Deciding to be an entrepreneur and taking the plunge, sure as hell is scary! The path on which you are strutting is full of uncertainties. Your beacon of hope to survive and stay motivated through this rough road to success is literally taking a page out of some really famous books.
Remember, reading is an art that most successful people have mastered. If you want to be on a fast-lane to success, then reading without a doubt is your shortcut. Books are invaluable treasures that enlighten and enrich our minds. It arms us with new ways of thinking so that even the toughest of times doesn’t seem threatening. These books also provide you just the right amount of mentoring and confidence to take any situation head-on.
If you’re an entrepreneur or aspiring to be one then here are 10 must-read motivational books that will be your driving force to push harder towards your coveted goal.
10. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
After all these years, this book still holds the power to change the lives of the readers forever. The Alchemist is a classic and honestly one of the best books penned down by the author. This magnum opus tells the magical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure as ornate as any ever found.
This book is truly inspirational as it teaches us about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, learning to read the omens that present itself along the path of life, and, above all, following our dreams.
“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
9. Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
After ‘Blink’ and ‘The Tipping Point’, this is Gladwell’s third bestseller. Outliers in beautiful details explains how hard work and luck equally play into success.
This book will take you through a journey that explains how luck exists only when there is hard work. Through Outliers, Gladwell also popularized the idea that in order to create a genius, it takes 10,000 hours of practice.
“Practice isn’t the thing you do once you’re good. It’s the thing you do that makes you good.”
8. To Sell Is Human by Daniel Pink
You may not consider yourself to be a ‘sales person’, but trust us in order to be a successful entrepreneur you need to understand how to sell. This book is exceptional as it strategically breaks down the stereotype and stigma associated with salesmanship. With the help of this book learn to impress and ‘move’ others.
“To sell well is to convince someone else to part with resources—not to deprive that person, but to leave him better off in the end.”
7. Losing My Virginity by Richard Branson
‘Oh, screw it, let’s do it”, this is the golden philosophy that allowed the flamboyant billionaire, Richard Branson to scale heights and build his colossal Virgin Empire. This autobiography is bold and audacious as it shows you how having the confidence to fail is the surest way to find success. Losing my virginity is your guide on how to be productive without losing out on fun, life balance, and all the other adventures life throws at you.
“Fun is at the core of the way I like to do business and it has been key to everything I’ve done from the outset. More than any other element, fun is the secret of Virgin’s success”.
6. The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
There are many start-ups launched in a year, but only a handful makes it through the initial hardships. Well the good news is that many of those failures are preventable and this book educates you on how to do just that. Eric, through this book has given the world a scientific approach that changes the way companies needs to be built and new products needs to be launched in order to survive in today’s dynamic environment.
The Lean Startup completely trashes the idea of creating time consuming elaborate business plans. It also offers entrepreneurs a way to test their vision continuously in order to adapt and adjust before it’s too late.
“We must learn what customers really want, not what they say they want or what we think they should want.”
5. Purple Cow by Seth Godin
Godin without a doubt is one of the greatest entrepreneurial minds of our time. In Purple Cow, he strongly advocates on creating something so exceptional that people find it close to impossible to ignore you. One can practically apply the philosophies of this book into everything they build and everything they do.
“Remarkable marketing is the art of building things worth noticing right into your product or service”.
4. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
This is a classic book about leadership and success. Even after 25 years of publication, this book still continues to be ‘numero uno’ and still manages to sell millions of copies. Seven Habits offers entrepreneurs with timeless lessons on success and leadership and the best part is, it works like a magic wand.
“To change ourselves effectively, we first had to change our perceptions.”
3. The 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris
Through this book, Ferris gives you a simple roadmap of how to take your big idea to the market. This book offers you the much needed blueprint to magically turn your entrepreneurial dream to reality. With 4-Hour Work Week by your side you can finally have the luxury to just live more, work less and still earn that five-figure income.
“If you are insecure, guess what? The rest of the world is, too. Do not overestimate the competition and underestimate yourself. You are better than you think.”
2. The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber
This book has been assisting thousands of small businesses for more than 40 years now. To help prevent readers from making fatal mistakes, the author through this book presents an easily understood and an effective business model to guide entrepreneurs at all stages of growth.
“Contrary to popular belief, my experience has shown me that the people who are exceptionally good in business aren’t so because of what they know but because of their insatiable need to know more.”
1. Rework by Jason Fried & David Heinemeier
This by far is the best non-bullshit business book you will come across. Rework shows you a smarter and a faster approach to succeed in business. It defies all ‘traditional’ business concepts and gets straight to the point. The advice given on starting your own company is simple and clear. With its easy-is-better approach and straightforward language, Rework is the perfect playbook for anyone who as ever dreamed of being an entrepreneur.
“Workaholics aren’t heroes. They don’t save the day, they just use it up. The real hero is home because she figured out a faster way”.
