10 Entrepreneurship Books Every Founder Must Read

I love entrepreneurship books. I read a lot, but not every one offers as much value as the others. In this post, I go over the criteria that make up my favorite kind. I also include a list of my top must-read entrepreneurship books.

What Makes a Great Entrepreneurship Book?

The Essentials

The best entrepreneurship books offer actionable advice and strategies. This way, you can apply them to your own entrepreneurial journey. I love books that outline clear steps, frameworks, and real-world examples.

I’ve read books that have helped me as a new entrepreneur and as a seasoned one ready to sell a successful business. Different books cover different aspects of entrepreneurship. Look for the ones that target your growth areas. 

I always look into who’s writing the book. Prioritize material written by successful entrepreneurs with proven track records. They should have experience and expertise that aligns with your interests.

Also Good to Have

I like books that are engaging and easy to understand. This helps me absorb the knowledge faster. I also recommend books that inspire people to take action. 

Look for a good balance between theoretical frameworks and practical advice. Read reviews to check this, and see if the book resonates with entrepreneurs with your same needs.

Look for book recommendations from entrepreneurship blogs and podcasts. Check out books that have won awards in entrepreneurship or business categories, too.

Top 10 Must-Read Books for Entrepreneurs

“The Lean Startup” by Eric Ries

Eric Ries goes against traditional startup methods in this book. He proposes a new approach based on rapid experimentation and validated learning. “The Lean Startup” is a framework for continuous improvement that encourages a culture of experimentation and data-driven decision making to build more successful businesses.

“Zero to One” by Peter Thiel

Peter Thiel is a successful entrepreneur and investor. He argues in this book that true progress and value come from creating entirely new things. He says that iterating on existing ideas cuts your profit potential. “Zero to One” presents a controversial perspective, encouraging entrepreneurs to challenge the status quo and pursue groundbreaking ideas that build monopolies​​​​.

“The $100 Startup” by Chris Guillebeau

“The $100 Startup” dismantles the myth that you need a lot of money to launch a successful business. Chris Guillebeau focuses on helping aspiring entrepreneurs create profitable micro businesses based on existing passions and skills. The hook is minimal investment, ideally around $100 only. This motivational and practical guide empowers anyone who wants to jumo into entrepreneurship.

“Deep Work” by Cal Newport

In “Deep Work,” Cal Newport says that focusing intensely on cognitively demanding tasks is a critical skill. Many have lost this ability in our information age, but entrepreneurs need strategies for cultivating it to succeed in a world filled with distractions. He gives practical strategies to cultivate deep work habits to achieve high productivity​​.

“Start with Why” by Simon Sinek

Simon Sinek proposes starting with why you do what you do. This challenges traditional marketing and leadership advice that says you must focus on what you do and how you do it.  He says that the most inspiring organizations attract loyal followings because they express their core purpose and beliefs and, so, inspire people.

“The E-Myth Revisited” by Michael E. Gerber

In “The E-Myth Revisited,” Michael E. Gerber breaks the common misconception that technical or trade skills are enough to run a successful business. He argues that entrepreneurs need systems and processes for sustainable growth.

“Hooked” by Nir Eyal

“Hooked” is Nir Eyal’s dive into the psychology behind habit-forming products. He explains how companies need to design offering to keep users coming back for more. His four-step framework teaches companies how to create addictive experiences. It does raise ethical concerns, but companies can offer real value while at the same time, captivate customers’ attention over the long term.

“The Hard Thing About Hard Things” by Ben Horowitz

Ben Horowitz is a seasoned entrepreneur and investor with a lot of insight into navigating the challenges of being a CEO. He focuses on the startup environment in this book. He offers tough love, which you need to navigate the complex and demanding journey of building a successful business. My favorite thing about “The Hard Thing About Hard Things” is how unfiltered it is​​.

“Shoe Dog” by Phil Knight

“Shoe Dog,” by Nike co-founder Phil Knight, chronicles the entire story of building this giant. He goes through key teaching moments from his own mistakes. The focus is on the determination and resilience it takes to create a business powerhouse.

