10 books like The Lean Startup

By Eric Ries,

Here are 10 books that authors have personally recommended if you like The Lean Startup. Shepherd is a community of 8,000+ authors sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Influence

By Robert B. Cialdini,

Book cover of Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion

Linda Ginzel Author Of Choosing Leadership: How to Create a Better Future by Building Your Courage, Capacity, and Wisdom

From the list on leadership that don’t have leadership in the title.

Who am I?

I am a lifelong educator who believes that everyone can create a better future by changing behaviors, practicing leadership skills, and improving outcomes across time and place—at home, work, and community. If you believe in lifelong learning, join me in elevating the courage, capacity, and wisdom of people everywhere through Choosing Leadership. This book is an accessible, educational tool that provides a structured approach combining individual written reflection with discussion to create collective wisdom in groups. Together, we can change the global conversation about leadership—from heroic mythic beings called “Leaders” to diverse human beings that I call “Champions.”

Linda's book list on leadership that don’t have leadership in the title

Discover why each book is one of Linda's favorite books.

Why did Linda love this book?

My students have often thanked me for assigning this book.

After reading the chapter on “Commitment,” one remarked excitedly: “I finally understand my mother!” Bob Cialdini is a social psychologist whose principles of social influence have helped generations of readers learn how to move people in their direction. 

The task of leadership is to create a better future; it is a social influence process that engages hearts and minds. 

Influence

By Robert B. Cialdini,

Why should I read it?

20 authors picked Influence as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The foundational and wildly popular go-to resource for influence and persuasion-a renowned international bestseller, with over 5 million copies sold-now revised adding: new research, new insights, new examples, and online applications.

In the new edition of this highly acclaimed bestseller, Robert Cialdini-New York Times bestselling author of Pre-Suasion and the seminal expert in the fields of influence and persuasion-explains the psychology of why people say yes and how to apply these insights ethically in business and everyday settings. Using memorable stories and relatable examples, Cialdini makes this crucially important subject surprisingly easy. With Cialdini as a guide, you don't have…


Mindset

By Carol S. Dweck,

Book cover of Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

Diane Hamilton Author Of Cracking the Curiosity Code: The Key to Unlocking Human Potential

From the list on building curiosity and get out of status-quo at work.

Who am I?

Having taught thousands of business courses and seeing some of my students flounder made me passionate about developing curiosity in others. I had written my doctoral dissertation on the relationship between emotional intelligence and performance, which led to my interest in studying human behaviors that could make us more successful. After interviewing thousands of top leaders on my nationally syndicated radio show, I saw a pattern of curiosity in highly successful people. I wanted to share that ability to develop curiosity in others. So, I read the books I listed here to build my research foundation. I hope you are curious to read these books and find them as fascinating as I did.

Diane's book list on building curiosity and get out of status-quo at work

Discover why each book is one of Diane's favorite books.

Why did Diane love this book?

Carol Dweck's research helps explain why some people are more willing to explore curiosity based on the impact interaction with others has had on them.

I loved this book because she reveals what parents, teachers, and others inadvertently say or do, that impacts whether we have an open/growth or closed/fixed mindset. When writing my Curiosity Code Index assessment, Dweck's book helped to determine some of the factors associated with the things that inhibit curiosity.

This book will change the way you interact with those around you because it will make you cognizant of the power of how we word things and how that leads to performance.

Mindset

By Carol S. Dweck,

Why should I read it?

12 authors picked Mindset as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From the renowned psychologist who introduced the world to “growth mindset” comes this updated edition of the million-copy bestseller—featuring transformative insights into redefining success, building lifelong resilience, and supercharging self-improvement.

“Through clever research studies and engaging writing, Dweck illuminates how our beliefs about our capabilities exert tremendous influence on how we learn and which paths we take in life.”—Bill Gates, GatesNotes

“It’s not always the people who start out the smartest who end up the smartest.”

After decades of research, world-renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D., discovered a simple but groundbreaking idea: the power of mindset. In this…


Book cover of Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions

Marcus Collins Author Of For the Culture: The Power Behind What We Buy, What We Do, and Who We Want to Be

From the list on helping people get people to take action.

Who am I?

I study cultural contagion and how it influences people to help bridge the academic-practitioner gap for companies (from “blue-chip” brands to non-profits) that aim to put ideas in the world that inspire people to take action. When I’m not putting ideas in the world as the Head of Strategy at Wieden+Kennedy New York, I put people in the world as a Clinical Marketing Professor at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan. My entire career has centered on getting people to move, and I’ve been fortunate enough to work on some of the most notable campaigns in the past years that have created both cultural and commercial impact.

Marcus' book list on helping people get people to take action

Discover why each book is one of Marcus' favorite books.

Why did Marcus love this book?

Predictably Irrational literally changed my life.

