Do you want to start a new business or grow your existing business? Being an entrepreneur is a lonely job.
But
fortunately, you can always rely on books. Forget about going to
networking events, meetups, or browsing the internet for useful advice.
To me, reading business books is the best use of my time. I’ve spent a long time thinking about which books to mention here.
And
I decided to focus on books I think will be relevant for decades to
come. The last thing you want is to read a book that’s useless next
year. Let’s get started.
1. The Magic of Thinking Big Paperback by David J. Schwartz
This
timeless book, published in 1959, inspires you to think positively
about your life and career. Schwartz has a very practical approach and
shares ideas that work. Thinking big has nothing to do with having big
dreams. It’s about acting big.
2. The 10X Rule by Grant Cardone
Cardone
is one of the biggest names in sales training. And rightfully so. His
mindset and results are exceptional. He’s not one those many fake idiots
you often see bragging about their cars. Sure, Grant brags a lot. But
he’s also genuine. The book comes down to this: Want to reach 100K
people with your products? Focus on 1.000.000 instead. Btw, get the
audiobook, which is read by Grant himself. You’ll laugh and learn.
3. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck
As
an entrepreneur, you need a growth mindset to survive. Life is about
solving problems and finding solutions. If you always look at the risks
and consequences of everything, you might play it safe, but you’ll also
never grow. Carol Dweck’s book is one of my favorite books about
developing the mindset you need to succeed in life.
4. Essentialism by Greg McKeown
Productivity
is about doing the right things. And this book helps you to focus
better on what matters to you, personally. Once you know what you’re
after, it’s easier to get there.
5. The Boron Letters by Gary Halbert
Gary
Halbert was a successful copywriter. And today, he’s still a legend in
the marketing world. But this collection of letters goes beyond
marketing. Halbert uses his copywriting skills to teach his son about
direct response marketing, life, health, and being successful. He wrote
these letters while he was serving time in a federal prison.
6. Made to Stick by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
The all-time classic book on persuasion is Influence by Robert Cialdini.
I highly recommend reading that book. However, that book is very
theoretic and broad. If you specifically want to read more about how you
can persuade others of your ideas, Made to Stick is great. Telling
persuasive stories is one of your key responsibilities as an
entrepreneur.
7. The Quick and Easy Way to Effective Speaking by Dale Carnegie
A
book list without Dale Carnegie is never complete. I’ve read a bunch of
books about public speaking. New and old. But this book is still the
best book I’ve read on the topic. It really is a quick and easy way to effective speaking so that you can start spreading your ideas better than ever.
8. Perennial Seller by Ryan Holiday
I recently interviewed Ryan about this book on my podcast.
In the book, he gives you a framework for creating a product/service
that sells for decades. To me, that’s the essence of marketing. In
Perennial Seller, Ryan describes key marketing lessons he learned from
successful authors and entrepreneurs. Also, he talks from experience.
Ryan has written five best-selling books and helped market a bunch of
other best sellers for other writers.
9. Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne
I
have to confess that I’ve been familiar with the concept of ‘blue
oceans’ and ‘red oceans’ in the marketing world for a few years.
However, I haven’t been applying it as much as I should. Too often, we
try to compete with other businesses in red oceans. Why do we do it? Why
do we always try to be better and not different? Blue Ocean Strategy
provides valuable answers that help you create unique products that
serve new markets.
10. Anything You Want by Derek Sivers
Almost all entrepreneurs I know are lazy. I’m the biggest example of that. Why do you think I’m so big on productivity?
I don’t want to waste my time on unnecessary things. Even though
reading is one of the most necessary things to me as an entrepreneur, I
understand that you might not have time to read all these books. Maybe
you have a 9–5 job, run multiple businesses, or have a house full of
kids. These are all legitimate reasons for lack of time.
In
that case, I recommend reading Anything You Want, which is one of my
favorite books from one of my favorite people. Derek Sivers built CD
Baby and sold it later for $22 million. And in this book, Derek shares
“the biggest mistakes, keys to its success, and the philosophies behind
the big decisions.” You can read it in an hour (and if you don’t even
have an hour of free time, you want to rethink your life).
There
you go. These books have taught me more about business than my master’s
degree. And the best thing? The books will cost you less than 150
bucks. What’s the cost of a master’s degree? Actually, don’t get me
started.
Just start reading. That’s more
than enough. In fact, if you read these books, you’ll know more than 99%
of all other entrepreneurs.
Now, you and I only need to act on the ideas we’ve learned.
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