{"id":1776,"date":"2015-05-08T14:21:40","date_gmt":"2015-05-08T14:21:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leadershipshape.com\/wardroom\/?p=1776"},"modified":"2015-11-23T14:24:12","modified_gmt":"2015-11-23T14:24:12","slug":"11-vital-books-for-first-time-entrepreneurs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/leadershipshape.com\/wardroom\/11-vital-books-for-first-time-entrepreneurs\/","title":{"rendered":"11 Vital Books for First-Time Entrepreneurs"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"11<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\"Andrew<\/a><\/p>\n
ANDREW MEDAL<\/div>\n
CONTRIBUTOR<\/div>\n
Serial Entrepreneur, Digital Strategist, Web Designer, Author, Volunteer<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Image credit: Shutterstock | Enhanced by Entrepreneur<\/a><\/div>\n<\/header>\n

From 2011 to\u00a02013,\u00a0I read 197 books.\u00a0I read about history, physics, science, health, world travel, space exploration, the ocean, fitness and mathematics. I read bestsellers, classics and unknown authors. However, the underlying foundation of my reading\u00a0was rooted in startups and entrepreneurship (not simply because I build startups, but because I have a sincere passion for it).<\/p>\n

Here are 11\u00a0books I recommend for all first-time entrepreneurs (and really any entrepreneur for that matter), not in any order.<\/p>\n

1. The Lean Startup by Eric Ries<\/h2>\n
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This book is still a must read, even though the Lean Startup movement is not as radiant as it was from 2011 to\u00a02013. Based in principles taught by Steve Blank inFour\u00a0Steps to the Epiphany<\/em>, Ries provides any entrepreneur (or intrapreneur)\u00a0the framework and practical science behind testing\u00a0ideas.<\/p>\n

The whole premise of the book is to view startups as science experiments, by testing and analyzing everything you do, to help you save money and time to ensure your idea has some sort of demand. Read it if you haven’t.<\/p>\n

Related:\u00a03 Psychology Books to Change Your Mindset (and Your Business)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

2. Rework by Jason Fried<\/h2>\n
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Jason Fried is a diabolical genius. In my mind, he\u2019s like this mad\u00a0scientist that sits up in a tower overlooking the world, and watches as the world does everything wrong, while he sits back and plays a game of chess. He\u2019s the godfather of going against the grain and disrupting the status quo.<\/p>\n

This book will help you unravel the societal norms engrained into us at an early age, and uplift you to become better entrepreneurs by thinking outside the box.<\/p>\n

3. The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell<\/h2>\n
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In The Tipping Point<\/em>, Malcolm Gladwell attempts to uncover the \u201cmysterious sociological behaviors\u201d that shape everyday life. Gladwell explains a tipping point as \u201cthe moment of critical mass, the threshold, the boiling point,\u201d and says \u201cideas and products and messages and behaviors spread like viruses do.\u201d<\/p>\n

He gives historical examples and substantiates his theories with facts, while breaking down his examples through invisible forces that only a world-renown sociologist can. He explains the reason that hush puppies became so popular in the mid\u00a01990s and the reason behind steep decline in New York City\u2019s crime rate after 1990.<\/p>\n

To simply learn about how these invisible forces can create unintended results helped me to be more conscious about life and business. All of Gladwell\u2019s books encourage me to think deeply, and empower me to see the world through a different lens, which results in new perspective. These new perspectives help me view my own entrepreneurial journey differently, which I greatly value.<\/p>\n

4. The Innovator\u2019s Dilemma by Clayton Christensen<\/h2>\n
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Disruption. We\u2019ve all heard the term. Christensen was the one who brought it to life.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the synopsis: \u201cFirst published in 1997, Christensen’s book suggests that successful companies can put too much emphasis on customers’ current needs, and fail to adopt new technology or business models that will meet their customers’ unstated or future needs. He argues that such companies will eventually fall behind. Christensen calls the anticipation of future needs ‘disruptive innovation,’\u00a0and gives examples involving the personal computer industry, milkshakes, and steel minimills.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pairing this book with The Lean Startup<\/em> helped me realize how important testing and validating assumptions is for not just startups, but for established companies as well.\u00a0The innovator\u2019s “dilemma” comes from the concept that companies will dismiss new market innovation based on the fact that customers do not currently use them, which then leaves the market ripe for disruption. Clayton gives historical examples that makes the concept easily digestible and helps drive home the lessons.<\/p>\n

5.\u00a0Crossing the Chasm by Geoffery A. Moore<\/h2>\n
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Immediately after reading this book I thought I understood everything about building a company. This book teaches you why you may have had early \u201ctraction,\u201d but how and why that traction does not guarantee mass market success. He does this by breaking down early adoption cycles, and shows the difference in your product lifecycle.<\/p>\n