It forced me to see the world through lenses I had never previously considered. Each chapter masterfully married rigorous science and illustrious storytelling to explain human behavior in ways that simultaneously felt both familiar and foreign.

With great detail, Ariely unlocks how our behavior consistently runs counter to what we perceive as “logical,” despite the conventional wisdoms about what we do and why we do it.

It was this book that single-handily sparked my curiosity in the behavioral sciences and led me down the path to becoming a practicing academic. 

Predictably Irrational

By Dan Ariely,

Why should I read it?

12 authors picked Predictably Irrational as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Why do smart people make irrational decisions every day? The answers will surprise you. Predictably Irrational is an intriguing, witty and utterly original look at why we all make illogical decisions.

Why can a 50p aspirin do what a 5p aspirin can't? If an item is "free" it must be a bargain, right? Why is everything relative, even when it shouldn't be? How do our expectations influence our actual opinions and decisions?

In this astounding book, behavioural economist Dan Ariely cuts to the heart of our strange behaviour, demonstrating how irrationality often supplants rational thought and that the reason for…


The Founder's Dilemmas

By Noam Wasserman,

Book cover of The Founder's Dilemmas: Anticipating and Avoiding the Pitfalls That Can Sink a Startup

Kathleen Allen Author Of Entrepreneurship For Dummies

From the list on inspiring you to get off your butt and start a business.

Who am I?

I have a real passion for entrepreneurship, so much so that I married an entrepreneur and produced two children who became entrepreneurs. During my 25 years as a professor in the Greif Entrepreneurship Center at the University of Southern California, one of the top programs in the U.S., I had the privilege of inspiring and mentoring hundreds of new entrepreneurs. I found my passion in technology businesses. I had the business skills needed to help scientists and engineers raise funding, bring their inventions to market, and build their companies. I managed to start and run four ventures of my own as well as write several books about entrepreneurship.

Kathleen's book list on inspiring you to get off your butt and start a business

Discover why each book is one of Kathleen's favorite books.

Why did Kathleen love this book?

For a couple years, Noam Wasserman was an entrepreneurship colleague of mine at the University of Southern California.

Founders Dilemmas is the first book to focus on the critical decisions founders of new ventures must make starting on day one. Wasserman studied nearly 10,000 founders including Tim Westergren of Pandora and Evan Williams of Twitter.

It should be no surprise that he found that people are the leading cause of startup failures. The best recommendation I can give is to tell you that Wasserman offers solutions that I have personally used and passed along to hundreds of founders, because they work.

This is not a fluffy book. It’s a serious book that is well worth your time to read. If you’re going to start a business, it’s required reading! And take notes!

Not only will it help you decide if you have what it takes, it will help you learn…

The Founder's Dilemmas

By Noam Wasserman,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The Founder's Dilemmas as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Often downplayed in the excitement of starting up a new business venture is one of the most important decisions entrepreneurs will face: should they go it alone, or bring in cofounders, hires, and investors to help build the business? More than just financial rewards are at stake. Friendships and relationships can suffer. Bad decisions at the inception of a promising venture lay the foundations for its eventual ruin. The Founder's Dilemmas is the first book to examine the early decisions by entrepreneurs that can make or break a startup and its team. Drawing on a decade of research, Noam Wasserman…


Backable

By Suneel Gupta, Carlye Adler,

Book cover of Backable: The Surprising Truth Behind What Makes People Take a Chance on You

Patrick J. McGinnis Author Of The 10% Entrepreneur: Live Your Startup Dream Without Quitting Your Day Job

From the list on for part-time entrepreneurs.

Who am I?

I never thought I would be an entrepreneur. In fact, I was happy in corporate life. But when my job in corporate America blew up, I realized that I need to rethink my entire approach to building my career and my life. The result of these efforts is The 10% Entrepreneur. Over the past decade, I have integrated entrepreneurship into my life on a part-time basis, reaping meaningful financial and psychic rewards in the process. In the process, I have taught hundreds of thousands of others that entrepreneurship does not have to be an all-or-nothing proposition.

Patrick's book list on for part-time entrepreneurs

Discover why each book is one of Patrick's favorite books.

Why did Patrick love this book?

This is a compelling and fast-paced read about how you can develop a compelling pitch that will convince people to back you. Whether you are looking for investors, customers, business partners, or employees, knowing how to pitch your ideas in a compelling way is absolutely essential. This book dives deep into that challenge with tons of ideas and advice.

