every entrepreneur is a lifelong learner.
And that’s not just because you have the mindset for it. You have no choice. new challenges appear every day and you must learn and discover how to solve them.
You are reading: Best books for entrepreneurs 2021
that’s true for you, as it is for any of my founders here at altar.io. they’re all ex-startup founders who learned the lean way by doing it, but also by reading an unhealthy number of books over the years.
so I sat down with them, as well as some of the entrepreneurs we work with, to find out which books had an impact on them and shaped their entrepreneurial journey.
The result of those conversations is this list. in which I combined the top 20 recommendations and why they found them so valuable.
In the interest of full transparency: Neither I nor altar.io nor the entrepreneurs I spoke with to create this list receive any money to recommend the following books. they were chosen based on personal experience and the experience of those I spoke with.
1. the lean startup by eric reis
the lean startup is a must read and easily tops the list of best business books for entrepreneurs. This book is about how to turn your startup idea into a sustainable business.
Eric Ries’ detailed approach can help you create a product or service that customers want and are willing to pay for. all with minimal waste of time or effort.
The book begins with the identification of its main assumptions. the:
- value assumption
- growth assumption
The value assumption is the belief that customers will find value in what you are about to create.
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The growth assumption has to do with how you are going to attract customers to your business over time in a profitable way.
ries then takes you through the process of turning these two assumptions into testable hypotheses.
then guides you through finding quick and inexpensive ways to test and validate those hypotheses, including creating a minimum viable product (mvp) or creating a promotional video and landing page.
The combination of these processes and insights will help you navigate the uncertainty all businesses face and give you the tools you need to build a lasting and sustainable business.
related: how to build a successful minimum viable product (mvp) in 3 steps
2. zero to one by peter thiel
In Zero to One, legendary entrepreneur and investor peter thiel explains why you should “focus on businesses that create something new.”
talks about how many of today’s companies are focused on taking the world from 1 to n. or iterating and improving existing products.
In this book, Thiel calls on entrepreneurs, as the title suggests, to take the world from zero to one, to find completely new solutions and products that create more value.
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breaks this down further into practical advice on what to do (and not to do) before you jump in and build your solution or product.
Written in 2014, this is hands down one of the best entrepreneurial books out there and well worth adding to your reading list.
3. start with why by simon sinek
start with why is an a-z description of how leaders inspire people to take action. Applying this book to your business can help you attract loyal customers. it can also help you create a company culture and have a greater impact on the world.
sinek does this by sharing his insights on how to discover the deeper underlying purpose of your business, brand & product.
He stipulates that there are two ways to influence human behavior, manipulation or inspiration.
He theorizes that brands that fail to inspire their customers rely on manipulative tactics to get them to take action. this can be in the form of fear or peer pressure, to name just two.
And while this tactic can help boost initial sales, Sinek warns that using manipulation will become less effective over time. More importantly, this tactic will rarely result in a customer forming a long-term relationship with your business.
Their solution is that you inspire your audience by starting with why. he argues that clarifying and communicating why you’re doing what you’re doing is the key to inspiring your customers and developing a long-term relationship with them. in a nutshell, sinek tells us:
“people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it”.
start with why is one of the best books for entrepreneurs looking to hone their leadership skills and inspire clients, employees & colleagues alike.
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