Ready to think and execute like a successful entrepreneur? Dive into the best entrepreneur books, carefully chosen to help you launch your business idea, find product-market fit, and scale your business faster.
The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber is a crucial read for entrepreneurs, explaining why 80% of small businesses fail and offering invaluable strategies for success.
It teaches how to get your business to run without you, using systems and processes, that reduce your work and stress.
It shows how to work ON your business, not just IN it.
Why read it?
Decades after it was published, this book continues to be a much-recommended bestseller for entrepreneurs worldwide.
Its evergreen popularity is proof of the timeless business wisdom packed inside.
If you’ve ever questioned why running your “dream business” feels more like working a nightmare 80-hour-per-week job, then this book is what you need!
It’s like having a business coach in your pocket, telling you exactly HOW to work smarter rather than harder. (Hint: by building systems in your business.)
Zero to One is about the future of technology and a guide for startup business founders.
Peter Thiel is a billionaire entrepreneur and investor that shares many unconventional ideas.
He says entrepreneurs should avoid competition.
Instead build a (legal) monopoly selling something completely new and incomparable.
Why read it?
If you're trying to come up with an innovative new business idea, or if you're struggling to stay afloat in an overcrowded market, Peter Thiel's "Zero to One" may be your life jacket.
Peter Thiel, the entrepreneur and investor behind major names like PayPal, Facebook and Palantir — challenges us to think about creating something so unique it goes from zero (nonexistent) to one (the first of its kind).
This isn't about following trends; it's about setting them.
This book urges you to look where others don't and think differently. 🏆
"The Lean Startup" by Eric Ries is about how to build new startup businesses smarter, using lean and agile methods.
It emphasizes launching a Minimum Viable Product, gathering customer feedback with scientific tests, and pivoting based on insights.
This approach helps quickly develop valuable products that truly benefit customers.
Why read it?
If you're banging your head against the wall trying to make your startup work, "The Lean Startup" can give you a much-needed plan for success.
Eric Ries flips traditional business launch strategies upside down, arguing for a smarter, not harder, approach.
It's all about building a minimal product, getting it out there fast, "failing fast," and then tweaking it based on real feedback. (Rather than perfecting something in a vacuum and hoping it flies.) Think of it like playing a video game where you get a bunch of lives to keep trying. 🎮
$100M Offers by Alex Hormozi is your ultimate guide for turning any product or service into an irresistible offer—one that can skyrocket your sales and grow your business.
Hormozi, who has generated over $100 million in sales, reveals how to raise the perceived value of what you sell with strategies like premium pricing, offer stacking, and other psychological tactics.
Why read it?
At the heart of every business is the offer——what you're essentially saying is, "Hey, give me your money, and I'll give you something cool in return." This book shows you how to "make people an offer so good they would feel stupid saying no." Along the way, you'll enjoy Hormozi's communication style, which is direct, blunt, but often hilarious.
The 4-Hour Workweek is about building a passive income business so we can escape the usual 40-hour workweek, and design our ideal lifestyle.
Tim Ferris also shows how we can improve our productivity by following the 80/20 rule and a 'low information diet.'
Why read it?
This book is practically the bible of the "digital nomad" movement, where some people figured out how to work from their laptop anywhere in the world.
To most people it sounds like a complete fantasy: Imagine traveling the world, indulging your curiosity, all while your business runs itself.
But Tim Ferriss shares many inspirational case studies of people who have done it successfully.
It's kind of like finding out that unicorns are real—and they know how to code websites!
This book has opened the eyes of countless people that a radically different, unconventional type of lifestyle is possible.
Shoe Dog is an inspiring story of entrepreneurship from Nike's founder Phil Knight.
He started as a regular kid who loved running and built the largest sportswear brand ever.
But there were many challenging times that Nike barely survived.
Traction explains an 'operating system' that can help entrepreneurs achieve more control and organization in your business.
Gino Wickman has assembled many practical management tools including: a 10-year vision, a people-grading chart, a data dashboard, a systems documentation method, and 90-day priorities called "Rocks."
Why read it?
If you're burning out trying to push your small business beyond the startup phase and into real, sustainable growth, "Traction" by Gino Wickman may be right for you.
Wickman cuts through the noise with the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), a clear framework that has helped many business owners stop spinning their wheels; and finally gain the grip to drive their business forward. 🛞
Sam Walton: Made in America shows how Walmart grew from one small store into the largest retail business in the world.
Sam Walton is often seen as one of the greatest entrepreneurs ever.
His journey was filled with risk, obstacles, adversity, failure... but also fun, discovery, passion and persistence.
