In a reading slump? Or simply need new books to keep you occupied?
Whether you have never read a book on business startups or are looking for the best startup books that could teach you a thing or two, check this article out!
On this list, you can find great reads no matter if you are contemplating starting a business, on the brink of opening one or already run a successful business. Moreover, here you can also find books every startup founder should read that might help you make your business even better.
Happy reading!
P.S. We have included good startup books that can help you figure out how to start a business, how to change your habits to achieve your dreams, and much more. Go enjoy them on your bed, in your reading nook, on the train during your commute, on your phone, or even in your ears, as some are available as audible books.
35 Best Startups Books
1. Zero to One
Author: Peter Thiel
Goodreads rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 4.17
Number of Pages: 195
Thiel co-wrote this 2014 book with Masters and since it has been recognized as one of the best startups books. Its success comes as no surprise, as Thiel is successful in startups, having co-founded PayPal, etc. He was also the first outside investor in Facebook. “Zero to One” is a self-help book for entrepreneurs and presents a lot of enthusiasm and optimism for the future of business.
“All happy companies are different: each one earns a monopoly by solving a unique problem. All failed companies are the same: they failed to escape competition.”
You can buy “Zero to One” on Amazon.
2. The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers
Author: Ben Horowitz
Goodreads rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 4.24
Number of Pages: 304
Ben Horowitz is a respected Silicon Valley entrepreneur and is completely honest about the hardships of running a business in this book. When you read this book, you will understand how hard it might be to run a business. The Hard Thing About Hard Things shares with us the experiences and lessons of Horowitz on over three hundred pages, making it one of the best books for startup CEOs.
“No matter who you are, you need two kinds of friends in your life. The first kind is one you can call when something good happens, and you need someone who will be excited for you (…) The second kind of friend is somebody you can call when things go horribly wrong…”
You can buy “The Hard Thing About Hard Things” on Amazon.
3. Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… And Others Don’t
Author: Jim Collins
Goodreads rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 4.12
Number of Pages: 300
If you are unsure of how to turn your good idea into a great idea – Jim Collins’s thoughts might help. Read this book to learn a thing or two on how to achieve greatness in your company or startup, even if it is mediocre at best. Moreover, Good to Great will help you understand that all you have to do is produce extraordinary results and, in turn, become successful at what you do.
“Good is the enemy of great. And that is one of the key reasons why we have so little that becomes great. We don’t have great schools, principally because we have good schools (…) Few people attain great lives, in large part because it is just so easy to settle for a good life.”
You can buy “Good to Great” on Amazon.
4. The Art of the Start: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything
Author: Guy Kawasaki
Goodreads rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟 3.88
Number of Pages: 226
This 2004 book is one of the classics when it comes to the best startup books for beginners. For anyone unsure how to start a new business, it will tell you how to turn your idea into actions that will change your life. Likewise, Kawasaki has a lot of experience in starting companies and firms and this guide reflects it with lessons and useful tips.
“The next time you think that there’s something that you “can’t live without”, wait for a week and then see if you’re still alive or not.”
You can buy “The Art of the Start” on Amazon.
5. Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!
Author: Robert T. Kiyosaki
Goodreads rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.09
Number of Pages: 336
This finance book revolves around the thinkings of a man with two dads, one rich, one poor. His own dad, as well as the rich dad of his best friend. If you want to contemplate working for money or having your money work for you, this book is the one. It is a bestseller that has been translated into many languages, selling copies worldwide.
“The single most powerful asset we all have is our mind. If it is trained well, it can create enormous wealth in what seems to be an instant.”
You can buy “Rich Dad Poor Dad” on Amazon.
6. Your Next Five Moves: Master the Art of Business Strategy
Author: Patrick Bet-David
Goodreads rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.24
Number of Pages: 320
Patrick Bet-David is a businessman and an entrepreneur famous for its Valuetainment Youtube channel, and in this book, he presents valuable tips on how to be good at business. This is one of the best books for entrepreneurs and startups that tells you to always look at the five steps in front of where you are, to plan, strategize, and improve skills for your business.
“You’re going to use experiences to become either bitter or better. To get better you must reflect on your mistakes.”
You can buy “Your Next Five Moves” on Amazon.