The chasm\u00a0he refers to is between early adopters and the mass market. Simply looking at the cover will help you understand the concept. This book helped me understand the hockey stick curve growth model and other vital startup lessons. If you read the Lean Startup<\/em> beforehand, Moore\u2019s lessons will help you understand \u201cproduct-market fit\u201d as Ries discusses so frequently in his book.<\/p>\n

6.\u00a0Launch! by Scott Duffy<\/h2>\n
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This book acts as a practical manual for breathing life into your idea. Duffy walks through examples and entertaining stories along the way, as well as provides a basic framework to follow through his years of business (which includes selling his last company to Richard Branson and the Virgin Group). Entertaining and useful, this book lives up to its allure, and displays the value and expertise of Duffy as a businessman, mentor and human.<\/p>\n

Related:\u00a0A Busy Entrepreneur’s 3-Step Guide to Reading Business Books<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

7. Hackers & Painters: Big Ideas From the Computer Age by Paul Graham<\/h2>\n
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Paul Graham is the man behind Y Combinator,\u00a0the Harvard of tech accelerators, and Graham\u00a0has an uncanny ability to see into the future. This book gives a glimpse into Paul\u2019s unique thinking\u00a0and draws on historical examples. He takes us on a journey of what he calls “an intellectual Wild West,\u201d where anyone with an idea can take a shot.<\/p>\n

8. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey<\/h2>\n
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This book is highly effective<\/em> for helping anyone to prioritize and\u00a0stay organized\u00a0and on task. My big takeaway from this book was the Urgent\/Important prioritization matrix. As entrepreneurs, being able to intelligently prioritize\u00a0becomes a vital skill. You can learn this skill and many more through Covey\u2019s classic.<\/p>\n

9. The 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss<\/h2>\n
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The 4-Hour Work Week<\/em> has become an instant classic for any entrepreneur. Tim Ferriss treats his life as a big experiment. In this book, he teaches us how to live the life we want now, through real world case studies and practical examples. He explains that the “New Rich” figure out how to outsource,\u00a0delegate and eliminate half of your work and other cool life\/work hacks.<\/p>\n

10. The 50th Law by Robert Greene and 50 Cent<\/h2>\n
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Robert Greene is the man behind the 33 Strategies of War<\/em>, The 48 Laws of Power<\/em>and other classics. Teaming up with 50 Cent, they\u00a0have written the manuscript for business and life success, which can be summed up as one mantra: \u201cFear nothing.\u201d The book walks us through real life examples of 50 Cent\u2019s life, and how he overcame personal and business adversity. It provides a message of hope and encouragement.<\/p>\n

Bonus: Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art & Science of Remembering Everything by Joshua Foer<\/h2>\n
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This is not a business book. However, it’s one of my favorites that I\u2019ve read in the past five years. Joshua Foer is a journalist who started covering memory competitions. He got so enthralled by his work, that he took on the challenge of becoming a memory athlete himself.<\/p>\n

Filled with rich journalism, he provides us deep insight into the tricks and strategies used by these \u201cmental athletes,\u201d while he walks us through his personal journey of preparation for the United States Memory Championship. The book is riveting\u00a0and entertaining beyond belief, and as Foer says, \u201cin every way that matters, we are the sum of our memories.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tweet at me\u00a0or comment below with your book recommendations. I’d love to hear them.<\/p>\n

Related:\u00a05 Powerful Books That Changed the Direction of My Life<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ANDREW MEDAL CONTRIBUTOR Serial Entrepreneur, Digital Strategist, Web Designer, Author, Volunteer Image credit: Shutterstock | Enhanced by Entrepreneur May 08, 2015 From 2011 to\u00a02013,\u00a0I read 197 books.\u00a0I read about history, physics, science, health, world travel, space exploration, the ocean, fitness and mathematics. I read bestsellers, classics and unknown authors. However, the underlying foundation of my … Continue reading 11 Vital Books for First-Time Entrepreneurs<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1776","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-startups","pmpro-has-access"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4MGMb-sE","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/leadershipshape.com\/wardroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1776","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/leadershipshape.com\/wardroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/leadershipshape.com\/wardroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leadershipshape.com\/wardroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leadershipshape.com\/wardroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1776"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/leadershipshape.com\/wardroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1776\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1777,"href":"https:\/\/leadershipshape.com\/wardroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1776\/revisions\/1777"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/leadershipshape.com\/wardroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1776"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leadershipshape.com\/wardroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1776"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leadershipshape.com\/wardroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1776"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}