Kellogg Sales Institute's Recommended Reading List for Entrepreneurship & Writing, Lecture notes of Business

Download Kellogg Sales Institute's Recommended Reading List for Entrepreneurship & Writing and more Lecture notes Business in PDF only on Docsity! The Kellogg Sales Institute’s Recommended Reading List Please note: Some of the books below are repeated in different sections, as they apply to multiple topics. ENTREPRENEURSHIP The Lean Startup (Ries) - If you are interested in entrepreneurship, start here. A game-changing book that will help you avoid the huge mistakes that many entrepreneurs make (including me) and spend only what you need to create your minimum viable product. The Four Steps to the Epiphany (Blank) - l’m an unabashed Steve Blank fan. Here, he provides the foundation for how to build a business, not get ahead of yourself, and focus on what he calls “Customer Development” (I like the word “Sales'' better, but I wouldn’t argue with Steve...I’d lose). The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Customer Development (Cooper & Vlaskovits) - I love this book too...I think of it at the ‘Cliff’s Notes” version of Blank’s The Four Steps to the Epiphany. Business Model Generation (Osterwalder) - A must-read for any entrepreneur starting a business. This breakthrough way of thinking about business models helps us be much more thorough in the construction of the business model. The Hard Things About Hard Things (Horowitz) - Horowitz captures the zeitgeist of his blog posts about the stark realities of growing and running businesses. Get Backed (Baehr & Loomis) - A very good primer on putting together a fundraising pitch for your business. I like how they break down the pitch deck and their emphasis - of course - on ‘story.’ Competing Against Luck (Christensen) - Any list of entrepreneurship books must have at least one book from Clay Christiansen. This is my favorite, because Clay gets to the heart of innovation...figure out the root cause of why customers are “hiring” your product...don’t just keep trying to make the product better. Sales Engine Inc. Reading List - We read a lot. Join us. Page 1 of 8 Craig’s Reading List Page 2 of 8 Little Bets (Sims) - This little book puts another angle on lean, the four steps to the epiphany, jobs-to-be-done and customer development. Sims asks us how might we run little experiments (“little bets”) to test and refine our approaches. What I love about this book is that it applies as much to careers as it does to entrepreneurship. Venture Deals (Feld & Mendelson) - This is THE go-to book for learning how to raise venture funding. Measure What Matters (Doerr) - This book will help you think through goal setting using the methodology now in place at Google...the “OKR,” Objectives & Key Results. A little too much history of OKRs, but otherwise helpful. Traction (Wickman) - Not sure I understand the cult-like following this book has, but lots of great process recommendations in here. Steve Jobs (Isaacson) - The biography, of course, of one of the greatest of all time. The man who changed or hatched seven industries. Startup Way (Ries) - Ries again. This is a follow-on to his breakout “The Lean Startup,” and a fantastic resource for larger companies trying to be more innovative. POWER & INFLUENCE Influence (Cialdini) - A bit academic, but full of great stories that lay the foundation for how and why we have influence over others. You need to know these six principles. Thinking Fast & Slow (Kahneman) - This book is a twofer. A book about how our brains process information that influences how we make decisions, AND a book about why stories are so powerful. Undoing Project (Lewis) - A tale about Daniel Kahneman’s work and life and why he and Amos Tversky taught us all to think differently. Superfans (Flynn) – learn how to turn customers and followers into “superfans” that connect your community and ensure you continue to expand your business at the lowest possible cost. DELIBERATE PRACTICE/HABIT DEVELOPMENT PEAK: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise (Ericsson/Pool) - From the father of deliberate practice, the things that have to be true to become the best of the best. The Power of Habit (Duhigg) - A quick, easy look at how habits are made (and unmade). Will get Craig’s Reading List Page 5 of 8 timeless advice on how to write for clarity and impact Writing Down The Bones (Goldberg) - A philosophical look at writing that sneaks up on you (in a good way). Can be powerfully read in 5 minute snippets. On Writing (King) - A master storyteller talking about the craft of writing, and who isn’t afraid to kick your ass. I Never Metaphor I Didn’t Like (Grohe) - A giant list of metaphors that will make your writing and speaking more