7. Jump Start Your Business Brain: The Scientific Way To Make More Money
Author: Doug Hall
Goodreads rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.01
Number of Pages: 320
This is one of the best books for starting a startup based on science. The methods described in it are grounded in scientific research of thousands of new products and innovative services. For anyone interested in business development, along with bettering sales and marketing, this book is the real deal.
“…it’s the message that motivates customers, not the medium. It is what you say, not where you say it that matters the most (…) I’ve found time and time again the message is king.”
You can buy “Jump Start Your Business Brain” on Amazon.
8. Digital Goddess: The Unfiltered Lessons of a Female Entrepreneur
Author: Victoria R. Montogmery Brown
Goodreads rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.22
Number of Pages: 272
The gender gap is a real problem in the business world and in this book, Montgomery Brown tells her story that will be a great guide for any female professional, entrepreneur, and executive. Montgomery Brown’s learnings are very helpful for anyone starting a business who might be at any kind of disadvantage in today’s politically incorrect and unfair world.
“Transparency is always necessary, even when it may cost you everything you’ve built.”
You can buy “Digital Goddess” on Amazon.
9. The Four Steps to the Epiphany: Successful Strategies for Products that Win
Author: Steve Blank
Goodreads rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟 3.94
Number of Pages: 275
This Steve Blank book is a classic business book that will provide you with a useful checklist on what to do when in your business. The four steps methodology is an approach to fixing your business and correcting any flaws in it on time before it is too late and costs you a lot of money. Moreover, this book also puts an emphasis on customers.
“In a startup, the first product is not designed to satisfy a mainstream customer. No startup can afford the engineering effort or the time to build a product with every feature a mainstream customer needs in its first release.”
You can buy “The Four Steps to the Epiphany” on Amazon.
10. Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business
Author: Gino Wickman
Goodreads rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.03
Number of Pages: 246
To truly have a grip on your business, this Wickman book can help you with its method for strengthening the six important components of your business. You won’t have to worry about making your business successful, as this solution has been tried and tested in hundreds of companies already. Finally, taking control of your business won’t be so hard.
“What is vision? It’s clearly defining who and what your organization is, where it’s going and how it’s going to get there.”
You can buy “Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business” on Amazon.
11. The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It
Author: Michael E. Gerber
Goodreads rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.14
Number of Pages: 269
E-Myth Revisited was first published in 1986 and to this day is one of the must-read books for startup founders. The classic talks about the entrepreneurial myth, that whoever starts a small business is an entrepreneur. Gerber is a small business consultant and his best-seller explains every step of the business life, debunking myths along the way.
“The difference between great people and everyone else is that great people create their lives actively, while everyone else is created by their lives, passively waiting to see where life takes them next. The difference between the two is living fully and just existing.”
You can buy “The E-Myth Revisited” on Amazon.
12. Who Not How: The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork
Authors: Dan Sullivan and Benjamin P. Hardy
Goodreads rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.16
Number of Pages: 208
Shifting from asking “How?” to asking “Who?” is the key point of this book, explaining how a team of the right people can help you achieve any of your ideas. At the same time, you will get to free up some of your time and build teams of support. Also, the supporting teams will teach you that connections with other people can be and really are the thing that you need in your quest for success.
“It can be easy to focus on How, especially for high achievers who want to control what they can control, which is themselves. It takes vulnerability and trust to expand your efforts and build a winning team (…) Your attention and energy should not be spread thin, but purposefully directed where you can experience extreme flow and creativity.”
You can buy “Who Not How” on Amazon.
13. Think and Grow Rich
Author: Napoleon Hill
Goodreads rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.17
Number of Pages: 320
This classic first came out in 1937 and is a great piece for anyone looking for some motivation. If you want to learn about the Law of Success, look no further than these 320 pages. By reading about the world’s billionaires’ stories, businessmen will be able to find motivation for their own success. Moreover, they can also learn how their own success is affected by their own approach and attitude.
“The starting point of all achievement is DESIRE. Keep this constantly in mind. Weak desire brings weak results, just as a small fire makes a small amount of heat.”
You can buy “Think and Grow Reach” on Amazon.
14. Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action
Author: Simon Sinek
Goodreads rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.08
Number of Pages: 256
If you are a fan of TED Talks, you might have heard of Simon Sinek’s ideas before, as his TED Talk is one of the most popular ones ever. In this book, he asks “Why?” to learn why some companies are so successful, innovative, influential, and why they earn more money than others. Moreover, he claims that when customers find out about the why behind any product, only then they will spend their money on it.
