The 9 Best Books Every Aspiring Entrepreneur Must Read

They say, making mistakes is a good thing but not learning from them is bad. However, I believe not learning from others’ mistakes is a sin. 

Being an entrepreneur, when you are supposed to find out everything on your own (not everyone is lucky enough to have a mentor), you tend to make several mistakes. At times, these mistakes can cause a big dent on your business’s growth. Besides, it can also lower your confidence and enthusiasm.

The funny yet the most unfortunate part is 90% of the mistakes that you have made or will make as an entrepreneur are already been made by top-class entrepreneurs of the world. Not only did they provide us with the solution to those problems but also shares several techniques and lessons that can help you build the next unicorn.

If you are in rush here are the top 3 of the best books that made it into my list.

Last update on 2023-03-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Let’s see all those 9 books that as an entrepreneur you must read to give new heights to your business.

1. Shoe Dog by Phil Knight

Last update on 2023-03-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

No matter how cool it seems to be an entrepreneur, it takes a lot of courage to become a true entrepreneur. You have to put everything aside and keep your startup as your first priority. 

An entrepreneur has to give up on almost everything whenever the need arise. This is what Phil Knight, founder of Nike had done. When no one believed in him and refused to fund his idea, he kept going because he believed,

“You are remembered for the rules you break”

Shoe Dog is not just an inspirational story to give you a moment of motivation but it will teach you,

• How to deal with investors
• How to dream big and gather the courage to keep going
• How to find initial funding for your business
• How to find a kick-ass team that believes in your idea as much as you
• How to deal with adverse and emergency situations and much more

Click here to buy Shoe Dog on Amazon.

2. Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

Last update on 2023-03-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

There are various mobile and laptop brand across the world still none of them could defeat or even stand against Apple. Why? 

One of the simplest reasons behind this is Steve Jobs’s obsession with perfection. While the majority of the early stage founders  thought about how to cut down on cost, Steve never really thought about it. In fact, he had a mission to make even the invisible/hidden part of the laptop/phone as perfect as the visible ones.

Steve was not only a visionary but also a clever marketer. He knew exactly how to market a product so well that people couldn’t stop themselves from buying it. 

“The best way to predict the future is to invent it.”

Though there is nothing in how people will mock your idea and disrespect you yet the difference comes in how an entrepreneur manages such negative judgments. As far as Steve Jobs is considered, not even a single negative judgment could influence him as if he couldn’t hear them.

You will learn from Steve Jobs,

• How to believe in yourself, your idea and your vision
• How to be obsessed for perfection in what you are offering
• How to not treat your employees
• How to market your product like a legend and much more

If there is one book on business and entrepreneurial skills that you must read then it’s Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson.

Click here to buy Steve Jobs on Amazon.

3. The Personal MBA by Josh Kaufman

Last update on 2023-03-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Being an entrepreneur is all fun until you realize that you do not need an idea but an ocean of knowledge to execute that idea, market it, hire adequate people, maintain finances, and much more.

Even if you have a good budget to hire people for everything, you must have at least some knowledge of every field so you know whether the people you hired are doing a good job or not. Besides, the number one question is ‘does your idea worth the hard-earned money of people?’

“Every time your customers purchase from you, they’re deciding that they value what you have to offer more than they value anything else their money could buy at that moment.”

The Personal MBA, as the name suggests, has more information and knowledge than an MBA degree. Before even working on your idea, you must read The Personal MBA. Right from checking the feasibility of your business idea to hiring the right kind of people, The Personal MBA has everything you will ever need to build an empire.

Click here to buy The Personal MBA on Amazon.

4. The Psychology of Selling by Brian Tracy

Last update on 2023-03-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

No matter how great your idea is or how perfect your idea is, if you cannot sell it, it will be good for nothing. A profitable business is all about how well you can sell your products to customers.

But the tragedy is there are already a bunch of businesses who are trying to interrupt the audience to sell something every minute. In such a case, you are not only responsible for selling your product but also the core idea behind your product that can build a link between you and your audience.

The Psychology of Selling by Brian Tracy is one such book that you will need to sky-rocket your sales with easy techniques. Brain Tracy has shared his years of experience and experiences in his book by converting them into digestible valuable strategies. The core concept of the book is dependent on how you can increase your sales by just focusing on one thing-the person.

If you struggle to make sales or have no idea how to convince people to buy your product, The Psychology of Selling by Brian Tracy is your one-stop solution.

Click here to buy The Psychology of Selling on Amazon.

5. The $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau

Last update on 2023-03-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

If you are a true entrepreneur from the heart but don’t know have any idea that can change the course of human history then The $100 Startup is the only book you will ever need.