memorable. The Elements of Style (Strunk & White) - A must. If you write in the English language, you need to read this foundational book. The Idea Writers (Iezzi) - A writer who understands sales. Full of great context about how writing is changing (and not changing). PRODUCTIVITY The Checklist Manifesto (Gawande) - A surgeon who writes a classic about how to get stuff done well (and ranked one of The Economist’s great business books of the year). Who knew? Getting Things Done (Allen) - Recognized as the classic in this space. Tips and techniques for making yourself more efficient and effective. The First 90 Days (Watkins) - Classic work on how to ramp up into a company and become quickly indispensable. How to Read a Book (Adler) - A living classic. CONFLICT The Trusted Advisor (Maister) - Another classic work that shows how strong relationships are built. If you are going into consulting (or life), this should be in your hands or on your ears at all times. Emotional Intelligence 2.0 (Bradberry) - This will help you understand how to be more aware of your emotions and not let them get the best of you. Crucial Conversations (Patterson et al) - The definitive work on how to handle tough conversations does you as much good at home as it does at work. Craig’s Reading List Page 6 of 8 NETWORKING Give and Take (Grant) - Grant’s recent classic on how we must look for ways to go above and beyond. Really, a book about networking hiding in a book about social science research. Never Eat Alone (Ferrazzi) - Just a simple push to be more disciplined in how we think about spending our time. Modern Etiquette for a Better Life (Gottsman) - Like Strunk & White’s “The Elements of Style” but for your life. Moonwalking With Einstein (Foer) - Funny and well-written, this book is about memory, and exerting discipline to train your brain to remember large amounts of information. PRESENTING Five Stars (Gallo) - A build on Talk Like TED, but with more granular (and helpful) communications disciplines and skills. Talk Like TED (Gallo) - Unlocks the skills and disciplines of the most popular speakers and presentations. Resonate (Duarte) - Let’s us in on some of the secrets to some of the best stories we know. Slideology (Duarte) - A set of helpful guidelines on how to create better visuals. Presence (Cuddy) - This book does a great job putting concrete-ness around something that is often hard to define. Compelling People (Neffinger & Kohut) - A great, easy way to think about how you are ‘showing up’ and ‘standing out’ in any room you are in. Just Listen (Dressen) -Shares simple, effective techniques to break through to anyone. From making a good first impression or positively navigating a angry interaction, this book had been a game-changer. BRAND YOU #AskGaryVee (VayNerChuk) - Crazy book from a crazy guy, but packed full of insights into the dos and don’ts of social. This I Believe (Gediman & Allison) - Helps you understand you, in a way that you should take into all of the ways you show up in the world. Craig’s Reading List Page 7 of 8 The Road to Recognition: The A-to-Z Guide to Personal Branding (Feldman & Price) - This is a great resource for getting off your butt and showing up (online and off). Use this book this way: grab one thing at a time and execute on it. Come back. Do it again. SELLING To Sell Is Human (Pink) - We are all selling more than we think we are. In this book, Pink looks at what makes people magnetic and resilient. He offers some great ways of thinking about selling and how we "show up" in many situations. The Power of Moments (Heath) - How to create special moments to go above and beyond for everyone in your life. The Sales Acceleration Formula (Roberge) - Mark offers a set of very valuable lessons in transitioning from what I call “Entrepreneurial Selling” to professional selling, especially as it relates to the role of sales leader. Thinking In Bets (Duke) - A bestseller for a reason. A poker champion shares what tools to use when you have to make decisions when you don’t have all the answers. NEGOTIATING Never Split the Difference (Voss/Raz) - A look at the subtle disciplines and skills of expert negotiators. COACHING Trillion Dollar Coach (Schmidt/Rosenberg/Eagle) - How coaching relationships are established and what must be true to call yourself a coach. DECISION-MAKING Thinking In Bets (Duke) - A bestseller for a reason. A poker champion shares what tools to use when you have to make decisions when you don’t have all the answers. Decisive (Heath Brothers) - Lays out a clear process for decision making that works against our emotional and/or non-rationale biases. Never Split the Difference (Voss/Raz) - A look at the ever-so-subtle-but-powerful disciplines and skills of expert negotiators.