“Crush It!” by Gary Vaynerchuk

In “Crush It!,” social media pioneer and entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk maps out how you can turn your passion into a profitable business. This book is a very practical and motivational guide to leveraging passion in the digital age. You’ll be encouraged to work hard, be authentic, and use the power of social media to build a loyal following.

Why These Entrepreneurship Books Stand Out

1. The Lean Startup approach gives entrepreneurs an increased chance of success by building what customers actually want. 
2. Zero to One shares Thiel’s belief that true innovation leads to a better future. With this, entrepreneurs need a clear vision for what they’re building.
3. The $100 Startup features real-life stories of successful ventures with minimal investment. It inspires readers to take even small steps to validate ideas and start building.
4. Deep Work has good insight on sharpening cognitive abilities through focus. My favorite part is doing more meaningful work in less time.
5. Start with Why teaches entrepreneurs to understand that people don’t buy what you do, but why you do it. They connect with personable brands that share their values. It inspires loyalty, motivation, and innovation.
6. The E-Myth Revisited teaches systems for scalability and growth with minimal supervision. This saves owners from the “technician trap”.
7. Hooked explains the beauty of products that create habits. This leads to deeper brand loyalty and more monetization opportunities. 
8. The Hard Thing About Hard Things teaches my favorite principles. Learn from your mistakes, surround yourself with good advisors, and stay motivated. 
9. Shoe Dog tells a true story of passion and overcoming obstacles. From my own experience, I agree that perseverance is key. 
10. Crush It! reminds us that focusing on genuine interests and expertise, not trends, keeps you going long term. I can also agree from experience that you need hard work and dedication for success.

How to Apply Lessons from These Books

My favorite entrepreneurship books always give practical tips on how you can integrate what they teach. Here’s a few ideas to apply knowledge from these books.

1. The Lean Startup – Develop a checklist for tracking what really matters to customers. Always gather data and keep learning how you can improve your Minimum Viable Product.
2. Zero to One – Focus on finding that gap where you can develop a unique technology, strategy, or go-to-market approach to set yourself apart. Dig your niche here and work on building a monopoly. 
3. The $100 Startup – Focus on how you can use your unique talents that you love to create value for people. Start validating whether people will pay for your idea using free tools and platforms.
4. Deep Work – Focus on core business activities and carve out non-negotiable time to work on them. The key is distraction-free concentration and pushing your cognitive capabilities to their limit. 
5. Start with Why – When you ask yourself why you love what you do, go depper than the surface. Keep asking until you get to the core and can give a 30-minute inspiration talk about it.
6. The E-Myth Revisited – identify what tasks you love doing but might actually be taking you away from building the business. Pass those off and focus on strategy, growth, and innovation.
7. Hooked – Brainstorm a product that genuinely improves users’ lives. Then create several Trigger-Action-Reward-Investment scenarios to test out.
8. The Hard Thing About Hard Things – My favorite tip is, when you’re hiring, don’t focus too much on perfect skillsets. Look at people’s integrity and willingness to learn.
9. Shoe Dog – Develop a guideline for your risk tolerance and how to evaluate different risk scenarios. Focus on developing good relationships rather than just brainstorming in your own bubble. 
10. Crush It! – Target long-term motivation and authenticity. This keeps you going and helps you consistently serve customers at a high level.

Continuing Your Entrepreneurial Education

My absolute favorite part about reading lots of entrepreneurship books is that I can keep learning. I don’t have to take time out of the businesses I run to focus on it, either. I can develop rhythms that allow me to get new knowledge and apply it step by step.

Keep learning and evolving through books and even other valuable resources like online courses and workshops, too. I built Outsource School with my partner, Connor Gillivan, because we believe in good learning. Connor also has his own SEO course.

Final Thoughts

Entrepreneurship books are really great learning tools. You can go through them at your own pace. You can learn one principle and try it. Then you can go back and improve. You can also skim the book to get the general idea then go back as you build out the whole thing in your business.