Wisdom in books: what successful entrepreneurs read

Books have long been a source of wisdom, especially for those striving for success in business. Some of the most successful entrepreneurs in the world attribute their achievements to the knowledge they've gained through reading. And, while it’s tempting to think that success is born purely from innovation, strategy, or even luck, the truth is that many business leaders find their best ideas, philosophies, and strategies nestled within the pages of great books. But what exactly are these must-read books for business leaders? What are the titles that entrepreneurs deem essential to their personal and professional development?

The Must-Reads: A Journey Through Books That Shape Business Minds

1. "The Lean Startup" by Eric Ries

Building a business without grasping the basics of The Lean Startup is like sailing a ship without a rudder – reckless and doomed to fail. This influential book maps out a scientific roadmap to entrepreneurial success. Ries argues that instead of spending years perfecting a product, companies should create a "minimum viable product" (MVP) and then iterate based on customer feedback. Growth and product development have been turned upside down by this bold new approach, now a cornerstone of business strategy.

Billion-dollar brainchild Dropbox was born from an idea, and its founder Drew Houston gives credit to this one book for paving the way. Many business moguls echo his sentiments. For startup leaders, this book is required reading – a crash course in staying agile and adaptive in an environment where one misstep can be catastrophic.

2. "Good to Great" by Jim Collins

Jim Collins' classic book explores how some companies leap from being good to truly great. Collins' team crunched the numbers on over 1,400 companies, and what they found was staggering - a mere 11 had achieved prolonged greatness spanning 15 years. Good to Great has got it right – it isn't just about measuring success, it's about identifying the precise elements that push companies to extreme heights.

For book recommendations, it's hard to beat Bill Gates' seal of approval - and this particular title has earned his enthusiastic thumbs-up. This leadership guide will stay relevant in any business setting, says Gates, and its wisdom will linger long after the present day.

3. "Shoe Dog" by Phil Knight

While many entrepreneurs gravitate towards books filled with business strategies and management tactics, there is something to be said about personal memoirs. Phil Knight, Nike's co-founder, opens up about his wild ride of turning a funky little sneaker company into a global powerhouse in his book "Shoe Dog".

When Elon Musk endorses a book, you know it's more than just words on a page – this behind-the-scenes look at the wins and losses of entrepreneurship comes with a heaping side of truth-telling and lessons learned.

4. "The Innovator’s Dilemma" by Clayton Christensen

"The Innovator’s Dilemma" focuses on why companies that do everything right can still lose their market leadership. Jeff Bezos of Amazon is just one of the many entrepreneurs and executives who've been inspired by Christensen's revolutionary concept of disruptive innovation.

According to insiders, Bezos distributed this game-changing book to senior managers, crediting it with reshaping Amazon's outlook on bold innovation. An unstable market demands flexibility - the book teaches entrepreneurs to question their own business models and adapt to the changing landscape. ahead.

Why Entrepreneurs Also Read Novels?

While business books like the ones listed above provide essential strategies and frameworks, many successful entrepreneurs also turn to fiction for inspiration. Some use FictionMe to access literature, others use books. There is no fundamental difference between a story reading app like FictionMe and paper books in terms of comprehension efficiency or other effects. But unlike regular books, novel apps are accessible anywhere and at any time. Reading fiction increases empathy and emotional intelligence—two qualities that are crucial for effective leadership.

A notable example is Mark Zuckerberg, who in 2015 started his own book club, recommending books like "The End of Power" by Moisés Naím, but also diving into literary fiction. Steve Jobs, known for his brilliant yet sometimes volatile leadership style, reportedly loved "Moby Dick" by Herman Melville. Fiction provides a break from the analytical, logic-driven world of business and offers entrepreneurs an opportunity to engage with creativity, human experience, and narrative thinking.

The Stats Don't Lie: Reading Equals Success

Numerous studies support the idea that regular reading correlates with success. A 2016 study conducted by Thomas C. Corley, author of "Rich Habits," found that 85% of self-made millionaires read two or more books per month. This habit of reading isn’t just a form of leisure; it’s part of a deliberate strategy to acquire knowledge, improve leadership, and stay ahead in the ever-changing business world.

Beyond books, entrepreneurs are also known to consume vast amounts of other reading material, from blogs to academic papers to reports. In a 2019 article by Inc. magazine, it was revealed that 88% of financially successful people dedicate at least 30 minutes a day to self-improvement reading. The takeaway? If you’re not reading, you’re falling behind.

How to Read Like an Entrepreneur

It's not just about what you read—how you read is just as important. Entrepreneurs tend to approach books differently than the average reader. They aren’t necessarily interested in reading cover-to-cover or devouring long texts all at once. Instead, they often read strategically, focusing on chapters or sections that are relevant to their immediate business challenges.

Bill Gates, for example, has a systematic approach to reading. He takes detailed notes in the margins of books, reflecting on how the ideas connect to his current projects. Similarly, Elon Musk has been known to read across a wide range of subjects, from physics to history, using books as tools to feed his curiosity and creative problem-solving.

Final Thoughts

The books successful entrepreneurs read aren’t just pages filled with text—they’re tools, ideas, and strategies that help shape businesses and the minds behind them. Buried within these page-turners are war stories, inspiring anecdotes, and real-world strategies - not just some trendy management theories. The nitty-gritty of entrepreneurial wisdom is their relentless pursuit, stripped of jargon and pretenses.

