Startup Fundamentals
Essential reading for understanding startup methodology and lean principles
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10 books
The Mom Test
Rob Fitzpatrick
A practical guide to talking to customers without getting lied to. Fitzpatrick shows how to ask questions that reveal honest feedback instead of polite encouragement, helping you validate ideas before building.
The Lean Startup
Eric Ries
The definitive guide to building startups using validated learning, rapid experimentation, and iterative product releases. Ries introduces the Build-Measure-Learn feedback loop that has become the foundation of modern startup methodology.
Zero to One
Peter Thiel
Thiel argues that the most valuable companies create something entirely new rather than competing in existing markets. This contrarian guide challenges conventional thinking about competition, monopoly, and innovation.
Running Lean
Ash Maurya
A step-by-step guide to iterating from Plan A to a plan that works. Maurya combines Lean Startup, Customer Development, and Bootstrapping into a practical playbook with templates and exercises.
The Startup Owner's Manual
Steve Blank
The comprehensive, step-by-step guide for building a successful, scalable business. Blank provides detailed checklists and instructions for Customer Development, making this an essential reference for serious founders.
Disciplined Entrepreneurship
Bill Aulet
MIT Sloan professor Bill Aulet presents 24 steps to launching a successful new venture. This systematic framework breaks down entrepreneurship into manageable, teachable components.
The Four Steps to the Epiphany
Steve Blank
The original Customer Development methodology book that influenced The Lean Startup. Blank introduces the concept of getting out of the building to learn from customers before scaling.
Lean Analytics
Alistair Croll
Use data to build a better startup faster. Croll and Yoskovitz show which metrics matter at each stage of your startup and how to use them to make better decisions.
Will It Fly?
Pat Flynn
Test your next business idea before investing time and money. Flynn provides exercises and frameworks to validate whether your idea has legs before you commit to building it.
The $100 Startup
Chris Guillebeau
How to start a microbusiness with minimal investment. Guillebeau profiles entrepreneurs who built successful businesses for under $100, focusing on passion, skill, and finding the right market.