Backable

By Suneel Gupta, Carlye Adler,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Backable as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'This remarkable book can be your secret weapon for bringing your idea to life.' DAN PINK, bestselling author of Drive

'Whether you want to get ahead inside a company or build a startup from the ground up, this fascinating book is a must-read.' REID HOFFMAN, co-founder of LinkedIn

'A super-readable and actionable look at how to make your ideas take flight. Whether you're pitching a brand new startup or an idea for your company's next product, you'll find a wealth of insights and stories throughout.'
MIKE KRIEGER, co-founder of Instagram

No one makes it alone. But there's a reason why…


Why Startups Fail

By Tom Eisenmann,

Book cover of Why Startups Fail: A New Roadmap for Entrepreneurial Success

Patrick J. McGinnis Author Of The 10% Entrepreneur: Live Your Startup Dream Without Quitting Your Day Job

From the list on for part-time entrepreneurs.

Who am I?

I never thought I would be an entrepreneur. In fact, I was happy in corporate life. But when my job in corporate America blew up, I realized that I need to rethink my entire approach to building my career and my life. The result of these efforts is The 10% Entrepreneur. Over the past decade, I have integrated entrepreneurship into my life on a part-time basis, reaping meaningful financial and psychic rewards in the process. In the process, I have taught hundreds of thousands of others that entrepreneurship does not have to be an all-or-nothing proposition.

Patrick's book list on for part-time entrepreneurs

Discover why each book is one of Patrick's favorite books.

Why did Patrick love this book?

As a professor at Harvard Business School, Eisenmann has taught a generation of entrepreneurs how to launch and scale businesses. He has then watched as some of these promising businesses fail. This book explores the 6 major patterns of failure in entrepreneurial ventures, shows how they play out in the real world, and gives you the tool to avoid a similar fate.

Why Startups Fail

By Tom Eisenmann,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Why Startups Fail as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

If you want your startup to succeed, you need to understand why startups fail.

“Whether you’re a first-time founder or looking to bring innovation into a corporate environment, Why Startups Fail is essential reading.”—Eric Ries, founder and CEO, LTSE, and New York Times bestselling author of The Lean Startup and The Startup Way

Why do startups fail? That question caught Harvard Business School professor Tom Eisenmann by surprise when he realized he couldn’t answer it.

So he launched a multiyear research project to find out. In Why Startups Fail, Eisenmann reveals his findings: six distinct patterns that account for the…


Entrepreneurial You

By Dorie Clark,

Book cover of Entrepreneurial You: Monetize Your Expertise, Create Multiple Income Streams, and Thrive

Patrick J. McGinnis Author Of The 10% Entrepreneur: Live Your Startup Dream Without Quitting Your Day Job

From the list on for part-time entrepreneurs.

Who am I?

I never thought I would be an entrepreneur. In fact, I was happy in corporate life. But when my job in corporate America blew up, I realized that I need to rethink my entire approach to building my career and my life. The result of these efforts is The 10% Entrepreneur. Over the past decade, I have integrated entrepreneurship into my life on a part-time basis, reaping meaningful financial and psychic rewards in the process. In the process, I have taught hundreds of thousands of others that entrepreneurship does not have to be an all-or-nothing proposition.

Patrick's book list on for part-time entrepreneurs

Discover why each book is one of Patrick's favorite books.

Why did Patrick love this book?

So many entrepreneurs work endless hours without finding a way to monetize their work. They achieve success on paper, but don’t actually reap the financial benefits. This book provides a roadmap to monetize your talents in a number of ways – from building your brand to figuring out how to get people to pay for your services. 

Entrepreneurial You

By Dorie Clark,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Entrepreneurial You as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

What does it take to create the career you want?

It's no secret that the world of work has changed, and we're shifting toward an ever more entrepreneurial, self-reliant, work-from-wherever-you-are economy. That can be a liberating force, and many professionals dream of becoming independent, whether by starting their own businesses, becoming consultants or freelancers, or developing a sideline.

But there's a major obstacle professionals face when they contemplate taking the leap: how to actually make money doing what they love. You may have incredible talent and novel ideas, but figuring out how to get started, building your reputation in a…


The Box

By Marc Levinson,

Book cover of The Box: How the Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and the World Economy Bigger

Lawrence Ingrassia Author Of Billion Dollar Brand Club: How Dollar Shave Club, Warby Parker, and Other Disruptors Are Remaking What We Buy

From the list on entrepreneurs and innovation.

Who am I?

Innovators, entrepreneurs, and inventors have shaped the history of the world, touching our lives in countless ways every day. As a business journalist for four decades - at the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Los Angeles Times - I’ve covered companies of all sizes, watching some (like Walmart, Microsoft, Tesla, Amazon, Apple) grow from startups to giant multinationals, while others have imploded – or never have gotten off the ground. I've found that there's often a compelling story behind them, about the founders, their leadership style, what they saw that others didn’t, how they deal with adversity (and sometimes don’t). Writ large, they tell the story of where we came from, how we got here, and where we are going, which makes them endlessly fascinating.

Lawrence's book list on entrepreneurs and innovation

Discover why each book is one of Lawrence's favorite books.