Transcript

1. Wisdom in books: what successful entrepreneurs read Books have long been a source of wisdom, especially for those striving for success in business. Some of the most successful entrepreneurs in the world attribute their achievements to the knowledge they've gained through reading. And, while it’s tempting to think that success is born purely from innovation, strategy, or even luck, the truth is that many business leaders find their best ideas, philosophies, and strategies nestled within the pages of great books. But what exactly are these must-read books for business leaders? What are the titles that entrepreneurs deem essential to their personal and professional development? The Must-Reads: A Journey Through Books That Shape Business Minds 1. "The Lean Startup" by Eric Ries Building a business without grasping the basics of The Lean Startup is like sailing a ship without a rudder – reckless and doomed to fail. This influential book maps out a scientific roadmap to entrepreneurial success. Ries argues that instead of spending years perfecting a product, companies should create a "minimum viable product" (MVP) and then iterate based on customer feedback. Growth and product development have been turned upside down by this bold new approach, now a cornerstone of business strategy. Billion-dollar brainchild Dropbox was born from an idea, and its founder Drew Houston gives credit to this one book for paving the way. Many business moguls echo his sentiments. For startup leaders, this book is required reading – a crash course in staying agile and adaptive in an environment where one misstep can be catastrophic. 2. "Good to Great" by Jim Collins Jim Collins' classic book explores how some companies leap from being good to truly great. Collins' team crunched the numbers on over 1,400 companies, and what they found was staggering - a mere 11 had achieved prolonged greatness spanning 15 years. Good to Great has got it right – it isn't just about measuring success, it's about identifying the precise elements that push companies to extreme heights. For book recommendations, it's hard to beat Bill Gates' seal of approval - and this particular title has earned his enthusiastic thumbs-up. This leadership guide will stay relevant in any business setting, says Gates, and its wisdom will linger long after the present day.
2. 3. "Shoe Dog" by Phil Knight While many entrepreneurs gravitate towards books filled with business strategies and management tactics, there is something to be said about personal memoirs. Phil Knight, Nike's co-founder, opens up about his wild ride of turning a funky little sneaker company into a global powerhouse in his book "Shoe Dog". When Elon Musk endorses a book, you know it's more than just words on a page – this behind- the-scenes look at the wins and losses of entrepreneurship comes with a heaping side of truth- telling and lessons learned. 4. "The Innovator’s Dilemma" by Clayton Christensen "The Innovator’s Dilemma" focuses on why companies that do everything right can still lose their market leadership. Jeff Bezos of Amazon is just one of the many entrepreneurs and executives who've been inspired by Christensen's revolutionary concept of disruptive innovation. According to insiders, Bezos distributed this game-changing book to senior managers, crediting it with reshaping Amazon's outlook on bold innovation. An unstable market demands flexibility - the book teaches entrepreneurs to question their own business models and adapt to the changing landscape. ahead. Why Entrepreneurs Also Read Novels? While business books like the ones listed above provide essential strategies and frameworks, many successful entrepreneurs also turn to fiction for inspiration. Some use FictionMe to access literature, others use books. There is no fundamental difference between a story reading app like FictionMe and paper books in terms of comprehension efficiency or other effects. But unlike regular books, novel apps are accessible anywhere and at any time. Reading fiction increases empathy and emotional intelligence—two qualities that are crucial for effective leadership. A notable example is Mark Zuckerberg, who in 2015 started his own book club, recommending books like "The End of Power" by Moisés Naím, but also diving into literary fiction. Steve Jobs, known for his brilliant yet sometimes volatile leadership style, reportedly loved "Moby Dick" by Herman Melville. Fiction provides a break from the analytical, logic-driven world of business and offers entrepreneurs an opportunity to engage with creativity, human experience, and narrative thinking. The Stats Don't Lie: Reading Equals Success Numerous studies support the idea that regular reading correlates with success. A 2016 study conducted by Thomas C. Corley, author of "Rich Habits," found that 85% of self-made millionaires read two or more books per month. This habit of reading isn’t just a form of leisure;
3. it’s part of a deliberate strategy to acquire knowledge, improve leadership, and stay ahead in the ever-changing business world. Beyond books, entrepreneurs are also known to consume vast amounts of other reading material, from blogs to academic papers to reports. In a 2019 article by Inc. magazine, it was revealed that 88% of financially successful people dedicate at least 30 minutes a day to self- improvement reading. The takeaway? If you’re not reading, you’re falling behind. How to Read Like an Entrepreneur It's not just about what you read—how you read is just as important. Entrepreneurs tend to approach books differently than the average reader. They aren’t necessarily interested in reading cover-to-cover or devouring long texts all at once. Instead, they often read strategically, focusing on chapters or sections that are relevant to their immediate business challenges. Bill Gates, for example, has a systematic approach to reading. He takes detailed notes in the margins of books, reflecting on how the ideas connect to his current projects. Similarly, Elon Musk has been known to read across a wide range of subjects, from physics to history, using books as tools to feed his curiosity and creative problem-solving. Final Thoughts The books successful entrepreneurs read aren’t just pages filled with text—they’re tools, ideas, and strategies that help shape businesses and the minds behind them. Buried within these page-turners are war stories, inspiring anecdotes, and real-world strategies - not just some trendy management theories. The nitty-gritty of entrepreneurial wisdom is their relentless pursuit, stripped of jargon and pretenses.