Must-Reads for First-time Tech Founders

This morning, a good friend asked me, 'Does YC recommend any entrepreneurial books to read (beyond the YC startup school courses)?' Awkwardly, I didn't know how to respond, despite being an avid reader who used to read 100+ books a year...

After some thought, I crafted a book list I recently read and reread for the past 6-months. This list is mainly for first-time technical founders like myself who barely know anything about sales, marketing, and management.

Entrepreneurship

Surviving a Startup - Steven Hoffman

• There is a huge gulf between the categories of "essentials" and "goodies." How do you know if your product falls into the category of "necessities"? If your product is sold to businesses, it's easy to tell. You just need to ask your client what their top five priorities are. If your product does not help them achieve one of these goals, your product will be rejected by them immediately.
• The best way to build trust quickly is to reveal your values and motives through a short story. A truly moving story comes from within you, and it can tell you who you are, why you do what you do, and what it all means for the world.

Zero to One - Blake Masters and Peter Thiel

• The most successful companies first dominate a specific niche market before expanding into related markets, sharing similar entrepreneurial stories.
• Focus on the product, not on marketing. Relying on brand rather than strength from the start poses significant risks.
• Every monopoly gains its position by solving a unique problem; however, businesses fail for the same reason: they can't escape competition.

Management

The Essential Drucker - Peter Drucker

• The goal of management is to enable ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things.
• Management is decision-making - not just about what to do or not do, but also how to do it.
• Top companies always have first-class execution teams; intelligence alone accomplishes nothing.
• Time is the most precious resource. It's priceless, and exchanging money for time is actually a very appropriate trade.

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team - Patrick Lencioni

• Absence of trust
• Fear of conflict
• Lack of commitment
• Avoidance of accountability
• Inattention to results

The New One Minute Manager - Ken Blanchard

1. One-minute goals. define succinct (250-word), clear, and measurable goals with deadlines; spend a minute to assess performance and check alignment about the goals everyday.
2. One-minute praisings. In the first 30s, praise your team promptly and specifically, highlighting how their actions positively impact the team. Then, use the next 30s to encourage ongoing good performance, showing confidence and support.
3. One-minute redirects. immediately addressing the error, analyzing it specifically, and discussing its impact in the first 30s. Then, use the next 30s to reassure their abilities, express continued trust, and move on.

Sales & Marketing

Crossing the Chasm - Geoffrey Moore

• Position yourself as a market leader in your niche by making a strong claim.
• Positioning is often seen as a way to make products easier to sell, but it's really about making them easier to buy.

The Sales Acceleration Formula - Mark Roberge

• world-class sales hiring is the biggest driver of sales success
• each sales has their own distinct skills or superpowers
• use quantifiable metrics to track the performance throughout each stage of the sales funnel

The Qualified Sales Leader - John McMahon

On my TODO list. (Recommended by multiple founders)

After crafting the list above, I stopped - the truth is, learning from books is shallow; true knowledge comes from practice.

Wish everyone a better year filled with exciting possibilities ahead!