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“The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them.” – Mark Twain

MY TOP FIVE ENTREPRENEUR BOOKS FROM 2017:

5. THE THIRD WAVE BY STEVE CASE
This book blew my mind. Steve Case, the founder of AOL and pioneer of the modern internet, provides insight into the “Third Wave” of the internet. He projects that everything will be connected to the internet like a “smart” device. He envisions a future of ultra-connected devices (even toasters) and people which will revolutionize health, business, politics, transportation and many other facets of the modern world. I didn’t mind the first half of the book essentially being a memoir of his days creating AOL and the modern internet because I love a good entrepreneur story.
4. VENTURE DEALS BY BRAD FELD AND JASON MENDELSON
The bible for breaking down venture capital deals, this book provides a complete walkthrough of the funding process from how to engage venture capital firms to closing a multi-million dollar deal. It provides fantastic definitions and insight to both an entrepreneur and an aspiring venture capitalist. A must-read before setting out to raise capital.
3. BLOCKCHAIN REVOLUTION BY DON AND ALEX TAPSCOTT
Bitcoin, the blockchain, Ethereum, smart contracts – how do you make sense of it all? Well, start here by reading Blockchain Revolution. Perhaps the best book on blockchain technology, Blockchain Revolution provides a holistic view of how the blockchain began, where it is now, and where it is headed in the near and distant future. For a young entrepreneur, understanding how blockchain technology will affect the world is essential. This book very well may spark an idea for your new blockchain startup.
2. SHOE DOG BY PHIL KNIGHT
I love a good entrepreneur story, and Phil Knight’s memoir on founding Nike did not disappoint. Shoe Dog focuses on Phil’s early days – when he was selling radical track shoes out of his parent’s basement. The many roadblocks along Nike’s creation provide the great storyline for his entrepreneurial spirit. Cash flow nightmares, foreign lawsuits by big-time creditors, and a man on a mission making his dream come to life. Inspiring, entertaining, and a great read for anyone.
1.THE START-UP J CURVE BY HOWARD LOVE
I had to put The Start-Up J Curve first because it changed my startup methodology in a profound way. Before reading this book, I naively thought: get an idea, raise a few million dollars, use that money to build a perfect product, then release that perfect product to the public and then collect my exit check. Man, was I wrong. The Start-Up J Curve breaks down the process of creating a company in an efficient and methodical way. First, create an MVP, then release the MVP to real users to gather feedback and morph the product. Once you have a morphed product that customers love, then it’s time to create a business model to maximize profits and seize opportunities. The next step is scaling and finally harvesting (exiting). The essential note to this methodology is that you cannot move onto the next step until you have completed the step you are on. This has saved me thousands of dollars I would’ve poured into a product that no one wanted.