A step-by-step, encyclopedic reference manual by Steve Blank and Bob Dorf on how to build and scale a successful startup. Best to read this book in parts and reference it whenever you need help with a particular section.
Coming up with great product or brand names is hard. Alexandra Watkins shows you the SMILE and SCRATCH methodology to create memorable and effective brand names, even if you're a noncreative.
Clayten Christensen seminal book is based on the Jobs to be done framework, and insight that when we buy a product, we essentially “hire” it to make progress and get a job done. And if the product hired to do the job does it well, we hire it again. And if not, we “fire” it and look for an alternative. Christensen argues that when companies truly understand the job their customer is hiring their product or service to do, is when companies can drive innovative solutions forward.
Learn the path Tony Hsieh took at Zappos, which he joined and became CEO after selling LinkExchange to Microsoft, to grow the company to over $1 billion in gross merchandise sales in less than ten years. A great book on creating the a strong and customer-oriented company culture.
Bestselling author Gary Vaynerchuk's practical and inspirational book dissects every current major social media platform - Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and more - so that anyone, from a plumber to a professional ice skater, can learn how to build and amplify his or her personal brand.
Perhaps the best book on positioning to come out in recent times, learn from April Dunford on how you can understand your customers and use it to position your product to success. Learn her five components of positioning, how to instantly connect your offering's value proposition to an audience, choosing the best markets for your product, and more.