The Entrepreneur’s Bookshelf

Gary Vaynerchuk's "Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook" provides a guide to effective social media marketing.

The book stresses the importance of creating platform-native content that offers value and builds relationships with customers through "jabs," which are subtle engagements, before delivering "right hooks," or direct calls to action. It examines successful and unsuccessful examples of social media storytelling across platforms like Fa...

"The Psychology of Persuasion" explores the science behind why people comply with requests, examining automatic responses and triggers. The book investigates various influence techniques, such as reciprocity, commitment, social proof, liking, authority, and scarcity, providing real-world examples and research findings. It details how these principles can be exploited and offers strategies for recognizing and resisting manipulative ...

Phil Knight's memoir, Shoe Dog, recounts his journey from a young athlete with a "Crazy Idea" to the founder of Nike. The text offers snippets showcasing key moments, including his travels in Asia securing the Tiger shoe deal, early struggles building the company, navigating business challenges, and ultimately taking Nike public. Personal reflections on his relationships with key figures like Bill Bowerman and Jeff Johnson are inte...

John Doerr's Measure What Matters advocates for Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) as a goal-setting system, highlighting its successful implementation across various companies like Google and Intel. The book uses case studies to illustrate how OKRs drive focus, alignment, and commitment, improving performance and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. It contrasts OKRs with traditional annual performance reviews, promoting ...

Peter Thiel's Zero to One examines how to build innovative companies, drawing on his experiences at PayPal, Palantir, and as an investor.

The book argues that true progress comes from creating new things (0 to 1) rather than merely copying existing models (1 to n), emphasising technology, monopoly as a positive force for innovation, and the importance of strong planning over reliance on chance or competition.

Thiel contrasts indefi...

This excerpt from Clayton Christensen's The Innovator's Dilemma examines why well-managed companies fail when confronted by disruptive technological change. Christensen argues that successful companies, focused on satisfying their most profitable customers, often miss opportunities in emerging markets.

He introduces the concepts of sustaining and disruptive technologies, showing how established firms excel at sustaining innovations ...

This excerpt from Carol S. Dweck's Mindset: The New Psychology of Success explores the impact of fixed vs. growth mindsets on achievement and well-being. A fixed mindset, believing abilities are innate and unchangeable, leads to a fear of failure and hinders growth, while a growth mindset, emphasising the development of abilities through effort, fosters resilience and success.

The text uses numerous examples from various fields—spo...

Eric Ries's The Lean Startup provides a methodology for entrepreneurs to build successful businesses by focusing on validated learning, rapid iteration, and minimum viable products (MVPs).

The book emphasises a Build-Measure-Learn feedback loop to accelerate product development and adaptation, advocating for frequent experimentation over extensive planning in uncertain environments.

Ries argues that entrepreneurship is a management...

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The provided text is an excerpt from Donald Trump's autobiography, The Art of the Deal. It showcases excerpts from various reviews praising the book's engaging style and insightful account of Trump's business philosophy. A significant portion details a day in Trump's life, highlighting his fast-paced, deal-making activities and interactions with various business associates and media personalities. The excerpt also explores T...

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This text excerpt is from Donald Trump's book, Think BIG and Kick Ass in Business and Life, co-authored with Bill Zanker, founder of The Learning Annex. The book promotes a "Think BIG" philosophy, advocating for ambitious goal-setting, unwavering persistence, and a willingness to take risks. It features anecdotes from Trump and Zanker's business careers, emphasizing the importance of positive thinking, handling pressure, and...

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Donald Trump's Think Like a Billionaire offers advice on success, real estate, and life. The book shares anecdotes from Trump's life and career, emphasising his business philosophy. Key themes include strategic decision-making, location selection, and effective negotiation. Trump also discusses personal aspects like choosing a good broker, finding loyal friends, and maintaining work-life balance. Ultimately, the book aims to...

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This book, "The Sales Acceleration Formula," details a data-driven approach to building and managing a high-performing sales organization. The author outlines four key formulae: sales hiring, training, management, and demand generation, emphasizing predictable processes and metrics. The book also covers sales coaching techniques, focusing on individualized skill development, and strategies for motivating teams through compen...

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John Warrillow's Built to Sell is a business guide using a fictional narrative to illustrate how to create a sellable company. The book emphasizes specialization, creating a repeatable process, and building a strong management team independent of the owner. Numerous endorsements from other business leaders and entrepreneurs highlight the book's practical advice and value for business owners aiming for a successful exit. The ...

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Michael Gerber's The E-Myth Revisited examines why most small businesses fail and offers a solution. The book argues that many business owners are primarily technicians, not entrepreneurs or managers, leading to unsustainable growth. Gerber introduces the concept of a Turn-Key Revolution, suggesting that creating a business system—a franchise prototype—is essential for long-term success. This system requires innovation, quan...

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This text is an excerpt from Dave Ramsey's The Total Money Makeover, a self-help book promoting a plan for financial fitness. The book refutes common financial myths, arguing against debt and for disciplined saving and investing. Ramsey's plan emphasizes a step-by-step approach ("Baby Steps") focusing on building an emergency fund, eliminating debt, and then investing. The book uses numerous anecdotes and statistics to suppo...

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This text is a collection of excerpts from Dale Carnegie's The Art of Public Speaking, focusing on improving speaking skills. Key areas covered include building confidence, mastering vocal techniques (emphasis, pace, pitch, and inflection), developing effective delivery (gestures, pauses, and tempo), and structuring persuasive speeches (exposition, description, narration, argument, and suggestion). The excerpts also explore ...

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This text is an excerpt from Felix Dennis's memoir, "How to Get Rich," offering his unconventional approach to accumulating wealth. Dennis recounts his entrepreneurial journey, highlighting his successes and failures in the publishing industry. He emphasises the importance of seizing opportunities, overcoming fear of failure, and cultivating self-belief. The book provides practical advice on securing capital, managing financ...

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This book excerpt explores the psychology of money, arguing that behavioural skills and personal experiences are more impactful on financial success than formal education or intelligence. It uses anecdotes of contrasting individuals—a janitor who became a philanthropist versus a financially educated executive who lost everything—to illustrate the significant role of luck and risk. The author emphasises the importance of emot...