Entrepreneurs and innovators are the mountain climbers of the business world.
Here are some of our favorite reads on this particular kind of challenge and adventure, as well as some sources that might be helpful for anyone currently pursuing or contemplating an innovative or entrepreneurial path.
Note that this page contains affiliate links to Amazon.com.
Books
Getting Things Done
by David Allen
Part of the challenge of being self-employed or an entrepreneur is the lack of structure. So learning how to be effective and efficient in getting things done is critical for self-employed people to learn. David Allen has become the world’s most widely-known time management guru, and his system (“Getting Things Done” or “GTD”) has a cult-like following of millions of fans who have embraced the approach and modified it to suit their own needs. He has a new book out (Making it All Work) that you should read too, but start with this one. Read it, start applying what it teaches, and you’ll be amazed at what adopting some simple new behaviors can do for you. – MS
Growing a Business
by Paul Hawken
First published in 1987, this book quickly became the bible for entrepreneurs interested in started and running businesses with a soul. Using examples like Patagonia and Ben & Jerry’s, Hawken (who co-founded gardening retailer Smith & Hawken) lays out a path toward growing a business that relies on introspection more than filling in templates. “All businesses involve such factors as cash flow, accounting, and marketing.” Hawken says. “But these things no more describe your business than household shopping lists and errands describe your family.” A classic that still rings true today. – MS
The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles
by Steven Pressfield
Another good source for learning how to battle the procrastination that self-employed people (and many conventionally employed people) struggle with. Steven Pressfield (bestselling author of The Legend of Bagger Vance) has written an inspiring little book. It’s a fun examination of the psychology of creation that just might be the kick in the pants you need to start living your unlived life. – MS
Reality Check: The Irreverent Guide to Outsmarting, Outmanaging, and Outmarketing Your Competition
by Guy Kawasaki
Kawasaki is an icon among many entrepreneurs, and this is the book he’s rumored to wish he had read when he was starting his own career in business. If you have big entrepreneurial visions for your future, start here. As Guy puts it: “I wanted to provide hardcore information to hardcore people who want to kick ass, and I wanted this information in something you can hold in your hands—aka, a book. Why? Because a book boots up faster than a blog and a book has better copy editing and fact checking than a blog and is not dependent on Internet connectivity, battery life, or the ineptness of HTML printing.” – MS
The Founder’s Manifest: For Anyone Starting a New Business
by My-Tien Vo
My-Tien Vo is a start-up consultant in Silicon Valley. And she knows that one of the biggest reasons start ups fail is that their founders aren’t prepared, emotionally and psychologically, for the challenges involved. They haven’t done an internal assessment, or developed the self-awareness that’s critical in order to know when to ask for help, when to bend, and when to charge ahead. So unlike many start-up advice books, which focus on the business tasks involved, The Founder’s Manifest offers would-be founders a must-read manual on how to develop the strengths they need to succeed atthose tasks. Well organized, and right on-target with the essential questions and issues every founder needs to think about before setting sail. – LW
Obroni and the Chocolate Factory: An Unlikely Story of Globalization and Ghana’s First Gourmet Chocolate Bar
by Steven Wallace
About the time he turned 30, Steve Wallace was an up-and-coming tax attorney for a boutique law firm in Washington DC. But he found himself envying some of his clients, who had found or created meaningful and fulfilling jobs, or were pursuing dreams they were passionate about realizing. Obroni and the Chocolate Factory is the story of how a Washington tax attorney ended up founding Ghana’s first indigenous chocolate factory––The Omanhene Cocoa Company––to produce gourmet chocolate for export to the world. Honest, funny, insightful, and inspiring. – LW
Articles
Essays
by Paul Graham
These essays, by entrepreneur and ViaWeb co-founder Paul Graham, range from the inherent flaws in Philosophy as a field of study to 13 tips for successful start-ups. But Paul Graham is definitely an experienced risk-taker and entrepreneur, and his thoughts—on everything from getting funding and why taking risks and making mistakes are both valuable, to life in general—are all interesting and thought-provoking reads.
“All Hail the Agents of Resurrection”
by Randy Komisar in the Los Angeles Times Magazine
While the “downturn” referred to in this 2003 article was the dot-com bubble bursting, the points it makes about passion, failure, and the entrepreneurial spirit are just as valid now as ever.
“Eleanor Roosevelt vs. Randy Komisar on Failure”
by Robert Sutton on his blog
In this interesting post from his blog, Stanford Professor Robert Sutton takes a look at two different perspectives on failure. Follow the links in the post for other interesting ideas.
Web sites/blogs
BizLift Blog
Sterling Okura’s blog for small business owners, freelancers, and the self-employed. Lots of useful posts on tools, technology, psychology, and the basics.
TED
TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. Started in 1984, the annual conference now brings together the world’s most fascinating thinkers and doers. The site makes the best talks and performances from the conference available to the public, for free.
Robert Sutton Blog
Sutton is a Professor of Management Science and Engineering at Stanford University. He studies innovation and the links between knowledge and organizational action. In addition to his personal site, he also has a blog on Huffington Post.
