5 books on startup culture

The ongoing season of ‘Shark Tank India’ has got all of us, startup and non-startup crowds, taking notes about how to grow a business. This reality TV show aside, you can turn to plenty of books to fire up your startup dream.

Will It Fly?

Author: Thomas K McKnight

Is your startup worthy of funding? Find your answers in this book, where Thomas McKnight has distilled the learnings from 200 business launches, and his personal experiences as a business coach. He writes about 44 factors that increase the success chances of your venture.

Published by Financial Times/Prentice Hall, the paperback is available on Amazon at Rs 1,827.

The Art of the Pitch

Author: Peter Coughter

It is a must-read for early-stage startups. It teaches the art of pitching to the investors. With his extensive background in advertising and marketing, Peter has put together a perfect kit for enhancing your communication skills.

Published in 2019, by Palgrave Macmillan, the hardcover is available on Amazon at Rs 489.

The Power of Broke

Author: Daymond John with Daniel Paisner

This one is coming from one of the most famous ‘Sharks’, Daymond John. It traces the journey of FUBU, his $6 billion global swimwear brand that he started by sewing T-shirts with a starting budget of just $40. The book also features inspiring stories of entrepreneurs like Steve Aoki, Gigi Butler, and Mo Bridges, an 11-year-old behind a bow tie brand.

Published by Random House USA Inc, find it on Flipkart for Rs 1,011.

StartupLand

Author: Mikkel Svane with Carlye Adler

From leaving their cushy jobs to start a software-as-a-service brand called Zendesk in 2007 and getting it listed on the New York Stock Exchange, Morten Primdahl, Alexander Aghassipour, and Mikkel Svane have had an exhilarating journey. In this book, Mikkel recollects that journey – the early adventures, the risks, the problems they faced while scaling up the business.

Published by John Wiley and Sons Inc in 2014, the book is available for Rs 2,074 on Flipkart.

The Hard Thing About Hard Things

Author: Ben Horowitz

This book presents the not-so-exciting side of being an entrepreneur in an unapologetic manner. It has chapters on onerous subjects like layoffs, infringing on others’
ideas, and office politics.

Published by HarperCollins Publishers Inc, the hardcover of the book is available on Flipkart at Rs 468.