Reading List

The books for what you are building.

Tell us your business model, industry and stage, or how you invest, and get the books worth your time, picked from 30,000 on building and backing companies. Chosen by ratings and what they are about.

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Atomic HabitsJames Clear · 4.31★FreakonomicsSteven D. Levitt · 4.01★The Tipping PointMalcolm Gladwell · 4.01★Rich Dad Poor DadRobert T. Kiyosaki · 4.08★BlinkMalcolm Gladwell · 3.96★Thinking, Fast and SlowDaniel Kahneman · 4.16★The Art of WarSun Tzu · 3.94★
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The best matches for everything you told us, ranked.

  • 1

    The Power of Consistency

    Prosperity Mindset Training for Sales and Business Professionals

    Weldon Long · 2013

    4.25644 ratings · Goodreads

    Focus and resilienceFirst salesCompany building

    About the book

    How to achieve wealth, happiness, and peace of mind through personal responsibility The Power of Consistency is based on the fundamental premise that private declarations dictate future actions. In other words, we tend to take actions with the thoughts and…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 2

    The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

    Powerful Lessons in Personal Change

    Stephen R. Covey · 1989

    4.16843,480 ratings · Goodreads

    Focus and resilienceCompany building

    About the book

    In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, author Stephen R. Covey presents a holistic, integrated, principle-centered approach for solving personal and professional problems. With penetrating insights and pointed anecdotes, Covey reveals a step-by-step…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 3

    The Ultimate Sales Machine

    Turbocharge Your Business with Relentless Focus on 12 Key Strategies

    Chet Holmes · 2007

    3.979,181 ratings · Goodreads

    Focus and resilienceFirst salesCompany building

    About the book

    Chet Holmes has been called “one of the top 20 change experts in the country.” He helps his clients blow away both the competition and their own expectations. And his advice starts with one simple concept: focus! Instead of trying to master four thousand…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 4

    Business Made Simple

    60 Days to Master Leadership, Sales, Marketing, Execution, Management, Personal Productivity and More

    Donald Miller · 2021

    4.192,054 ratings · Goodreads

    Focus and resilienceFirst salesMarketing and growth

    About the book

    Is this blue book more valuable than a business degree? Most people enter their professional careers not understanding how to grow a business. At times, this makes them feel lost, or worse, like a fraud pretending to know what they're doing. It's hard to be…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 5

    80/20 Sales and Marketing

    The Definitive Guide to Working Less and Making More

    Perry Marshall · 2013

    4.191,904 ratings · Goodreads

    Focus and resilienceFirst salesMarketing and growth

    About the book

    Stop "Just Getting By" ... Master The 80/20 Principle And Make More Money Without More Work. When you know how to walk into any situation and see the 80/20's, you can solve almost ANY marketing problem. 80/20 can demolish any sales and advertising problem.…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 6

    The Power of Discipline

    How to Use Self Control and Mental Toughness to Achieve Your Goals

    Daniel Walter · 2020

    4.128,370 ratings · Goodreads

    Focus and resilienceCompany building

    About the book

    Have you spent weeks, months, or even years trying to achieve your goals but keep failing? Have you given up on becoming successful because your futile efforts have led you to believe that success is only for the select few? If you have answered “yes”…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 7

    Mindset

    The New Psychology of Success

    Carol S. Dweck · 2006

    4.09182,500 ratings · Goodreads

    Focus and resilienceCompany building

    About the book

    A newer edition of this book can be found here. 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 brilliant book, she shows how…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 8

    Bit Literacy

    Productivity in the Age of Information and E-mail Overload

    Mark Hurst · 2007

    3.702,567 ratings · Goodreads

    Focus and resilienceCompany building

    About the book

    "Bit Literacy" is essential reading for anyone who has experienced "digital overload" the daily flood of e-mail, multiple todo lists, a cluttered desktop, documents in various file formats, and the constant distraction of cell phones and other devices. More…

    On AmazonAudible

The books most about focus and resilience.

