Entrepreneurs starting their first business often hunt for a cookbook of recipes to make sense of a journey that is alternating between bewilderment and frustration. But startups fight for existence in a competitive and evolving environment, where changes in the technical or social substrates can invalidate their strategy or enable competitors without warning.
Entrepreneurs Cannot Rely on a Cookbook or a Manual Read More »
Bob Biglin, CEO of the Center for Advanced Emotional Intelligence, offers a review of “Working Capital: It Takes More than Money.”
Bob Biglin’s Review of Working Capital: It Takes More Than Money Read More »
“Sales Craft: Proven Tips, Tactics and Ideas to Elevate Your Sales” by Brendan McAdams is a quick read, well written and clearly based on practical experience.
Brendan McAdams on Sales Craft: Proven Tips to Elevate Your Sales Read More »
There are several insights for bootstrappers in William Eleazar Barton’s “The Icebergs and the Fog.” It’s a “Safed the Sage” parable published in 1925
William Eleazar Barton: The Parable of the Icebergs and the Fog Read More »
Austin Kleon’s third book, “Keep Going,” contains a wealth of practical advice for how to persevere and how to summon the energy and to start over with new creativity.
Austin Kleon’s “Keep Going” Offers Practical Advice on Perseverance Read More »
Austin Kleon has a short section, “Make Lists,” in his new book, “Keep Going.” He offers several suggestions for different types of lists; I have selected four to explore in some detail because I think they are most appropriate for entrepreneurs.
Austin Kleon on Making Lists: To-Do, Ideas, and Do’s & Don’ts Read More »
Here are six practical lessons from Priya Parker‘s “The Art of Gathering.” It’s a great book that provides both practical and conceptual guidance for anyone who is planning or hosting a meeting.
Key Lessons From Priya Parker’s “The Art of Gathering “ Read More »
Napoleon Hill wrote “The Magic Ladder to Success” in 1930. Despite being a con man and failure for most of his life, Hill was able to accurately summarize a number of common sense rules for success. I have tried to pull out some key insights in this blog post, leaving out a number of other
Napoleon Hill on Principles for Success in Business and Life Read More »
Daniel Levitin’s “This is Your Brain on Music” offers an interesting mix of insights based on research, interviews with musicians, and his own experience.
This is Your Brain on Music Read More »
Neuromancer, William Gibson’s first novel, was published in 1984. It helped to establish the cyberpunk genre of science fiction: a dark future where computing, communication, and artificial intelligence technologies were dominant, complemented by significant medical advances, large inhabited satellites in Earth orbit, and considerable drug use. I recently re-read it and was struck by how things
Revisting Neuromancer After Three Decades Read More »
Our July 2017 Newsletter focused on key insights for entrepreneurs offered by Robert Pirsig in “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. If you have not had a chance to read it I would encourage you to put it on your summer reading list.
Newsletter July 2017: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance Read More »
Andy Hunt and Dave Thomas wrote “The Pragmatic Programmer” in 1999; it offers a number of insights that are still applicable not only to software development but software entrepreneurship. I have distilled 8 tactics from a selection of 25 tips (out of more than 70 in the book).
8 Tactics For Entrepreneurs From “The Pragmatic Programmer” Read More »
Max Gunther’s “The Zurich Axioms” is aimed at investors but also offers valuable insights and rules of thumb for entrepreneurs.
A Summary of Max Gunther’s “The Zurich Axioms” for Entrepreneurs Read More »
Our June 2017 Newsletter features four books entrepreneurs should consider for their Summer Reading 2017 list. I have included an additional four free books in our special offers section.
Newsletter June 2017: Summer Reading 2017 Read More »
Devora Zack wrote “Networking For People Who Hate Networking” to help introverts improve their network skills. She offers a number of insights along with several worksheets, checklists, and exercises to help you prepare, practice, and reflect.
Five Insights from Devora Zack’s “Networking For People Who Hate Networking” Read More »
I re-read “Up the Organization” by Robert Townsend and was struck by how many of his insights were still applicable. The first chapter offers a recipe for breakthrough impact: combine clear goals with delegation based on expertise.
Combine Clear Goals with Delegation Based on Expertise for High Impact Read More »
Dorothea Brande wrote “Becoming a Writer” in 1934. The book remains in print today, offering valuable tips for both writers and entrepreneurs.
Dorothea Brande’s “Becoming a Writer:” 6 Tips for Entrepreneurs Read More »
Ken Iverson wrote “Plain Talk” 1997 to document the management and innovation principles that led Nucor from bankruptcy to the number three position in the steel industry in the United States. Since the publication of the book Nucor has become the number one player.
Innovation Principles from Ken Iverson’s “Plain Talk” Read More »
“So Good They Can’t Ignore You” by Cal Newport offers a very good model for creating a good career or prospering as an entrepreneur.
So Good They Can’t Ignore You Read More »
Gerald Weinberg wrote “Weinberg on Writing: the Fieldstone Method” to share many techniques he had perfected in writing more than 40 books and 400 technical articles. The method is very applicable to the exploration of a new market to find problem-solution fit and ultimately product-market fit.
“Weinberg on Writing” Fieldstone Method Useful For Entrepreneurs Read More »