“Very few people or companies can clearly articulate WHY they do WHAT they do. By WHY I mean your purpose, cause or belief – WHY does your company exist? WHY do you get out of bed every morning? And WHY should anyone care? People don’t buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it.”
You can buy “Start with Why” on Amazon.
15. Dream Big: Know What You Want, Why You Want It, and What You’re Going to Do About It
Author: Bob Goff
Goodreads rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.38
Number of Pages: 256
If fear has crept its way into your big dreams, Bob Goff is here to help. On the other hand, perhaps you don’t even know what the dream is. Well, Dream Big will help you discover it, along with anything that might hold you back from your dream. Besides that, this book will also teach you how to achieve that dream by coming up with a plan. Sounds promising, right?
“We need to replace what we’ve settled for with what we’ve been longing for.”
You can buy “Dream Big” on Amazon.
16. The Startup Owner’s Manual: The Step-By-Step Guide for Building a Great Company
Authors: Steve Blank and Bob Dorf
Goodreads rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.10
Number of Pages: 608
Anyone who wants to build a great company will find the guidelines outlined in this business book. Moreover, if you are a fan of data visualization, you will surely love this book full of graphs and charts. Steve Blank, a notorious expert in Silicon Valley startups, shows us in this six-hundred-page book how to make a profit from our business.
“What exactly is a startup? A startup is not a smaller version of a large company. A startup is a temporary organization in search of a scalable, repeatable, profitable business model.”
You can buy “The Startup Owner’s Manual” on Amazon.
17. Leading at the Speed of Growth: Journey from Entrepreneur to CEO
Authors: Katherine Catlin and Jana Matthews
Goodreads rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟 3.75
Number of Pages: 164
This is one of the entrepreneur startup books written by women and tells you a story of growing your company by reflecting on stories of 500 entrepreneurs that grew their businesses successfully. Whether you find yourself in the stage of initial, rapid, or continuous growth of your startup, this book will help you deal with the problems and help you evolve as a leader.
“Your company is your idea, your risk, and your life. You are the leader. But as it grows, it needs to change: and your role must evolve to match those changes. Your challenge is to become the dynamic leader that your company needs through every stage of its growth.”
You can buy “Leading at the Speed of Growth” on Amazon.
18. Founders at Work: Stories of Startups’ Early Days
Author: Jessica Livingston
Goodreads rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟 3.97
Number of Pages: 456
If you are looking for the best books about tech startups, you might have to put “Founders at Work” to your “to-be-read” list. Livingston interviewed founders of some famous technology companies so that they could tell you a story of how they started, how they made investments, and how they recovered from anything that went wrong in their startup beginnings.
“I think there are very few people who have a capacity to see the future. So it can be difficult when you are talking about something where nothing about it exists yet.”
You can buy “Founders at Work” on Amazon.
19. The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses
Author: Eric Ries
Goodreads rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.10
Number of Pages: 336
Innovation is very necessary in the business world today and this is one of the best business books for startups that can show you a scientific approach to achieving success. The Lean Startup has become a global movement dictating how new businesses are launched. Moreover, this book is a great choice for everyone who wants to test their vision and adapt before it is too late.
“The only way to win is to learn faster than anyone else.”
You can buy “The Lean Startup” on Amazon.
20. Never Too Late to Startup: How Mid-Life Entrepreneurs Create Wealth, Freedom & Purpose
Author: Rob Kornblum
Goodreads rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.31
Number of Pages: 316
Are you looking to stop working in a corporation and create your own startup? This book tells you how to achieve that in the middle years of your life. Whether you are uncertain about how to get funded for your new startup project, how to build your team, or how to discover business ideas, this book has got you sorted.
“You are about to embark on a journey in which you take control of your work. You’ll control what you work on, who you work with, what hours you work, where you work, and what impact you’re going to have on the world.”
You can buy “Never Too Late to Startup” on Amazon.
21. Start Something That Matters
Author: Blake Mycoskie
Goodreads rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.03
Number of Pages: 224
In this book, Mycoskie tells the story of TOMS, a fast-growing shoe company, and teaches you lessons on how to enjoy your life while transforming it along with your business. If you struggle to get started, this book will offer you key approaches on how to change that for the better. The inspiring story of “One for one” might inspire you, as well, to do something good and start something that matters.
