Dare Obasanjo
Opinions about product management, technology news and inclusivity in tech. Diversity is about demographics, inclusion is about creating a sense of belonging.
20+ Book Recommendations by Dare Obasanjo
The Color of Law
Richard Rothstein
Lauded by Ta-Nehisi Coates for his "brilliant" and "fine understanding of the machinery of government policy" (The Atlantic), Richard Rothstein has painstakingly documented how American cities, from San Francisco to Boston, became so racially divided. Rothstein describes how federal, state, and local governments systematically imposed residential segregation: with undisguised racial zoning, public housing that purposefully segregated previously mixed communities, subsidies for builders to create whites-only suburbs, tax exemptions for institutions that enforced segregation, and support for violent resistance to African Americans in white neighborhoods. He demonstrates that such policies still influence tragedies in places like Ferguson and Baltimore. Scholars have separately described many of these policies, but until now, no author has brought them together to explode the myth of de facto segregation arising from private prejudice or the unintended consequences of economic forces. Like The New Jim Crow, Rothstein's groundbreaking history forces us to face the obligation to remedy our unconstitutional past.@afalli The enactment and enforcement of a large swath of laws in the US have a racial basis including the war on drugs. Some laws such as anti-abortion or anti-sodomy laws have a religious basis but there are way more people punished for the former than latter https://t.co/3vxao8UmEN
The Psychology of Money
Morgan Housel
Having a good mindset around money is more important than being a good investor. You shouldn’t aspire to be rich (a big spender) but instead to be wealthy (have assets you can liquidate if needed but don’t need to). Control over your time is true wealth https://t.co/3AATOGJwvS
The Psychology of Money
Morgan Housel
Doing well with money isn’t necessarily about what you know. It’s about how you behave. And behavior is hard to teach, even to really smart people. Money—investing, personal finance, and business decisions—is typically taught as a math-based field, where data and formulas tell us exactly what to do. But in the real world people don’t make financial decisions on a spreadsheet. They make them at the dinner table, or in a meeting room, where personal history, your own unique view of the world, ego, pride, marketing, and odd incentives are scrambled together. In The Psychology of Money, award-winning author Morgan Housel shares 19 short stories exploring the strange ways people think about money and teaches you how to make better sense of one of life’s most important topics.Wisest investment strategy is to put your money in Vanguard index funds and forget your password. You won’t get massive wins like the person who YOLOed on Bitcoin or $TSLA but you also won’t end up like a Chamath SPAC investor either. Also read this book https://t.co/AQX0AVfMt0
The Attention Merchants
Tim Wu
"From Tim Wu, author of award-winning The Master Switch, and who coined the phrase "net neutrality"--a revelatory look at the rise of "attention harvesting," and its transformative effect on our society and our selves"--@AlexReustle Many have made the argument, including writing entire books, that ads based services need toxic & inflammatory content to drive page views. They argue paid content doesn’t need clickbait & misinformation to drive engagement. It’s a silly but popular view. https://t.co/ymF4CbVFRy
Zero to One
Peter Thiel
The billionaire Silicon Valley entrepreneur behind such companies as PayPal and Facebook outlines an innovative theory and formula for building the companies of the future by creating and monopolizing new markets instead of competing in old ones. 200,000 first printing.When I read Zero to One, I was really taken by his concept of definite & indefinite optimism in industry. Definite optimism is when you believe the future is bright and you can build it. The US government creating NASA and landing on the moon, for example https://t.co/znbtNN3Hyo
Zero to One
Peter Thiel
Until the 1970s, the U.S. had a culture of definite optimism. The future is bright because we’re building great things; NASA, highways, etc. Today it’s indefinite optimism, most value is financialization. Companies that make bold bets now rare, like Tesla. https://t.co/TnN5528Wvq
Cracking the PM Interview
Gayle Laakmann McDowell
How many pizzas are delivered in Manhattan? How do you design an alarm clock for the blind? What is your favorite piece of software and why? How would you launch a video rental service in India? This book will teach you how to answer these questions and more. Cracking the PM Interview is a comprehensive book about landing a product management role in a startup or bigger tech company. Learn how the ambiguously-named "PM" (product manager / program manager) role varies across companies, what experience you need, how to make your existing experience translate, what a great PM resume and cover letter look like, and finally, how to master the interview: estimation questions, behavioral questions, case questions, product questions, technical questions, and the super important "pitch."The most common error I see PMs make during interviews is being unprepared. You may be a great PM but interviewing is a different skill and like the SATs, it gets better with prep. My recommendation for PM interview prep is Cracking the PM Interview. https://t.co/p2qZIByDSx
The Art of War
Sun Tzu
The Art of War is composed of only about 6,000 Chinese characters, it is considered by many to be the greatest book on strategy and strategic thinking ever written. . 350F PROFESSIONAL READING LIST.Don’t attack an opponent head on unless you have an overwhelming force. Your goal should be to maneuver the situation such that you’ve won before the battle begins. Not a business book but I’ve included it since the business as war metaphor is popular. https://t.co/OfJA7oXqAw
