Most startups fail. In fact, 10% will in their first year, followed by a further 70% in years 2 to 5. Founders can use all the help that they can get, from raising capital to sourcing the right talent.
Literally taking a page out of the books of the experts, here are the primary ideas behind 5 of the best startup books every founder should read.
The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building A Business When There Are No Easy Answers
by Ben Horowitz
Horowitz draws on his own experiences in Silicon Valley, drawing on the biggest challenges he’s faced, and, unlike most books that sell you a winning game plan, his secret is that there is no secret. That is the hard thing about hard things — sometimes we fail, but we could all stand to learn something from this book.
Start With Why
by Simon Sinek
It’s as straight-forward as the title suggests, communicate the why behind whatever it is you’re pursuing as opposed to your what or how. When you’ve got your reason across, you transfer your enthusiasm onto others; “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it”.
Zero To One
by Peter Thiel
Drawing on his own success from founding PayPal and investing in Facebook, entrepreneur and billionaire Peter Thiel talks about having a true vision. The premise is that success comes from taking the big leaps — the ones others won’t — and that turning your business into a monopoly is how you build one that will last.
What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20
by Tina Seelig
A collection of the author’s own and others’ successes that were born out of challenging what we think we know. In essence, how breaking the rules that others have cast upon us can be what helps us to reach our full potential. An inspiring collection of just such examples, and a stark reminder for any founder that playing it safe is anything but.
The Lean Startup
by Eric Ries
The book that makes everyone’s reading list, and with good reason. The more technical among the books on our list, Ries delves into how your clients will tell you what they want and you need only to listen. First, you decide what it is they want, create the product or business, and then you validate whether you were right.
These books can tell you a lot about the obstacles you’ll face from inception to adoption, but Funding Coach is also here to help at the stage where you need it most — getting your feet off of the ground. Check out our library of startup resources, or dive right in and download your Pitch Deck template here.