The Millionaire Fastlane is about getting wealthy and retiring in 10 years rather than 40 years.
At first the title may sound unrealistic, but MJ DeMarco offers hard-earned business wisdom based on his success making millions of dollars after building a limousine booking website.
Why read it?
Reading 'The Millionaire Fastlane' is like having an exhilarating chat over coffee with a funny friend who also happens to be your millionaire mentor.
Half the time, you'll be cracking up; the other half, you'll be scribbling down money-making ideas.
It's a compact blast of inspiration for anyone ready to speed up their entrepreneurial journey.
DotCom Secrets is a guide to building a successful online business using marketing funnels.
Russel Brunson teaches how to grow an online audience with email marketing, multiply profits with "value ladders," and even provides exact scripts to create our own sales videos.
Why read it?
Russell Brunson is the marketing brain behind the multi-million dollar software company ClickFunnels.
In this book, he goes far beyond the basics, providing dozens of templates for effective sales funnels that can change the game for your online business.
It's a must-read for anyone serious about digital marketing, and probably contains more useful info than most thousand-dollar courses.
Start With Why says that great companies, organizations, and leaders are those who first understand their 'Why' - their purpose, cause, or reason for existing.
Simon Sinek shows how leading companies like Apple inspire extraordinary loyalty with a strong focus on 'Why' they do what they do, not 'What' they sell, or 'How' they do things.
"Blue Ocean Strategy" by W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne introduces a groundbreaking approach to strategic business planning, focusing on creating uncontested market spaces (Blue Oceans) rather than competing in overcrowded markets (Red Oceans).
Why read it?
Imagine that instead of focusing on beating your competitors, you could create a whole new market space where you had none?
It's an idea that is both liberating and compelling.
Through numerous case studies, these authors show how it has been done in the past and how we may be able to create our own Blue Ocean.
This book is a must read for anyone who wants to be an innovator and redefine their market so they can win.
Elon Musk is a biography of the man who led Tesla, SpaceX and PayPal.
Musk inspires many people with his futuristic plans for new technologies, and his seemingly unstoppable ability to overcome all obstacles.
But his employees are often pushed to their limit, trying to reach impossible deadlines.
Steve Jobs is the official biography of the co-founder of Apple and Pixar.
He had an intense passion to create revolutionary products like the iPhone, iPad, iPod, iTunes, and Macintosh computers.
His personality was an unusual mix of Zen hippie and brash business visionary.
Why read it?
If you've ever wondered how a man who only owned black turtlenecks became the icon of innovation, or how persuasive one needs to be to sell a phone without buttons, this is your golden ticket!
Isaacson’s book isn’t just a biography; it’s a roller coaster ride through the ups and downs of a man who could sell sand in the desert.
For anyone into business, startups, or leadership, this book is like sitting down for a chat with the obsessive entrepreneur who thought different. 🖥️🍏
"Traffic Secrets" by Russell Brunson is a guide to generating consistent traffic for your website and online business.
It covers fundamental marketing strategies, including sales funnels, email marketing, and competitive research.
The book also explains how to drive free traffic and run paid ads on platforms like YouTube, Google, Instagram, and Facebook.
Why read it?
You should definitely read "Traffic Secrets" because it makes getting traffic to your website simple, and that's a crucial ingredient for any online business.
Based on his experience getting over 100,600 paying members to his ClickFunnels software, using traffic sources as diverse as Facebook Ads, Instagram posts, YouTube videos, Google SEO, affiliate marketing, and more.
$100M Leads by Alex Hormozi is a book about how to increase sales by getting more engaged leads.
It teaches us how to create a valuable lead magnet, cold contact people you don't know, build a large audience of followers, scale advertising profitably, build an affiliate program, and much more.
Why read it?
If you're on the hunt for a game-changer in the world of business and lead generation, look no further than "$100M Leads" by Alex Hormozi.
Why listen to Hormozi?
Because he's not just another self-proclaimed business expert; he's a doer who has built and sold businesses.
This book is a deep dive into actionable strategies that Hormozi himself has used to skyrocket his companies' growth.
With his straightforward style and real-world examples, Hormozi cuts through the noise, offering clear, direct instruction to up your sales game.
The Everything Store is about how Jeff Bezos grew Amazon—from a simple online bookstore into the 5th largest company in the world.
He did it with a mix of great timing, customer obsession, and relentless competition.
Made in Japan is the autobiography of Akio Morita, who co-founded Sony and grew it to become one of the largest electronics companies in the world.
Akio shares his advice for management, leadership and innovation.
