid prototyping and focusing on customer-feedback data. Before investing heavily in an idea, Eric suggests ways to validate business ideas. This helps entrepreneurs test their visions and modify and adapt before any real damage can occur. The approach talked about is backed with last few decades worth of case studies and is based on the concepts of lean manufacturing and agile development.

This book provides a new approach to successfully managing a startup. The lean startup also talks through some of the innovative and necessary online business tools that can help you accelerate your path towards validation along the way. Entrepreneurs who are starting their own business or startup can learn a lot from this book, from ideas to quick product development and testing.

4. Zero to One by Peter Thiel

Notes On Startups, Or How To Build The Future

7 Best Books for Entrepreneurs and Start-Ups

Zero to One, written by PayPal founder and Facebook’s first investor, Peter Thiel, encompasses the power of innovation and how to go about creating new things. It also explores how companies can predict the future effectively and take action already to ensure that their start-up/business is a success.

Peter shares his learnings from his own personal experiences in this book. He states that when you do something new, you are moving from zero to one. (Yes, the title!) His takeaway is that the new wave of entrepreneurs will make completely new things and not just updates of existing products. That makes sense because there is so much yet to be innovated. I don’t think the world will ever run out of ideas.

To be successful with your business, innovation is what sets your business apart. Anyone interested to know why certain startups succeed while others fail will find their answer here. Current and potential startup founders need to read this book to incorporate innovation in their business plan so that even the investors know that it is worth investing in.

5. Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki

What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money- That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!

7 Best Books for Entrepreneurs and Start-Ups

If you are even considering reading business books, then there is a huge probability that you have already heard of this book. Rich Dad, Poor Dad, is a book recommended by many. It is one of those books that have become the face of the genre. In fact, this is the book that planted the seed of entrepreneurship in my mind when I read it for the first time in grade 10.

You can say that this book is primarily centered around financial advice and is considered to be the #1 personal finance book out there. It is autobiographical with personal advice from Robert Kiyosaki about how to become financially independent and wealthy. If you read this book at the beginning of your journey, it can have a big impact on your thought process, just like it did on mine

The biggest takeaway from this book is that you should let your money work for you, rather than spending your life working for money. You should avoid placing your money into objects, possessions or anything that’ll cost you and incur more expenses in the long run. Things like flashy cars and big homes are what people dream of when they think about making big bucks. Robert advises against it.

The core message that Robert presents in this book is that if you want to grow rich, then you have to buy things that will help you generate income. Robert states that this is necessary for getting rich and staying rich. He also argues that wealthy people pass on financial lessons to the next generation but others don’t. He retired at the age of 47   successful investment career. So, he knows what he is talking about. If you ever wondered how to approach the path of investment, then this book can be of great help to you.

6. Getting Past No by William Ury

Negotiating in Difficult Situations

7 Best Books for Entrepreneurs and Start-Ups

When starting a business, you will realize how important it is to have the skill of negotiation. The better you are at it, the more your business will benefit. Negotiation is not an easy skill to master. It becomes even difficult if the other person is a seasoned professional and also stubborn who keeps saying “no” to everything you bring to him. This is where “Getting past no” comes to your rescue.

William Ury is the co-founder of Harvard Law School’s “Program of Negotiation” and is also considered one of the world’s leading negotiation specialists. The teachings that he has curated in this book comes with various techniques you can use in negotiations. He also teaches how to counter dirty tricks and reach mutually beneficial agreements that satisfy the needs of both parties.

The art of negotiation is something that start-up founders and entrepreneurs need to get a good hold on. This book gives you the opportunity to learn from the best. William also has another book titled “Getting to Yes: Negotiating an Agreement Without Giving In,” which is also a must read to finetune the craft of negotiation.

7. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson

A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life

7 Best Books for Entrepreneurs and Start-Ups

Like “Rich Dad, Poor Dad,” everyone has heard about this book. My guess is that most people picked it up for it’s interesting, to say the least, title, but then stayed for the content. This book revolves around setting realistic expectations for ourselves and embracing our fears and faults.

I would say the core of this book states concentrating on living a better life by caring about fewer things. Mark Manson gives some rules to lead a happier, less stressful existence. Mark’s writing is as free-flowing as the title of this book. In a much relatable manner, he manages to put his point across. His focus is on doing what you want, not what you can.

This is one of those must-reads to prepare yourself before delving into a new journey. To find the courage, honesty, responsibility we seek. This is for people who feel stressed and overburdened in life, people who are working on self-improvement, and people who worry about everything.

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”

–Dr. Seuss

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