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
Mark Manson
The paradox of contentment. Chasing after positive experiences is a negative experience. Accepting negative experiences is a positive experience. Basically being unsatisfied with your life makes you feel bad regardless of what you have. Acceptance is key. https://t.co/fkAWLqhLGP
Predictably Irrational, Revised and Expanded Edition
Dr. Dan Ariely
Why do our headaches persist after we take a one-cent aspirin but disappear when we take a fifty-cent aspirin? Why do we splurge on a lavish meal but cut coupons to save twenty-five cents on a can of soup? When it comes to making decisions in our lives, we think we're making smart, rational choices. But are we? In this newly revised and expanded edition of the groundbreaking New York Times bestseller, Dan Ariely refutes the common assumption that we behave in fundamentally rational ways. From drinking coffee to losing weight, from buying a car to choosing a romantic partner, we consistently overpay, underestimate, and procrastinate. Yet these misguided behaviors are neither random nor senseless. They're systematic and predictable—making us predictably irrational.People think in relative instead of absolute terms and are always comparing themselves to others. For instance, someone making $300K when they expected to make $100K would still not be happy if they found out a coworker was making $310K for similar work. https://t.co/awrNPmadui
7 Powers
Hamilton Helmer
7 Powers details a strategy toolset that enables you to build an enduringly valuable company. It was developed by Hamilton Helmer drawing on his decades of experience as a strategy advisor, equity investor and Stanford University teacher. This is must reading for any business person and applies to all businesses, new or mature, large or small.Counter positioning is how upstarts beat incumbents. It is when a new company adopts a business model that incumbents can’t copy because it would hurt their existing business. Netflix’s no late fees on rentals versus Blockbuster is the canonical example. https://t.co/1tw2VKOKrp
High Output Management
Andrew S. Grove
The president of Silicon Valley's Intel Corporation sets forth the three basic ideas of his management philosophy and details numerous specific techniques to increase productivity in the manager's work and that of his colleagues and subordinatesOn decisions: • What decision needs to be made? • When does it have to be made? • Who will decide? • Who needs to be consulted prior to making the decision? • Who will ratify or veto the decision? • Who needs to be informed of the decision? https://t.co/qAy0zlR0N8
The Hard Thing About Hard Things
Ben Horowitz
A lot of people talk about how great it is to start a business, but only Ben Horowitz is brutally honest about how hard it is to run one. In The Hard Thing About Hard Things, Ben Horowitz, cofounder of Andreessen Horowitz and one of Silicon Valley's most respected and experienced entrepreneurs, draws on his own story of founding, running, selling, buying, managing, and investing in technology companies to offer essential advice and practical wisdom for navigating the toughest problems business schools don't cover. His blog has garnered a devoted following of millions of readers who have come to rely on him to help them run their businesses. A lifelong rap fan, Horowitz amplifies business lessons with lyrics from his favorite songs and tells it straight about everything from firing friends to poaching competitors, from cultivating and sustaining a CEO mentality to knowing the right time to cash in. His advice is grounded in anecdotes from his own hard-earned rise—from cofounding the early cloud service provider Loudcloud to building the phenomenally successful Andreessen Horowitz venture capital firm, both with fellow tech superstar Marc Andreessen (inventor of Mosaic, the Internet's first popular Web browser). This is no polished victory lap; he analyzes issues with no easy answers through his trials, including demoting (or firing) a loyal friend; whether you should incorporate titles and promotions, and how to handle them; if it's OK to hire people from your friend's company; how to manage your own psychology, while the whole company is relying on you; what to do when smart people are bad employees; why Andreessen Horowitz prefers founder CEOs, and how to become one; whether you should sell your company, and how to do it. Filled with Horowitz's trademark humor and straight talk, and drawing from his personal and often humbling experiences, The Hard Thing About Hard Things is invaluable for veteran entrepreneurs as well as those aspiring to their own new ventures.On giving feedback: • be authentic & abandon the shit sandwich approach • be focused on their success • don't make it personal, talk about behavior & impact • don't embarrass in public • be direct but not mean • feedback is a dialogue not a monologue https://t.co/2b5NkbJWTU
Trillion Dollar Coach
Eric Schmidt
The team behind How Google Works returns with management lessons from legendary coach and business executive, Bill Campbell, whose mentoring of some of our most successful modern entrepreneurs has helped create well over a trillion dollars in market value. Bill Campbell played an instrumental role in the growth of several prominent companies, such as Google, Apple, and Intuit, fostering deep relationships with Silicon Valley visionaries, including Steve Jobs, Larry Page, and Eric Schmidt. In addition, this business genius mentored dozens of other important leaders on both coasts, from entrepreneurs to venture capitalists to educators to football players, leaving behind a legacy of growing companies, successful people, respect, friendship, and love after his death in 2016. Leaders at Google for over a decade, Eric Schmidt, Jonathan Rosenberg, and Alan Eagle experienced firsthand how the man fondly known as Coach Bill built trusting relationships, fostered personal growth—even in those at the pinnacle of their careers—inspired courage, and identified and resolved simmering tensions that inevitably arise in fast-moving environments. To honor their mentor and inspire and teach future generations, they have codified his wisdom in this essential guide. Based on interviews with over eighty people who knew and loved Bill Campbell, Trillion Dollar Coach explains the Coach’s principles and illustrates them with stories from the many great people and companies with which he worked. The result is a blueprint for forward-thinking business leaders and managers that will help them create higher performing and faster moving cultures, teams, and companies.People and relationships are the foundation of any company’s success. The primary job of each manager is to help people be more effective in their job and to grow & develop. Managers enable this through by supporting, respecting, and trusting their people. https://t.co/Rw0t9X1st4