“If you’re not sure about your passion, here are three questions I sometimes ask people: • If you did not have to worry about money, what would you do with your time? • What kind of work would you want to do? • What cause would you serve? Once you answer these questions, you’ll have a good idea of what your passion is.”
You can buy “Start Something That Matters” on Amazon.
22. Company of One: Why Staying Small Is the Next Big Thing for Business
Author: Paul Jarvis
Goodreads rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟 3.91
Number of Pages: 272
If you need proof of why you should keep your company size to just one person, this book should be your next read. No worrying about growing, adding more people to your team, but instead staying a small business, a small startup might be the way forward for some. To learn how to do business on your own, pick up this book.
“There’s nothing wrong with finding the right size and then focusing on being better. Small can be a long-term plan, not just a stepping-stone.”
You can buy “Company of One” on Amazon.
23. The Power of Broke: How Empty Pockets, a Tight Budget, and a Hunger for Success Can Become Your Greatest Competitive Advantage
Authors: Daymond John and Daniel Paisner
Goodreads rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟 3.94
Number of Pages: 288
According to Daymond John, who once was broke himself, being broke might help drive you to new creative ways of doing business. To learn how to use your resources efficiently, check out this book. Being successful will be your only chance to escape being broke and this book might be your chance to get motivated and learn something new about conducting business.
“The easiest thing to sell is truth.”
You can buy “The Power of Broke” on Amazon.
24. The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business
Author: Charles Duhigg
Goodreads rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫 4.11
Number of Pages: 400
Charles Duhigg explains how we form habits in our business and life, as well as how those habits in turn affect our business and life. If you want to change your habits for the better, this useful book will show you how. Transforming your life and your startup is possible, all you have to do is learn a thing or two about the power of habits.
“If you believe you can change – if you make it a habit – the change becomes real.”
You can buy “The Power of Habit” on Amazon.
25. Purple Cow, New Edition: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable
Author: Seth Godin
Goodreads rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟 3.78
Number of Pages: 224
A remarkable, purple cow versus the invisible cow. The same is with your business, it is either different or it doesn’t have that thing to make it stand out. To make your business remarkable, Godin says, you will have to make it exciting and unbelievable. This entrepreneurial book will help your mind understand how to make a business that people will notice easily.
“If you’re remarkable, it’s likely that some people won’t like you. That’s part of the definition of remarkable. Nobody gets unanimous praise–ever. The best the timid can hope for is to be unnoticed. Criticism comes to those who stand out.”
You can buy “Purple Cow, New Edition” on Amazon.
26. What If It Does Work Out?: Turn your passion into cash, make an impact in the world and live the life you were born to.
Author: Susie Moore
Goodreads rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫 4.33
Number of Pages: 220
Considering a side hustle but scared of it at the same time? Susie Moore tells you not to be, as you can quit your job and finally turn your passions into your business. If you needed the motivation to quit your job and focus fully on making your dreams turn into your startup, check this book out. It might just work out.
“What could you do with those extra hours each week? Think about that for a second. If you sacrifice some weekly screen time, or give up or reduce any other unproductive habit, what gains could you create in your well-being or your goals?”
You can buy “What If It Does Work Out?” on Amazon.
27. Startup Opportunities: Know When to Quit Your Day Job
Authors: Sean Wise and Brad Feld
Goodreads rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟 3.99
Number of Pages: 178
Startups are launching all around us, but not many of them live to see global success. However, if you are unsure of quitting your day job for a business idea of yours, this book will help you decide. To build some credibility of what the book has to say, the authors are experienced in startup launches, having participated in hundreds of launches, and thousands of startup pitches.
“Today, a person starting a new business has access to individual high net worth investors, angel investors, and venture capital funds created for the sole purpose of investing in new ideas and companies. “
You can buy “Startup Opportunities” on Amazon.
28. Will It Fly?: How to Test Your Next Business Idea So You Don’t Waste Your Time and Money
Author: Pat Flynn
Goodreads rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟 3.96
Number of Pages: 340
Afraid to fail? Want to make sure that your idea will turn into a profitable business? Then check this book out and learn whether your idea is worth both your time and money. With practical tests and advice, this book will help you realize how good of an idea your business plan is. Will It Fly? also includes many real-life case studies. Worth a read!
“In other words, a sure-fire way to predict the future is to take no action at all. When you do nothing, you get nothing.”