  • 1

    High Performance Habits

    How Extraordinary People Become That Way

    Brendon Burchard · 2017

    4.1213,619 ratings · Goodreads

    Focus and resilience

    About the book

    THESE HABITS WILL MAKE YOU EXTRAORDINARY. Twenty years ago, author Brendon Burchard became obsessed with answering three 1. Why do some individuals and teams succeed  more quickly  than others and  sustain  that success over the long term? 2. Of those…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 2

    The PARA Method

    Simplify, Organize, and Master Your Digital Life

    Tiago Forte · 2023

    4.073,216 ratings · Goodreads

    Focus and resilience

    About the book

    This accessible guide expands upon the “well-written, cogent, and useful” (David Allen, author of Getting Things Done) bestselling Building a Second Brain with actionable advice on how to improve your digital life in just a few minutes.Living a modern life…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 3

    Rich Habits

    The Daily Success Habits of Wealthy Individuals

    Thomas C. Corley · 2010

    3.711,791 ratings · Goodreads

    Focus and resilience

    About the book

    The "Rich Habits" are ten principles created through years of researching the daily success habits of his wealthiest clients. These ten simple principles miraculously transform every individual who comes into contact with them. By applying these principles,…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 4

    The 5 Second Rule

    Transform Your Life, Work, and Confidence with Everyday Courage

    Mel Robbins · 2017

    3.8551,289 ratings · Goodreads

    Focus and resilience

    About the book

    Throughout your life, you’ve had parents, coaches, teachers, friends and mentors who have pushed you to be better than your excuses and bigger than your fears. What if the secret to having the confidence and courage to enrich your life and work is simply…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 5

    Time Management from the Inside Out

    The Foolproof System for Taking Control of Your Schedule--and Your Life

    Julie Morgenstern · 2000

    3.952,875 ratings · Goodreads

    Focus and resilience

    About the book

    A thoroughly updated and expanded edition of the definitive guide to managing and freeing up time Applying the groundbreaking from-the-inside-out approach that made Organizing from the Inside Out a New York Times bestseller, Julie Morgenstern set a new…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 6

    Focus

    Use Different Ways of Seeing the World for Success and Influence

    Heidi Grant Halvorson · 2013

    3.961,067 ratings · Goodreads

    Focus and resilience

    About the book

    We all want to experience pleasure and avoid pain. But there are really two kinds of pleasure and pain that motivate everything we do. If you are promotion-focused, you want to advance and avoid missed opportunities. If you are prevention-focused, you want to…

    On AmazonAudible

Published in the last three years, newest first, for what you told us.

  • 1

    Simple Marketing For Smart People

    The One Question You Need to Win Customers without Gimmicks, Hype, or Hard Selling

    Billy Broas · 2024

    4.35305 ratings · Goodreads

    Focus and resilienceMarketing and growthFirst sales

    About the book

    Why do so many smart people struggle with marketing? The answer is smart people love complexity, and complexity brews problems. Does your marketing feel like it has way too many moving parts? If so, Simple Marketing for Smart People is the solution you’ve…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 2

    Countdown to Riches

    21 Days of Wealth-Attracting Habits

    Rhonda Byrne · 2025

    4.17587 ratings · Goodreads

    Focus and resilienceCompany building

    About the book

    From Rhonda Byrne, author of the global phenomenon The Secret and the New York Times bestseller The Greatest Secret, comes Countdown to Riches, the book that can lead anyone to financial freedom. Financial struggle is caused by one thing, our thoughts. To…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 3

    Slow Productivity

    The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout

    Cal Newport · 2024

    3.6627,060 ratings · Goodreads

    Focus and resilienceCompany building

    About the book

    Do fewer things. Work at a natural pace. Obsess over quality. From the New York Times bestselling author of Digital Minimalism and Deep Work, a groundbreaking philosophy for pursuing meaningful accomplishment while avoiding overload. Our current…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 4

    Lean Marketing

    More Leads. More Profit. Less Marketing.

    Allan Dib · 2024

    4.31452 ratings · Goodreads

    Focus and resilienceMarketing and growthCompany building

    About the book

    Bigger Results with Less Marketing You keep being told to do more marketing―more complex, more aggressive, and more expensive marketing. Chasing the latest bright, shiny object is exhausting. Increased efforts keep leading to disappointment. The overwhelm…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 5

    The First-Time Manager

    Sales

    Mike Weinberg · 2023

    4.43282 ratings · Goodreads

    Focus and resilienceFirst salesCompany building

    About the book

    The First Time Manager Series has sold over 500,000 copies and is a go-to guide for new and aspiring sales managers on what to expect and how to succeed. The jump from sales superstar to sales manager has made or broken many a sales career. As a…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 6

    Reset

    How to Change What's Not Working

    Dan Heath · 2025

    4.123,193 ratings · Goodreads

    Focus and resilienceCompany building

    About the book

    From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Made to Stick, Switch, and The Power of Moments comes a revolutionary guide to fixing what’s not working, in systems and processes, organizations and companies, and even in our daily lives, by identifying…

    On AmazonAudible

How companies like yours were actually built, from the people who built them.