He also explains many differences in the working culture between Japan and the West.
"Made to Stick" by Chip and Dan Heath teaches how to explain your ideas and thoughts so they capture attention, persuade others, and stick in people's minds.
Learn why some ideas become popular and others fail using their research-based SUCCESs framework, which outlines six key principles: Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotions, and Stories.
Why read it?
Curious why some ideas become popular while others flop? "Made to Stick" by Chip and Dan Heath cracks the code on what makes ideas unforgettable, by analyzing everything from hit marketing campaigns to political slogans, classic folktales, and even crazy conspiracy theories.
Perfect for marketers, educators, entrepreneurs, or anyone eager to make their message as clingy as gum on a shoe in summer. 👟
Influence is about six principles of persuasion useful for sales, marketing, and negotiation.
Professor Robert Cialdini backs his ideas with a lot of science research.
The six principles are: reciprocity, commitment and consistency, social proof, liking, authority and scarcity.
Why read it?
Influence may be the greatest marketing book of all time.
But more than that, like a secret playbook of the human mind—a deep dive into our decision-making process.
Think of it as a crash course in "Why did I just agree to that?" or "Why did I just buy that?" It's a must-read, whether you are a marketer, salesperson, or you just want to communicate with more influence.
By the end, you'll understand why we say "yes" to things that make no sense, from buying stocks we know nothing about to subscribing to that cheese-of-the-month club. 🧀
Grinding It Out is about how McDonald's grew to be one of the biggest companies in the world.
Ray Kroc did it through seizing the right opportunity, perfecting the fundamentals of the business, always emphasizing growth, and persisting until he found the successful strategy.
Total Recall by Arnold Schwarzenegger is the incredible true life story of the bodybuilding icon, Hollywood superstar, and former California Governor.
From his humble beginnings in a small village in Austria, to chasing his unique American Dream, Arnold inspires us to stay hungry on our own path to success.
The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Ries and Jack Trout is a must-read classic in the marketing world.
It reveals that branding success comes from being first and unique in the market, not from having the best product.
A practical guide loaded with examples from Coca-Cola, Apple, Toyota, etc.
Why read it?
Ries and Trout have a way of simplifying complex marketing strategies into clear, understandable laws.
This book is like a marketing mentor, guiding you through the pitfalls and opportunities of marketing with sharp insights and famous examples that have stood the test of time.
It's a must-read for anyone looking to gain a competitive edge in the world of marketing.
How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big is about the hilarious wisdom and many business failures of Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert.
He shares pragmatic strategies for increasing our odds of success—by using systems over goals, building a talent stack and repeating (mysteriously powerful) affirmations.
"Building a StoryBrand" by Donald Miller teaches business owners how to clarify your message using storytelling principles.
It outlines a seven-part framework to help brands create a clear, compelling narrative that resonates with your customers.
This makes sure your message captivates attention, is understood easily, and drives more sales.
"Pour Your Heart Into It" by Howard Schultz, the former CEO of Starbucks, is a memoir that details the story of how Starbucks grew from a small coffee shop in Seattle into a global brand.
The book combines Schultz's personal journey with the principles and values that guided him in building Starbucks, emphasizing the importance of passion, perseverance, and authenticity in business.
Why read it?
You should read "Pour Your Heart Into It" because it's more than just a business book; it's an inspiring story of how a strong vision and unwavering commitment can transform a small idea into a global phenomenon.
Schultz's journey is filled with valuable lessons on leadership, innovation, and staying true to your core values, no matter how big you get.
It's a great read for anyone who believes in the power of passion and purpose in business.
"Profit First" by Mike Michalowicz introduces a simple cash management system for small businesses.
It says that by setting aside profit first—before paying expenses—you can build a business that is more consistently profitable and financially healthy.
Why read it?
Profit first may be a game-changer for many small business owners.
It offers a straightforward approach to managing business finances by prioritizing profit.
If you're looking to improve your company's financial health without getting bogged down in complex accounting, I highly recommend giving it a read.
"Million Dollar Weekend" by Noah Kagan is a step-by-step guide for entrepreneurs on how to launch a business in just 48 hours.
It focuses on overcoming fears of failure and rejection, offering practical methods for generating ideas, validating them, and quickly acquiring paying customers.
Why read it?
You should read "Million Dollar Weekend" if you're serious about starting a business but find yourself stuck in the planning phase.
Noah Kagan's approach is all about getting out of your own way, launching quickly, and learning from real-world feedback.
The advice is straightforward, actionable, and designed to help you make tangible progress toward a successful business in a short time frame.
