Books for entrepreneurs that will help to build great companies

If you are an entrepreneur, want to start a company, working in a startup or want to understand business in general; these books for entrepreneurs will definitely help you. We read all these books and can highly recommend them, if you want to become better a starting, growing and exiting businesses.

BOOKS FOR FINDING AND TESTING BUSINESS IDEA

When you want to understand how to build, test and scale your business model, then we highly recommend reading these books.

Business model generation by Alexander Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur
The lean startup by Eric Ries
The four steps to the epiphany by Steve Blank
The Business Idea Factory: A World-Class System for Creating Successful Business Ideas by Andrii Sedniev
The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Tim Ferriss
Rework by Jason Fried

STRATEGY BOOKS FOR ENTREPRENEURS

These books will help you understand how to outplay your competitors by optimizing your strategic positioning. Most know Michael Porter and his books on corporate strategy which is a great tool for positioning your company. But there are so many other great books out there which we wanted to share with you.

The Entrepreneurial Mindset: Strategies for Continuously Creating Opportunity in an Age of Uncertainty by Rita Gunther McGrath and Ian MacMillan
The Founder’s Dilemmas: Anticipating and Avoiding the Pitfalls That Can Sink a Startup by Noam Wasserman
Innovation and Entrepreneurship by Peter Drucker
The Sources of Innovation by Eric von Hippel
The Mythical Man-Month by Frederick P. Brooks, Jr.
Competitive Strategy and Competitive Advantage by Michael Porter
Getting real: The Smarter, Faster, Easier Way to Build a Successful Web Application by Jason Fried
Do More Faster: Techstar lessons to accelerate your startup by David Cohen and Brad Feld

MARKETING BOOKS FOR ENTREPRENEURS

How do you find a product market fit? Which advertising channels are most efficient? What do customers really want? These are one of the most important questions related to marketing which will be covered in the following great books.

Moonlighting on the Internet by Yanik Silver
The Marketing Playbook by John Zagula and Richard Tong
Marketing High Technology by William H. Davidow

SALES BOOKS FOR ENTREPRENEURS

Most people are afraid of sales. But sales can be fun, if you know how to pitch infront of clients, know what they want and how to persuade them.

Predictable Revenue: Turn Your Business Into a Sales Machine by Aaron Ross and Marylou Tyler
What Great Salespeople Do: The Science of Selling Through Emotional Connection and the Power of Story by Michael Bosworth, Ben Zoldan, and Michael T. Bosworth
Sollution Selling: Creating Buyers in Difficult Selling Markets by Michael Bosworth
The Strategy and Tactics of Pricing: A Guide to Growing More Profitably by Thomas Nagle, John Hogan, and Joseph Zale

FINANCE & ACCOUNTING BOOKS FOR ENTREPRENEURS

Accounting is the language of business, so every entrepreneur should at least understand the basic accounting principles. Here are some awesome books on understanding accounting, corporate finance as well as mergers & acquisitions.

Investment Banking: Valuation, Leveraged Buyouts, and Mergers and Acquisitions by Joshua Rosenbaum and Joshua Pearl
Accounting made simple: Accounting explained in 100 pages or less by Mike Piper
Term Sheets & Valuations: A Line by Line Look at the Intricacies of Term Sheets & Valuations by Alex Wilmerding

STARTUP LAW

If you start your company, you will have tons of legal stuff to consider. What type of legal entity should I use? Do I need a patent for that? Should I protect my brand name? These books shall help you find the right solution for your business.

The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Business Law by Constance E. Bagley and Craig E. Dauchy

BOOKS ON VENTURE CAPITAL

At some point in time, you might need some external financing for your startup. Venture capitalists are providing cash, advice and contacts. But there are also pitfalls with using a venture capitalist. Learn the most important concepts used in venture capital and the do’s and don’ts so you are prepared for raising money.

The Entrepreneurial Bible to Venture Capital by Andew Romans
Mastering the VC Game: A Venture Capital Insider Reveals How to Get from Start-up to IPO on Your Terms by Jeffrey Bussgang
Venture Deals: Be Smarter Than Your Lawyer and Venture Capitalist by Brad Feld, Jason Mendelson, and Dick Costolo

BOOKS ON CULTURE AND HUMAN RESOURCES

You might start your company with your friends. But soon, you will realize that you will need some employees as workload and funding increases. At this point it is important to build your company culture to attract and retain talent. These and more related topics are covered in the following books.

The Human Equation: Building Profits by Putting People First by Jeffrey Pfeffer
Strategic Human Resources: Frameworks for General Managers by James N. Baron and David M.Kreps
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…And Others Don’t by Jim Collins

BOOKS ON STARTUP STORIES

If you want to learn how other successful entrepreneurs made it or what mistakes other entrepreneurs did, then these books are a must read. You definitely should read them, if you want to be a successful entrepreneur and don’t make the mistakes others did before you.