  • 1

    Steve Jobs

    Walter Isaacson · 2011

    4.161,391,990 ratings · Goodreads

    Founder storiesCompany building

    About the book

    Walter Isaacson's worldwide bestselling biography of Apple cofounder Steve Jobs. Based on more than forty interviews with Steve Jobs conducted over two years--as well as interviews with more than 100 family members, friends, adversaries, competitors, and…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 2

    Wizard

    The Life and Times of Nikola Tesla

    Marc J. Seifer · 1996

    3.736,658 ratings · Goodreads

    Founder stories

    About the book

    Nikola Tesla (1856-1943), credited as the inspiration for radio, robots, and even radar, has been called the patron saint of modern electricity. Based on original material and previously unavailable documents, this acclaimed book is the definitive…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 3

    The Elon Musk Blog Series

    Wait But Why

    Tim Urban · 2016

    4.701,837 ratings · Goodreads

    Founder storiesCompany building

    About the book

    In 2015, Elon Musk reached out to blogger Tim Urban and asked him if he'd take a crack at explaining Elon's endeavors, and the industries surrounding them, to the world. Tim accepted, and after extensive meetings with Elon and his staff, he wrote four blog…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 4

    Elon Musk

    Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future

    Ashlee Vance · 2015

    4.12456,221 ratings · Goodreads

    Founder storiesCompany building

    About the book

    Elon Musk, the entrepreneur and innovator behind SpaceX, Tesla, and SolarCity, sold one of his internet companies, PayPal, for $1.5 billion. Ashlee Vance captures the full spectacle and arc of the genius's life and work, from his tumultuous upbringing in…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 5

    Lucky Me

    A Memoir of Changing the Odds

    Rich Paul · 2023

    4.062,158 ratings · Goodreads

    Founder storiesCompany building

    About the book

    NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A memoir of will, success, and the luck we make, from the founder and CEO of Klutch Sports Group and one of the most influential figures in the multibillion-dollar sports industry “One of the greatest stories of growing up in…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 6

    The Ride of a Lifetime

    Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company

    Robert Iger · 2019

    4.4099,495 ratings · Goodreads

    Founder storiesCompany building

    About the book

    A grand vision defined: The CEO of The Walt Disney Company shares the ideas and values he has used to reinvent one of the most beloved companies in the world, and inspire the people who bring the magic to life. In 2005, Robert Iger became CEO of The Walt…

    On AmazonAudible

What founders at seed keep coming back to, if you have not read them yet.

  • 1

    Crossing the Chasm

    Marketing and Selling High-Tech Products to Mainstream Customers

    Geoffrey A. Moore · 2002

    4.0332,109 ratings · Goodreads

    Marketing and growthCompany buildingFirst sales

    About the book

    Here is the bestselling guide that created a new game plan for marketing in high-tech industries. Crossing the Chasm has become the bible for bringing cutting-edge products to progressively larger markets. This edition provides new insights into the realities…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 2

    The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing

    Violate Them at Your Own Risk

    Al Ries · 1993

    4.0522,738 ratings · Goodreads

    Marketing and growthCompany building

    About the book

    There are laws of nature, so why shouldn't there be laws of marketing? As Al Ries and Jack Trout, the world-renowned marketing consultants and bestselling authors of Positioning, note, you can build an impressive airplane, but it will never leave the ground if…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 3

    The Long Tail

    Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More

    Chris Anderson · 2006

    3.8330,263 ratings · Goodreads

    Company buildingFirst sales

    About the book

    The New York Times bestseller that introduced the business world to a future that s already here -- now in paperback with a new chapter about Long Tail Marketing and a new epilogue. Winner of the Gerald Loeb Award for Best Business Book of the Year. In…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 4

    Inspired

    How to Create Tech Products Customers Love

    Marty Cagan · 2008

    4.2226,350 ratings · Goodreads

    Company buildingFinding product-market fit

    About the book

    Learn to design, build, and scale products consumers can't get enough of How do today's most successful tech companies–Amazon, Google, Facebook, Netflix, Tesla–design, develop, and deploy the products that have earned the love of literally billions of…

    On AmazonAudible

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From the record

Written by the people who write the cheques

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