The best startup books to kickstart your business

In this guide, we’ll highlight the best startup books to kickstart your business, including:

  • From Idea to Reality: An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Meaningful Business Growth (Jean Paul Paulynice) 
  • The Entrepreneur Roller Coaster (Darren Hardy) 
  • What It Takes: How I Built a $100 Million Business Against the Odds (Raegan Moya-Jones)
  • What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20 (Tina Seelig) 
  • The Startup Owner’s Manual (Steve Blank)
  • Who (Geoff Smart and Randy Street)
  • You Are a Badass at Making Money: Master the Mindset of Wealth (Jen Sincero)
  • The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers (Ben Horowitz)
  • Founders at Work (Jessica Livingston)
  • The Lean Startup (Eric Ries)
  • Superbosses (Sydney Finkelstein)
  • Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration (Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace)
  • Thrive (Arianna Huffington)
  • Screw it, Let’s do it (Richard Branson)
  • Never Too Late to Startup (Rob Kornblum)

From Idea to Reality: An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Meaningful Business Growth (Jean Paul Paulynice) 

Whether you’re starting fresh or looking for the next step, Jean-Paul Paulynice’s book offers jargon-free actionable advice about launching and growing your own business. 

The Entrepreneur Roller Coaster (Darren Hardy) 

Darren Hardy outlines the real-world difficulties of entrepreneurship that can get in the way of success and how to cope with them for a better overall experience. 

What It Takes: How I Built a $100 Million Business Against the Odds (Raegan Moya-Jones) 

Describing her less conventional journey, Raegan Moya-Jones story is one of courage and guts that lets us know that anybody can succeed if they have the right mindset and determination.  

What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20 (Tina Seelig) 

Teela Seelig offers up some hard truths learned from her own experiences that’ll tell you the lesser-known realities of starting your own business. 

The Startup Owner’s Manual (Steve Blank)

With over 100 charts and graphs, and 77 checklists, Steve Blank gets straight to the point, teaching new business owners how to start a business in a methodical fashion. 

Who (Geoff Smart and Randy Street)

It’s not the most commonly explored topic for startups, but Randy Street highlights just how essential the hiring process is for businesses of all sizes. After all, businesses are made of people. And “Who” gives you the skills you need to find the right people for any position. 

You Are a Badass at Making Money: Master the Mindset of Wealth (Jen Sincero)

Jen Sincero uses personal anecdotes to help you shift your mindset when it comes to making money. She explains that, rather than be a victim of negative circumstances, anybody has the potential to earn money by changing their perceptions to overcome their fears

The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers (Ben Horowitz)

A witty book from one of Silicon Valley’s most experienced entrepreneurs, “The Hard Thing About Hard Things” gives a range of advice on how to make the difficult decisions that every business owner will have to face.

Founders at Work (Jessica Livingston)

“Founders at Work” is full of interviews with founders and co-founders at Apple, Microsoft, Google, Flickr, PayPal, Hotmail, and more. They share stories from their early days that are full of useful advice for budding entrepreneurs. 

The Lean Startup (Eric Ries)

Eric Ries gives incredibly useful advice for startups on a tight budget (which is most of them). She explains how to make the most out of every opportunity by utilising capital efficiency and human creativity. 

Superbosses (Sydney Finkelstein)

Jam-packed with research and interviews, “Superbosses” is all about the importance of leadership skills in business. According to Finkelstein, the best bosses motivate their employees and shape them into leaders in their own right. 

Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration (Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace)

Ed Catmull (co-founder of Pixar) and Amy Wallace (author) share their less conventional ideas on how to make workspaces more inspirational, find originality, and find unique leaders worth following. 

Thrive (Arianna Huffington)

Following a serious injury caused by exhaustion, Arrianna Huffington (co-founder of the Huffington Post), wrote “Thrive” in an attempt to redefine success in the business world. She emphasises the importance of work-life balance, sleep, downtime, and mindfulness for entrepreneurs.

Screw it, Let’s do it (Richard Branson)

Of the many books written by business giant Richard Branson, “Screw it, Let’s do it” tries to hammer home the value of perseverance and determination in the face of difficult odds, making it the perfect read for aspiring business owners. 

Never Too Late to Startup (Rob Kornblum)

Venture capitalist Rob Kornblum interviews a dozen mid-life business founders, challenging the common perception that startups are only for young hotshot tech geniuses.

You’ll learn how to develop a great idea, lower the risk of starting a business, and how to find the right co-founders for your business.

Manage your startup costs with one simple app

Financial management can be stressful at the best of times, but especially when you’re just getting started and money is tight. So give yourself the best possible chance by using Countingup. 

Countingup is the business current account with built-in accounting software that allows you to manage all your financial data in one place. With features like automatic expense categorisation, invoicing on the go, receipt capture tools, tax estimates, and cash flow insights, you can confidently keep on top of your business finances wherever you are. 

You can also share your bookkeeping with your accountant instantly without worrying about duplication errors, data lags or inaccuracies. Seamless, simple, and straightforward! 

Find out more here.

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