Entrepreneurship is a lifestyle and to excel on it you need to learn and unlearn many things. Below is a list of books that have helped me understand this lifestyle and how to make the most of it. I hope they can help you in your entrepreneurial journey.

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

Think and Grow rich was originally published in 1937. Due to this, I originally thought the book was not going to be relevant when I first started reading it. However, after a few pages, you are going to understand why this book is so powerful. To me, it has two main takeaways: the first one is that you can train your mind to think about and attract success. The second, is that you are always going to be right about your entrepreneurial journey; that is, if you think you will succeed or fail, more than likely you will be correct in the outcome. 

The Lean Startup by Eric Ries 

Most people think about building something and people will come. Create a product and people will automatically come and use your product. That is far from the truth. Eric Ries does a great job in explaining the approach he used in creating a successful technology product. The main takeaway from this book is the build-measure-learn loop. Simply put, you can’t improve what you don’t measure. 

The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber

My original thought about this book was that it was not good. One time talking with someone about why they shouldn’t read it, it hit me; it is actually a very good book. The main thing you will learn from this book is to work on the business not in the business. To create a business is to create processes that others can follow and help you achieve your bigger mission.

The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss

While I’m not a fan of everything that Tim Ferriss says, once you read The E-Myth, you may be wondering how to make it happen. The 4-Hour Workweek has plenty of examples on how to make this happen. It opens your eyes to the gig economy, how you can participate in it and how to leverage your skills to take your business to the next level. 

The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz

Once you have a business going. You’re going to find that you have to make many hard, sometimes impossible, decisions. The Hard Things About Hard Things draws from many years of experience to bring a collection of essays that can be exactly what you need to read/understand when facing tough times. 

One last thing, check out this video by Steve Jobs. You probably already know the lesson if you’re reading this post but it’s a short and very important reminder.