Why did Lawrence love this book?

Innovation comes in unusual sizes and shapes, but few over the past half-century have had as much impact as the mundane, rectangular steel shipping container that is the star of The Box. The best entrepreneurs come up with ideas that solve problems, and Marc Levinson tells the story of the trucking executive who reinvented the way products are moved around the globe. Put simply, containerization made globalization possible. "It was not routine for shoppers to find Brazilian shoes and Mexican vacuum cleaners in stores in the middle of Kansas. Japanese families did not eat beef from cattle in Wyoming, and French clothing designers did not have their exclusive apparel cut and sewn in Turkey and Vietnam," Levinson notes. Shipping may not sound sexy, but he takes us on a fascinating journey about a transformational innovation.

The Box

By Marc Levinson,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Box as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In April 1956, a refitted oil tanker carried fifty-eight shipping containers from Newark to Houston. From that modest beginning, container shipping developed into a huge industry that made the boom in global trade possible. The Box tells the dramatic story of the container's creation, the decade of struggle before it was widely adopted, and the sweeping economic consequences of the sharp fall in transportation costs that containerization brought about. But the container didn't just happen. Its adoption required huge sums of money, both from private investors and from ports that aspired to be on the leading edge of a new…


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Rich Dad Poor Dad

By Robert T. Kiyosaki,

Book cover of Rich Dad Poor Dad

Ryan Scribner Author Of From Side Hustle to Main Hustle to Millionaire: 13 Lessons to Turn Your Passion Into a Passive Paycheck

From the list on how to get a side hustle started.

Who am I?

I’ve been trying to make money on the internet since I was 12. While it took me many failed attempts to eventually figure out how, I succeeded with this goal in 2016. I launched a YouTube channel related to one of my lifelong passions; personal finance. From there, I broadened my horizons by creating multiple standalone affiliate blogs unrelated to my YouTube channel. Every one of my successes and failures has taught me valuable lessons about the side hustle journey.

Ryan's book list on how to get a side hustle started

Discover why each book is one of Ryan's favorite books.

Why did Ryan love this book?

When I was starting out on my side hustle journey, this was the first book I read. It’s absolutely crucial for understanding the importance of having multiple income streams. For most people, that’s the very reason why they are starting a side hustle in the first place. Rather than only making money during the hours spent at work, Rich Dad Poor Dad shows you how to make money 24/7. This book is essential for shaping your money mindset. 

Rich Dad Poor Dad

By Robert T. Kiyosaki,

Why should I read it?

9 authors picked Rich Dad Poor Dad as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

It's been nearly 25 years since Robert Kiyosaki's Rich Dad Poor Dad first made waves in the Personal Finance arena.
It has since become the #1 Personal Finance book of all time... translated into dozens of languages and sold around the world.

Rich Dad Poor Dad is Robert's story of growing up with two dads his real father and the father of his best friend, his rich dad and the ways in which both men shaped his thoughts about money and investing. The book explodes the myth that you need to earn a high income to be rich and explains…


The E-Myth Revisited

By Michael E. Gerber,

Book cover of The E-Myth Revisited

Ryan Scribner Author Of From Side Hustle to Main Hustle to Millionaire: 13 Lessons to Turn Your Passion Into a Passive Paycheck

From the list on how to get a side hustle started.

Who am I?

I’ve been trying to make money on the internet since I was 12. While it took me many failed attempts to eventually figure out how, I succeeded with this goal in 2016. I launched a YouTube channel related to one of my lifelong passions; personal finance. From there, I broadened my horizons by creating multiple standalone affiliate blogs unrelated to my YouTube channel. Every one of my successes and failures has taught me valuable lessons about the side hustle journey.

Ryan's book list on how to get a side hustle started

Discover why each book is one of Ryan's favorite books.

Why did Ryan love this book?

When you start a side hustle, you will more than likely be the one doing most, if not all, of the work. However, at a certain point, you will need to bring in the help of others in order to scale your business. The E-Myth clearly defines the three roles within a business; the technician, the manager, and the entrepreneur. At first, you will fill all of these roles. This book is crucial for the turning point in your side hustle in which you want to get out from “behind the wheel.” 

The E-Myth Revisited

By Michael E. Gerber,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked The E-Myth Revisited as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

E-Myth \ 'e-,'mith\ n 1: the entrepreneurial myth: the myth that most people who start small businesses are entrepreneurs 2: the fatal assumption that an individual who understands the technical work of a business can successfully run a business that does that technical work Voted #1 business book by Inc. 500 CEOs. An instant classic, this revised and updated edition of the phenomenal bestseller dispels the myths about starting your own business. Small business consultant and author Michael E. Gerber, with sharp insight gained from years of experience, points out how common assumptions, expectations, and even technical expertise can get…


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