~/writing
Writing
Notes, book summaries, and whatever else is on my mind.
Book: Never Split the Difference, Chris Voss
One of the must-reads for negotiations but I've come to it very late. It does have some really interesting and unique insights which will be helpful in the future.
readBook: The Mom Test, Rob Fitzpatrick
Talking to potential customers about your idea is not enough. You need to ask the right questions, the right way to get relevant answers.
readBook: Start from Zero, Dane Maxwell
I've first learned about Dane a few years back when he launched his TheFoundation software course. I didn't join but learned a lot from the free material he provided with the launch.
readBook: The Lean Startup, Eric Ries
This is a legendary startup book that somehow evaded me for a long time. I was still aware of the general ideas, however, reading it sooner would probably help me avoid a basic mistake we made in one of our latests projects.
readBook: The Manager's Path, Camille Fournier
Without a doubt one of the best books on management. A must-read if you’re in technology, even if you don’t come from a technical background (like I don’t).
readBook: Ogilvy on Advertising, David Ogilvy
A classic from 1963 and still very relevant, even when writing for the web.
readBook: The Checklist Manifesto, Atul Gawande
Checklists are great. We use them in all parts of the company process and a lot of documentation is made obsolete just by changing it to a checklist that anyone can follow.
readBook: The Permanent Portfolio, Craig Rowland
This is a modern interpretation of the book Fail-Safe Investing by Harry Browne. It's the same concept but with modern examples.
readBook: Work Rules!, Laszlo Bock
A great book on Google's completely different style of management. Unfortunately, I've heard and read enough about Google of late that I know this doesn't apply anymore.
readBook: It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy at Work, David Heinemeier Hansson and Jason Fried
## Review A quick read, about 2 hours, with a lot of great non-conventional advice like in Maverick. We already follow a lot of the things mentioned but there are quite a few new good ideas.
readBook: Slicing Pie, Mike Moyer
A good model on how to allocate equity in bootstrapped startups. The author also offers a software that simplifies the process.
readBook: Small Giants, Bo Burlingham
Company culture, an elusive ideal. Can you keep it once you start growing, and how?
readBook: Financial Intelligence for Entrepreneurs, Karen Berman and Joe Knight
A great book if you don't have a background in economics/accounting or if you want to refresh the knowledge.
readBook: The Subconscious Mind In Business, Robert Updegraff
A classic from 1929. It's really hard to find and it costs an arm and a leg to buy (printed scan book is $30).
readBook: Differentiate or Die, Jack Trout
Similar lessons to author's previous book, Positioning, but worth a read nonetheless. Lessons here can be a difference between a failed or a successful company.
readBook: Maverick!, Ricardo Semler
If you're not an entrepreneur for the ego-trip of being "the boss", then this is one of the best books you can read. It emphasizes empowering your team, giving them more information, responsibility, power to make decisions, profit sharing, ...
readBook: Traction, Gabriel Weinberg and Justin Mares
Great overview of the most common and effective marketing channels, how to test them and how to scale up. Fantastic for startups and a great reminder for existing businesses.
readBook: Positioning, Al Ries and Jack Trout
The first edition of this book was published in 1987, but the lessons are as important today as they were 30 years ago. If you can get through the outdated examples, this book gives fantastic advice on how to position a product in an overcrowded market.
readArticle: What Google Learned From Its Quest to Build the Perfect Team, NY Times
This is just a bit longer article on NY Times but it has some very important lessons I thought should be noted and shared.
readBook: Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Ron Chernow
A very long and fascinating read about one of the great American industrialists and/or Robber Barons. The book is brilliantly written, putting you at the center of The Gilded Age.
read