Must-Read Books for Entrepreneurs

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Entrepreneurship is a challenging journey filled with highs and lows. To navigate this path successfully, entrepreneurs must have a growth mindset and a constant thirst for knowledge. One of the best ways to do this is by reading books written by other successful entrepreneurs.

But we know first-hand just how time-consuming reading books can be, especially when there are so many crucial ones to go through. That’s why LIT Videobooks can be a valuable resource for entrepreneurs who prefer to learn through visual and audio content in a fraction of the time it takes to go through an entire book or audiobook. In this article, we will discuss the top 10 must-read books for entrepreneurs and any relevant LIT Videobooks that will help prospective entrepreneurs gain valuable insights into the world of entrepreneurship.

The LIT videobooks condense the most important information from top business books into bite-sized hour-long documentary-style videos presented directly by the authors. These books are essential to ensure the growth and long-term success of your business. They contain the type of highly focused information that broader business programs don’t cover.

Here are the 10 LIT picks for must-watch and read business books:

1. Contagious by Jonah Berger

Contagious by Jonah Berger is a book that explores why certain things go viral and how to create content that is more likely to become viral. Berger identifies six fundamental principles that drive people to share and discusses real-life examples of successful contagious content.

The book is an excellent resource for anyone looking to create content that will spread quickly and effectively. So, if you’re the type of entrepreneur who’s more hands-on with your marketing plans going through the videobook takes less than an hour and covers everything you need to know to execute the six principles in this book.

2. The Lean Startup by Eric Ries

This book is a must-read for any entrepreneur who wants to build a successful startup. It teaches entrepreneurs to focus on creating a minimum viable product and testing it with customers before investing too much time and money into building a product nobody wants. The Lean Startup teaches you a disruptive new approach to jumpstarting your business, allowing you to extract the most out of the creativity of your workforce, and shorten the product development cycle significantly, so you can shift and hit your target market rapidly and effectively.

3. Radical Candor by Kim Scott

In this videobook, author Kim Scott presents a management philosophy that aims to foster a culture of open and honest communication in the workplace. It encourages managers to challenge their employees directly while showing they care about their personal and professional development. The book emphasizes the importance of building strong team relationships and providing continuous feedback to help employees grow and improve. The Radical Candor videobook version is a highly effective way to pick up on all the leadership skills presented in the book, so you can spend less time reading and more time achieving better results in a much more positive work environment.

4. The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier

This videobook focuses on teaching managers how to coach their employees effectively. It provides a simple framework of seven questions that can be used to stimulate meaningful conversations and help employees find their own solutions to problems. By watching The Coaching Habit, you’ll learn the importance of active listening, asking open-ended questions, and avoiding advice-giving as key elements of effective coaching. A practical guide to coaching your employees effectively and helping them reach their full potential.

5. Profit First by Mike Michalowicz

A revolutionary videobook that challenges the traditional Sales - Expenses = Profit accounting formula. The author displays how this formula sets businesses up for failure because it prioritizes expenses over profit. Instead, he introduces a new formula: Sales - Profit = Expenses. The videobook provides practical steps for implementing this system and includes real-life success stories from businesses that have adopted this approach. You can find the videobook here.

6. Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey A. Moore

In Crossing the Chasm, author Geoffrey A. Moore explains the challenges of bringing disruptive innovations to mainstream markets. The book presents a model that describes the different types of customers and their adoption patterns, from early adopters to laggards. The most significant challenge, according to Moore, is crossing the "chasm" that separates the early adopters from the mainstream market. This requires a different marketing approach, focusing on a specific niche market and building a beachhead before expanding to the mainstream. This videobook includes practical guidance on creating a marketing strategy that addresses the unique needs of each customer group and how to manage the transition from early adopters to mainstream customers.

7. Entrepreneurial Leadership by Joel Peterson

This book explores the characteristics and principles of successful entrepreneurial leaders. According to the author, a great leader must have a clear vision, a willingness to take calculated risks, and the ability to inspire and motivate their team. He also emphasizes the importance of integrity, humility, and focusing on long-term goals rather than short-term gains. In this videobook, you’ll find real-life examples of successful leaders and practical advice on developing the skills and mindset needed to become a great leader.

8. Loonshots by Safi Bahcall

Loonshots is the go-to videobook for every entrepreneur interested in fostering innovation within their organizations. The author presents two types of projects: “loonshots,” which are highly innovative but risky ventures, and “franchise projects,” which are more predictable and less risky. Bahcall suggests that organizations must balance these two types of projects to succeed and provides examples of successful and unsuccessful companies that have followed or ignored this principle.

9. The Innovator's Dilemma by Clayton Christensen

One of the most influential growth books in history. This book shows how even when you do everything right, your position in the market is never guaranteed. This book teaches entrepreneurs the importance of innovation and how even the most established products will fall by the wayside unless they abandon traditional business practices.

Clayton Christensen also appears in the LIT videobook “How Will You Measure Your Life?” where Karen Dillon, former editor of the Harvard Business Review, walks you through his business theories and how you can apply them to your personal life.

10. Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh

If you’re an entrepreneur who wants to build a successful company culture that focuses on happiness and customer satisfaction, then this book is for you. In the book, Hsieh describes his personal journey from starting his first business venture to becoming a successful entrepreneur. He also shares the story of how he transformed Zappos from a struggling startup to a billion-dollar business by focusing on customer service and company culture.

Additional reading material

If you’ve already gone through every book and videobook in this list and you’re still hungry for more, then here are some additional books to complement the list above:

Zero to One by Peter Thiel

In this book, Peter Thiel shares his insights on how to build a successful startup by creating something new that solves a real problem. You’ll learn an entirely new way of thinking about innovation, finding value in unexpected experiences, and, most importantly, learning to think for yourself, coming up with something new instead of doing what others already know.

The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz

Written by one of Silicon Valley’s most revered entrepreneurs, this book is a must-read for entrepreneurs going through tough times. It provides valuable insights on navigating the challenges of building a successful business. This book gives you everything you need to know about managing the hardest challenges you’ll be facing that business schools simply don’t teach.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey

This classic book teaches entrepreneurs how to be more effective in their personal and professional lives. It relies on ageless principles of fairness, integrity, and dignity. You’ll learn to lead yourself and influence others to reach peak organizational effectiveness.

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

Dubbed the “Granddaddy of All Motivational Literature.” This book is a timeless classic that requires little introduction. It teaches entrepreneurs the importance of mindset, using the “Law of Success” philosophy, and thinking positively to achieve success.

The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber

A great book by "the World's #1 Small Business Guru" — this book is a must-read for any entrepreneur who wants to build a successful business that can run without their constant involvement.

Good to Great by Jim Collins

This book is a must-read for anyone interested in business success. It explores why some companies can make the leap from good to great while others struggle to achieve success. With insightful analysis and practical advice, the author offers a roadmap for companies striving for greatness.

Crush It! by Gary Vaynerchuk

This book shows how to build a successful personal brand and leverage social media to grow their business. The author wrote this book to be the perfect companion if you’re looking to turn your passions and hobbies into a profitable business. It teaches entrepreneurs how to extract the power of the internet to achieve their dreams.

In conclusion, reading books and watching LIT videobooks written and presented by successful entrepreneurs is one of the best ways to gain knowledge and insights into the world of entrepreneurship. The books and LIT Videobooks listed above are the top must-read and must-watch resources for entrepreneurs to help them navigate the path to success with more confidence, knowledge, and inspiration.

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