Nine books that every successful entrepreneur has on their bookshelf

No one can think of everything and you are growing a business, so take advantage of the best the business community has to offer. Whether you read each book cover to cover or simply use them for reference, they represent ideas and techniques that will help you get through the dark days that all entrepreneurs face at some point.

The four steps to epiphany – Steve Blank. It provides practical instructions on how to approach customers, sales, marketing, and building your business at different stages of your business.

The innovator’s dilemma – Clayton Christensen. Explain why most companies miss out on new waves of innovation. Provides a set of rules to capitalize on the phenomenon of disruptive innovation.

The Lean Startup – Eric Ries. How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses.

Lean Analytics – Eric Ries. It shows you how to validate your initial idea, find the right customers, decide what to build, how to monetize your business, and how to get the word out.

The paradox of strategy – Michael Raynor. It explains a pervasive but little understood trade-off. The trade-off is that most strategies are based on specific beliefs about an unpredictable future, but current strategic approaches force leaders to commit to an uncompromising strategy regardless of how the future unfolds.

Books in the Strategyzer series. I’m lying, there are more than 9 books, but the following are so closely related that I consider them a great book.. They are invaluable in starting, maintaining and growing any business.

Generation of business models teaches you to understand, design and systematically differentiate your business model.

Value proposition design helps you meet a critical challenge for all businesses: creating compelling products and services that customers want to buy.

Business ideas test explains how to increase the success of any business by providing a practical guide for quick experimentation.

High Impact Equipment Tools explains how to drive alignment, accountability, and deliver on complex, uncertain, and fast-paced projects.

Invincible company Build a capacity for constant reinvention by managing a portfolio of new ideas. Compete on superior business models, not products, technology, and pricing. It transcends the limits of the industry.

The Home Owner’s Manual – Steve Blank. A step-by-step, almost encyclopedic reference manual or “how to” to build a scalable and successful startup.

How to win friends and influence people – Dale Carnegie. A timeless bestseller, packed with rock-solid advice that has led thousands of now-famous people to climb the ladder of success in their business and personal lives.