The $100 Startup is based on the case study of more than 1500 people who made more than $500000 with an initial investment of just $100 or less. The $100 Startup shares with us how you can build a profitable business for yourself with just a laptop, wifi, and skills.

Although some people believe they don’t have any adequate skills, Chris Guillebeau breaks this myth by introducing us with a step-by-step strategy on how you can create an ally of your passion and skills that will help you build a thriving business.

“Plans are only good intentions unless they immediately degenerate into hard work.”

This is probably the only book you will ever need to start a business and make it profitable with absolutely nothing but $100.

Click here to buy The $100 Startup on Amazon.

6. Zero To One by Peter Thiel with Blake Masters

Last update on 2023-03-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Zero To One is an inside look at Peter Thiel’s way of thinking and system for making your startup talk of the town by all the lessons he gained from establishing and selling PayPal, investing in Facebook, and turning into a tycoon simultaneously.

Although almost all the business books will teach you certain strategies, marketing techniques, or planning for business growth. Basically, these kinds of books do spoon-feeding and will share ages-old techniques but then there are books like Zero to One that will ask you to forget everything to teach you how to play a big game.

“Monopoly is the condition of every successful business.”

Peter Thiel has all rights to say this, he became a chess master under age 21, a doctorate in law by age 25, and a company sale for $1.5 billion at age 35.

Zero to One will first introduce you to how Phil thinks, how he approaches business, and how you can make your business the next big thing while shaping the future of the world alongside. Probably, missing out on this book will cost more than you can imagine.

Click here to buy Zero To One on Amazon.

7. The Lean Startup by Eric Ries

Last update on 2023-03-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

The Lean Startup gives a logical way to deal with making and overseeing new companies and get an ideal item to clients’ hands quicker. The Lean Startup technique shows you how to drive a startup-how to guide, when to turn, and when to continue on and grow a business with the most extreme speed increase.

 The Lean Startup suggests for both entrepreneurs and wantrepreneurs a semi-logical, true way to deal with building a business by utilizing approval, observing a beneficial plan of action, and making a development motor.

The Lean Startup helps you do what most entrepreneurs ignore like,

• Validating your idea
• Tell value from waste with split-testing
• Never ever indulge in vanity metrics

And everything else that you need to start a legendary business that gets the attention of the audience faster than you can imagine.

“The only way to win is to learn faster than anyone else.”

Click here to buy The Lean Startup on Amazon.

8. All Marketers are Liars by Seth Godin

Last update on 2023-03-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Close your eyes and try to remember one story that your grandparents or parents told you when you were a child. I am sure there must be at least one story that could have been remembered but the question is HOW?

We all are so busy in our daily lives these days that we often forget the most important things yet you remember the story you heard ages ago.

Well, that’s where human psychology comes in. Humans are loaded with all the information and ads that remembering something or even noticing it is more like another big task in our head.

All Marketers Are Liars shares how clever marketers use the storytelling technique to grow their business, create a demand for their product, and always remain in the mind of the audience.

For example: George Riedel narrated a story that wine tastes exceptional in his glasses. Ohh that doesn’t make any sense, does it? Still, people pay 10x more just to taste wine in Geogre’s wine glasses. And surprisingly people have confirmed that yes, wine does taste better in George’s glasses.

This is the power of storytelling and this is exactly what you need to master so that people pay 10x more just to have your product.

Click here to buy All Marketers are Liars on Amazon.

9. Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson

Last update on 2023-03-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

One of the biggest mistakes any entrepreneur makes is setting down. Either the business starts thriving or the entrepreneurs start seeing the demand for their product which lead them to a ‘comfort stage’

With only 96 pages of wisdom, Who Moved My Cheese is the easiest yet most powerful book. The author shares the story of 4 different mice which basically are 4 different kinds of people you will see in your daily life. All the 4 mice want more cheese just as you want more profit but 2 of them are afraid to go ahead while 2 mice do everything it takes to find their way to cheese.

Who Moved My Cheese is an inspiring story that will teach you in this ever changing dynamic business world, if you are not keeping your eyes open to observe the changes and jump on them then you are creating your own death bed.

“Life moves on and so should we”

You can read this book in just one sitting this weekend to change your approach on business, and hard work.

Click here to buy Who Moved My Cheese? on Amazon.

CONCLUSION

I have read over 50 books on business and entrepreneurship. By far these 9 books stood out for me and changed the way I used to think about the business world. I had a belief that all you need is a good idea and everything else will fall into place. However, these books opened my eyes and took me into an entirely different world.

If you are planning to launch your business, if the ‘entrepreneur’ rings bells in your eyes, these are the 9 books that will take you a long way in your journey. There is no second thought that if you read these books, grasp the key lessons, and implement them into your business, you will be unstoppable.