A Smart Time to Get Smarter

With so much uncertainty in the world right now, it's easy to feel a little lost. Having felt this way countless times in my career, I've found that the best thing to do is to go find an expert who has been there/done that. Thankfully, there are many writers who have distilled their wisdom of experience into books that you can have on your doorstep within 48 hours. This is one of the reasons why, as Christopher Lochhead ???????????? has said many times on his brilliant podcast, it's a dumb time to be dumb.

As we all venture into 2024, I wanted to share some of my favorite books with you.

The wisdom in these books has helped me launch several successful companies ( YumCrunch , World Chef , Ugly Brother Studios ) raise more than $5 million in venture capital and build strategic relationships with some of the biggest brands and thought leaders around. Maybe it will help you, too.

The truth is, it's easier than ever to get smarter and even inoculate ourselves against the forces that are beyond our control. Whether you cherrypick the books that speak to your current needs, or start from the beginning (I listed them in an order for a reason), please share what you've learned.

Here's to a wonderful and adventurous New Year!

Note that every book title is linked to the Amazon bookstore (no, I don't get paid).

STARTING A BUSINESS

The Creative Act - Music producer Rick Rubin has produced some of the greatest music of all time, without any musical talent. He wrote this book over 6 years as a text he "wished he had" when he was young. If you're an aspiring creative, or you work with creatives, this book will give you the tools you need to access the "Flow State" necessary to bend the world to your creative will.

Play Bigger - Amazon, Tesla and Netflix not only created new categories of business, they captured 60-70% of the share of those categories and still reign today. Co-written by the Godfather of Category Design, Christopher Lochhead ???????????? , this book is your bible for designing your new category of business rather than trying to compete with the incumbents.

Who Not How - Dan Sullivan shares the formula for building a team to achieve extraordinary goals. This one was mind-blowing for me!

The Cold Start Problem - Andrew Chen shows us how to start from nothing and harness "network effects" to scale your business.

Crossing the Chasm - the original roadmap for launching new technology from Geoffrey Moore . While several of the references are outdated, the core principles hold true today. This is required reading for anyone launching a digital project.

COPYWRITING

Smart Brevity - in a hyper competitive world where attention is everything, these Axios writers ( Jim VandeHei , et al) offer a guide to say more with much less. Crucial for anyone writing copy meant to grab consumer and/or investor attention.

RAISING CAPITAL

Secrets of Sandhill Road /Venture Deals - if you are looking to raise capital, or mimic the growth that capital-funded businesses must deliver to be worthy of venture investment, these two books are your secret weapons. Scott Kupor Eric Ries , Brad Feld , et al)

STAYING SANE AND THRIVING IN CHAOS

How to Think Like a Roman Emperor - A must read from Donald J. Robertson for the aspiring entrepreneur who wants to use some of Marcus Aurelius' Stoic wisdom to become stronger, more resilient and less reactive. While it is not necessary to have read Meditations before reading this book, what the heck are you waiting for?

Ego is the Enemy - Modern Stoic Ryan Holiday dispels the notion that ego is necessary for success with cautionary tales of leaders who became their own worst enemy.

Man’s Search for Meaning - This profound book from Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl inspires hope and strength in times of great despair. I re-read it every year to refocus around purpose - the greatest motivator of all.

MANAGING PEOPLE

The 48 Laws of Power - Robert Greene is one of the greatest thinker/philosophers of our time. Power dynamics exist in every corner of existence and this book will help you understand them, harness them and empower yourself to get what you want out of life.

The Four Tendencies - Gretchen Rubin breaks down personalities. Whether you're trying to understanding yourself better or others, everyone should read this book. If you've ever taken a personality test, you'll find this familiar but also completely groundbreaking.

Scaling People - Claire Hughes Johnson took her experience at Google and Stripe and wrote this book about managing and scaling a world-class team.

How to Win Friends and Influence People - this update from the original Dale Carnegie self-help book written 100 years ago is as true as ever. If you're strugging in any relationship, whether personal or professional, this will help you pave a smoother road for all involved.

Even This I Get to Experience - the late Norman Lear's memoir of his life and career and how he stayed young and relevant well into his 90s.

MARKETING

Superconsumers - Eddie Yoon breaks down why every business needs to grab superconsumers who will become evangelists for your product or service and up to 9 other categories of business.

22 Immutable Laws of Marketing /This is Marketing - Every professional should at least understand the basics of grabbing an audience and converting them to your will. These two books will ensure you never feel like a 3rd wheel in a marketing conversation and they'll also empower you from the beginning to build something that people actually want.

SCALING YOUR BUSINESS

The Amazon Way - John Rossman breaks down the 14 principles that turned Amazon into the world's largest digital marketplace.

Becoming Trader Joe - "Trader Joe" Coulombe tells his story about his David Vs. Goliath battle to win consumer loyalty and build one of the great curated marketplaces of our time.

The 80/20 Principle - Yes, this book is about how to achieve more with less. But, it's also an invaluable tool for self-review either personally or of your business to maximize results that really matter and ditch the stuff that doesn't.

If any of this is meaningful to you, give me a follow so we can stay in touch!