You can buy “Will It Fly?” on Amazon.
29. Online Business Startup: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Launching a Fast, Lean and Profitable Online Venture
Author: Robin Waite
Goodreads rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟 3.71
Number of Pages: 260
Hoping to learn more about how to start an online business? In this book, you can find proven strategies that you can deploy to your own business. Return on investment, social media strategies, setting up a website, and more will be easier to understand once you are finished with this book.
“A saying which has always stuck with me, ‘Turnover is vanity, profit is sanity.’ A business turning over £100k a year but creating a net profit of £20k is much more successful than a business turning over £1m but only producing a net profit of £50k.”
You can buy “Online Business Startup” on Amazon.
30. Choose: The Single Most Important Decision Before Starting Your Business
Author: Ryan Levesque
Goodreads rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟 3.97
Number of Pages: 240
Instead of choosing what to sell, this book suggests you should choose who you are going to serve with your product, service, etc. This is one of the first things to settle on when developing your startup. To help you along the way, you can find outlined processes that are easy to follow in this guide to be successful at starting your business.
“What are you deeply passionate about? What is a subject or something that you are excited by or an outcome you would like to see in your life or share with the world?”
You can buy “Choose” on Amazon.
31. The Entrepreneur Mind: 100 Essential Beliefs, Characteristics, and Habits of Elite Entrepreneurs
Author: Kevin D. Johnson
Goodreads rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟 3.97
Number of Pages: 268
To become the best entrepreneur, Johnson says, you have to develop The Entrepreneur Mind. Makes sense, right? Such an entrepreneur must have certain beliefs, characteristics, as well as habits. A hundred lessons from this book are dispersed in several areas of business. Changing the way you think might be hard, but with this book, you could be on the right track.
“To be an entrepreneur is to think differently.”
You can buy “The Entrepreneur Mind” on Amazon.
32. Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers
Author: Tim Ferriss
Goodreads rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫 4.06
Number of Pages: 736
Tools of Titans is a book from 2016 that breaks down what billionaires, icons, and world-class performers do every day to achieve greatness. By incorporating these habits, tactics, and thoughts into your everyday life, you can earn more money than before while also minimizing wasting effort. Ferriss hopes that it can help you just like it helped him.
“The world is changed by your example, not by your opinion.”
You can buy “Tools of Titans” on Amazon.
33. Lucky Or Smart?: Fifty Pages for the First-Time Entrepreneur
Author: Bo Peabody
Goodreads rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟 3.84
Number of Pages: 80
Bo Peabody is an example of a businessman who has several successful companies in different industries. He claims he was smart to know when he was getting lucky with his businesses and wishes to prepare you for the same. Through his experiences, Peabody will try to give you lessons on how to be an entrepreneur for the first time in just 50 pages of a book.
“Luck is a part of life, and everyone, at one point or another, gets lucky. But luck is a big part of business life and perhaps the biggest part of entrepreneurial life. At the very least, entrepreneurs must believe in luck. Ideally, they can recognize it when they see it. And over time, the best entreprepeneurs can actually learn to create luck.”
You can buy “Lucky or Smart?” on Amazon.
34. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
Author: James Clear
Goodreads rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫 4.36
Number of Pages: 320
This mega-popular book has sold over 2 million copies since it came out in 2018. If you need help changing your habits in everyday life and business, you should pick it up, as well. If you struggle with ridding your life and business of bad habits, read this book. At the same time, good habits will be easier to develop with the advice from Atomic Habits.
“Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity.”
You can buy “Atomic Habits” on Amazon.
35. Built to Sell: Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You
Author: John Warrillow
Goodreads rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫 4.21
Number of Pages: 176
According to Warrillow, it is hard for most businesses to thrive without the constant involvement of the business owner. However, that can be changed. The steps presented in this book work to create a business that can sell and be successful in the future regardless of its owner. At the same time, the owner will truly get their freedom back.
“Don’t be afraid to say no to projects. Prove that you’re serious about specialization by turning down work that falls outside your area of expertise. The more people you say no to, the more referrals you’ll get to people who need your product or service.”
You can buy “Built to Sell” on Amazon.
Are You Ready To Start Reading?
Among these 35 best business books for startups, we are sure you will find at least one to resonate with you and that might be helpful enough for your current struggles. Highlight your favorite quotes, memorize the best advice, and enjoy these pages to the fullest!
