My little brother phoned me recently with a grand idea – an invention that sparked his imagination while he was recuperating from a knee injury. His creative and entrepreneurial spirit was contagious and brought to mind the countless books I’ve devoured over the years. Judging from the initial steps he had taken, I had a hunch that he was onto something special.
Embarking on the journey of birthing a new grand idea is undeniably thrilling, but it can also be a lonely path fraught with uncertainties. The setbacks and rejections that inevitably come your way can quickly turn that thrill into fear. The obstacles may lead you to question the sanity of pursuing such a big idea and make you wonder if it would have been wiser to play it safe.
For me, reading books written by or about entrepreneurs who dared to believe in and chase after big ideas made all the difference. They instilled hope in me and offered practical strategies that helped me turn some of my most daunting ideas into reality.
Below, I’ve compiled a list of the top books for entrepreneurs that I shared with my brother – these are some of my all-time favorite reads. I hope they provide you with that extra push to manifest your next grand idea. At the very least, I hope they remind you and prove to you that your ambitious spirit and audacity are beautiful assets, and that your ideas are absolutely worth pursuing.
Best books about entrepreneurs
1. How to Be Like Walt
By Pat Williams
Pat Williams laid out a framework that taught me how to dissect a tale of accomplishment and extract valuable lessons that can be applied to my own grand ideas. It’s a framework that has become a cornerstone of my writing. The book also provides a captivating insight into the life of a man who successfully brought numerous big ideas to fruition.
2. #GIRLBOSS
By Sophia Amoruso
Sophia Amoruso’s narrative of building her online retail empire offers crucial lessons on the gritty realities of business growth through compelling storytelling. Reading it made me feel akin to Anne Hathaway’s character in The Intern – realizing that being a “young woman” and a “leader” are not mutually exclusive.
3. Get Big Fast and Do More Good
By Ido Leffler and Lance Kalish
I enjoyed the audio version of this book immensely. At times, it felt like a stand-up comedy act – in the most delightful way. The book delves into the qualities of Ido Leffler and Lance Kalish that led to their remarkable successes with big-idea businesses (e.g., Yes To Inc. and Yoobi) – qualities and practices that can be emulated.
4. Making Good
By Dev Aujla and Billy Parish
This book is a treasure trove of inspiring stories of individuals bringing their grand ideas to fruition, especially those that generate both profit and goodwill.
5. Life in Motion
By Misty Copeland
There’s nothing quite like reading about a trailblazer to fuel your grand idea. Misty Copeland’s unwavering dedication to her craft serves as a powerful metaphor for the level of commitment required to birth a new idea.
6. The Intelligent Entrepreneur
By Bill Murphy Jr.
Bill Murphy Jr. delves into the tales of three accomplished entrepreneurs and precisely how they built their companies – offering insights into what it truly takes to bring a big idea to life. I particularly appreciated the candid portrayal of the challenging times and how these individuals navigated through them.
Best books to inspire entrepreneurs
1. The Entrepreneur Roller Coaster
By Darren Hardy
Darren Hardy instilled in me the confidence to invest more of my time in activities where I excel and add the most value, as well as the courage to decline everything else.
2. Turning Pro
By Steven Pressfield
Steven Pressfield helped me grasp the concept of “the trough of sorrow” often discussed in entrepreneurial circles, or as he terms it, “the belly of the whale” – the phase in the creation of a big idea where you’re too deep to turn back but feel like nothing is going according to plan. He reassures readers that this phase is normal and conquerable.
3. Brain Storm
By Don Hahn
Don Hahn, known for producing films like The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast, as well as captivating documentaries, made me realize that I, too, can consider myself creative – a significant realization.
4. Creativity, Inc.
By Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
Ed Catmull delivers a memorable lesson in this book – that Pixar produces mediocre films too. He explains that the greatness of a Pixar movie stems from a protracted process of feedback and editing. This insight inspired me to implement a similar feedback loop in my own work and normalized the discomfort of receiving feedback that necessitates changes, reassuring me that altercations do not equate to a flawed idea.
5. The Alchemist
By Paulo Coelho
Aside from drawing motivation from this allegorical tale about pursuing a dream, losing myself in a fictional realm provided the mental respite necessary to nurture my next grand idea.
6. Lean In
By Sheryl Sandberg
At times, my greatest obstacle in realizing my grand ideas is believing that I don’t belong in the world they would catapult me into. This book empowered me to view myself in a new light. Moreover, it helped me comprehend that feeling like an outsider might signify the importance of my big idea – that its execution could create a more inclusive space for individuals who have been marginalized until now.
7. The Creator’s Code
By Amy Wilkinson
Amy Wilkinson adeptly delves into the minds, actions, and creations of some of the top entrepreneurs of our era in this book. If you’re unsure whether you possess a creative or entrepreneurial streak, this book will undoubtedly sway you towards that realization. You’ll likely recognize facets of yourself in the thought processes and actions of these individuals, even if, like me, you’re a long way from creating a thriving enterprise.
8. What to Do When It’s Your Turn
By Seth Godin
This book ignited a fire within me to chase after my grand ideas and eased the pressure with its mantra: “This might not work.” Embracing the possibility of failure can make the pursuit of a big idea all the more enjoyable. Seth Godin helped me understand how the mindset of “This has to work” was stifling me, and how adopting the opposite approach paradoxically enhanced the chances of my big idea succeeding – as well as increasing the likelihood of conceiving another grand idea if the current one faltered.
9. Deep Work
By Cal Newport
I’ve come to realize that one of the most effective ways to bring a grand idea to fruition is by dedicating time to deep concentration and harnessing your full cognitive prowess for your idea. Cal Newport presents compelling research on the effectiveness of deep focus in achieving your goals, along with practical strategies – drawn largely from his own experiences as an associate computer science professor at Georgetown University, author, blogger, and father – on how to allocate time for meaningful concentration on your most critical projects amidst a world filled with distractions. If you were to read just one productivity book in your lifetime, I fervently hope it’s this one.
