The life of an entrepreneur is full of ups and downs. But, the successful ones have one thing constantly in common – learning.
Learning keeps you updated and broadens your goals on the horizon. As you read more and more, you open yourself to different ideas. You never know which book will leave a deep mark on you.
You can utilize what you learn in your personal life or help yourself grow your business with practical and people skills. In this article, you will learn about some popular books that will help you inspire, take action, and learn essential skills to become an entrepreneur. However, from building a mindset to communicating with your customers, you will find the list of books for your entrepreneurial journey.
Top 15 Books For Entrepreneurs
If you want to start your own business, you can get some ideas and inspiration from the following books for entrepreneurs.
1. The Lean Startup
It is a must-read book by Eric Reis to help you turn your ideas into a sustainable business. This is one of the top recommended books for entrepreneurs. However, this book helps you with the practical steps to create a product or service with minimum effort and time.
Book Overview: this book is not just for entrepreneurs. It’s also for innovators. You might have a business or product idea. But, no matter how unique it might seem from your perspective, first ideas always have some flaws. Eric Reis helps you see those flaws and refine your product or business idea.
It helps to know ten reasons why your idea will not work than knowing one reason suggesting its success. The book uses Value assumption and Growth Assumption as two foundations for a product.
Value assumption is the belief that your customer will like your product. On the other hand, Growth Assumption is all about how an entrepreneur will attract target customers. The book further details how both foundations help you refine your idea.
2. Solving The People Problem
Entrepreneurs need leadership skills to solve real-world problems. Solving the People Problem by Brett M. Cooper and Evans Kerrigan is the book you need to gather diverse people who can solve real problems. However, you will get practical tips on how to find those people.
Book Overview: This book was #1 on Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Must-Read Books for 2021.” This is enough for many startup founders to read. Most importantly, it delves deeply into the problem of the lack of emotional intelligence in the workplace. With their decades of experience, the authors discussed the recurring problems in the workplace and how people skills can solve them.
3. Zero To One
A famous entrepreneur and investor has put down his expertise in this book. More importantly, he has suggested how new-world entrepreneurs should think about creating value-added products.
Book Overview: If you want to invent or innovate something new, go for one of the most popular and best books for entrepreneurs, Zero to One. In addition, the author of this book, Peter Theil, suggests entrepreneurs figure out entirely new products or services that can create high value. However, this is one of my favorite books, and it helped me to generate new ideas for starting a business.
Also Read: Top 6 Best Book Of Business That Every Entrepreneur Should Read
4. The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People
This book by Stephen R. Covey helps you build the effective habits you need to become a successful entrepreneur. You will learn about the behaviors and habits you need to reach your full potential. In addition, the author advises starting up with an end in mind, which means imagining your ideal future.
Book Overview: Covey helps you build the right habits that subconsciously work to your benefit. Here are the seven things that he suggests in his book –
- Be proactive.
- Begin with an end in mind.
- Put first things first.
- Think “win win”.
- Seek first to understand and then to be understood.
- Synergising.
- Sharpening the saw.
5. Awaken The Giant Within
Personal development coach, author, and speaker Tony Robbins has written many books for entrepreneurs and normal individuals. He poses the philosophy behind a successful entrepreneur and how you can adapt them to make that your reality. You can also read other books by Tony Robbins to set the right mindset for starting your venture.
6. The Hard Thing About Hard Things
It’s not another typical management book; the author talks about how hard it is to run a business. However, the author Ben Horwitz feels there is a need for something new in the market of books for entrepreneurs. He also helps you learn how to control your mind.
7. Start With Why
Do you want to attract more customers to your business? If yes, Start With Why by Simon Sinek is the book you need to take the right action. However, this is one of the best books for entrepreneurs to help you develop an excellent company culture. However, the author shares his insights on how to get customers by inspiring them instead of manipulating them.
8. The War Of Art
This book by Steven Pressfield emphasizes the fact that your actions matter at the end of the day. The author focuses on putting your hours in and out to achieve the result you want. In addition, it provides small action tips, tricks, and hacks to take the right action until you reach your goal.
9. Essentialism
This book by Greg Mckenow is one of the best books for entrepreneurs, and it focuses on essential things about a business. He brings everything back to basics: your team, customers, and work. However, we shouldn’t make businesses complicated by worrying about other things.
10. The 4-Hour Workweek
If you want to make a career transition from your full-time job to start a business, you should read The 4-Hour Workweek book by Tim Ferris. He emphasizes Pareto’s 80-20 principle to be effective, not efficient. However, this book poses two important factors flexibility and mobility to live a luxurious life.
11. The Mom Test
Are you struggling to communicate with your customers properly? Or, are you facing challenges in bringing your product or service to the market? Then you should read The Mom Test book by Rob Fitzpatrick. However, the author suggests in this book to talk to your customer about their lives instead of talking about your idea to them.
Also Read: 14 Passive Income Ideas Help To Grow You Rich
12. The $100 Startup
This is another book that helps aspiring entrepreneurs to make them aware of the challenges of starting a small business by quitting their full-time job. Author Chris Guillebeau provides real-life case studies on how to start a small business while doing a 9-5 job.
13. The Effective Executive
This is one of the great books for entrepreneurs to help them improve their effectiveness. Author Peter Drucker also provides practical steps to develop your workers’ productivity and effectiveness. However, the book also helps you with time management and setting priorities.
14. How To Win Friends And Influence People
This is a book by Dale Carnegie, who teaches practical techniques for influencing people without offending them. You can never win an argument; both parties believe they are right. However, he advises collaborating with the other party and asking why they’re right by asking a series of questions.
15. What I Know For Sure
Oprah Winfrey, the popular American host, has written several books, and What I Know for Sure is one of the best books for entrepreneurs. In addition, in this book, she focuses on the conditioning of your mind and its impact on becoming a success. In addition, she tells you the power of belief and how you can make it true by taking the proper actions.
The Bottom Line
These books can help you make an excellent start for your business. You will learn to develop the right mindset habits and find the right people to start your venture. However, I’m sure your thought process will change after reading these books, and you will set the right wings for your entrepreneurial journey.
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