Measure What Matters
John Doerr
OKRs need to be owned by individuals or specific teams to ensure accountability. For speculative stuff, first target should be a ship deadline then afterwards revenue or usage goals. https://t.co/D6EE1LuWmO
Zero to One
Peter Thiel
The billionaire Silicon Valley entrepreneur behind such companies as PayPal and Facebook outlines an innovative theory and formula for building the companies of the future by creating and monopolizing new markets instead of competing in old ones. 200,000 first printing.@jarede It’s a book by Peter Thiel. The excerpts above are from a summary by @AnthonyJCampbel https://t.co/RCKKPHGis0
Cracking the PM Career
Jackie Bavaro
Our goal for this book is to be the guide we never had. This book shares the skills, frameworks, and practices that my peers and I have painstakingly learned and honed over the years so that PMs can spend less time reinventing the wheel. It delves into the mystery and ambiguity surrounding career progression so that PMs can focus on the right areas and reach their potential. It connects the dots on how to develop each important PM skill so that mentors can point their mentees towards actionable feedback.@JoshuaOgundu Yes, there’s nuance in practice especially as career progression approach needs to be tailored by organization and company. @jackiebo has a good book on this topic https://t.co/Uhzkm0wF4a
7 Powers
Hamilton Helmer
7 Powers details a strategy toolset that enables you to build an enduringly valuable company. It was developed by Hamilton Helmer drawing on his decades of experience as a strategy advisor, equity investor and Stanford University teacher. This is must reading for any business person and applies to all businesses, new or mature, large or small.@DanGrover I’d recommend 7 powers which is a good intro to strategic thinking at the company level https://t.co/1tw2VKOKrp
High Output Management
Andrew S. Grove
The president of Silicon Valley's Intel Corporation sets forth the three basic ideas of his management philosophy and details numerous specific techniques to increase productivity in the manager's work and that of his colleagues and subordinatesIf you’re in product management and only follow one person on Twitter it should be @shreyas. His book recommendations per career stage has been my favorite advice IC PM : 7 Habits of Highly Effective People PM Lead: High Output Management PM Director/VP/CPO: 7 Powers
Cracking the PM Interview
Gayle Laakmann McDowell
How many pizzas are delivered in Manhattan? How do you design an alarm clock for the blind? What is your favorite piece of software and why? How would you launch a video rental service in India? This book will teach you how to answer these questions and more. Cracking the PM Interview is a comprehensive book about landing a product management role in a startup or bigger tech company. Learn how the ambiguously-named "PM" (product manager / program manager) role varies across companies, what experience you need, how to make your existing experience translate, what a great PM resume and cover letter look like, and finally, how to master the interview: estimation questions, behavioral questions, case questions, product questions, technical questions, and the super important "pitch."@BenOgorek I’d recommend grabbing @jackiebo’s book on the topic which does the subject more justice than I can in 280 characters. https://t.co/p2qZIByDSx
Super Pumped
Mike Isaac
Isaac delivers a gripping account of Uber's rapid rise, its pitched battles with taxi unions and drivers, the company's toxic internal culture, and the bare-knuckle tactics it devised to overcome obstacles in its quest for dominance.This observation was crystallized for me after reading Super Pumped and comparing to various broken cultures I've encountered in my career https://t.co/fsSabIdhDY
The Color of Law
Richard Rothstein
Lauded by Ta-Nehisi Coates for his "brilliant" and "fine understanding of the machinery of government policy" (The Atlantic), Richard Rothstein has painstakingly documented how American cities, from San Francisco to Boston, became so racially divided. Rothstein describes how federal, state, and local governments systematically imposed residential segregation: with undisguised racial zoning, public housing that purposefully segregated previously mixed communities, subsidies for builders to create whites-only suburbs, tax exemptions for institutions that enforced segregation, and support for violent resistance to African Americans in white neighborhoods. He demonstrates that such policies still influence tragedies in places like Ferguson and Baltimore. Scholars have separately described many of these policies, but until now, no author has brought them together to explode the myth of de facto segregation arising from private prejudice or the unintended consequences of economic forces. Like The New Jim Crow, Rothstein's groundbreaking history forces us to face the obligation to remedy our unconstitutional past.Black Americans being segregated into poor neighborhoods explicitly by law & implicitly by realtors/banks then schools underfunded since funding comes from property taxes matters. Hard to become a lawyer, doctor or engineer if your K12 education was 💩 https://t.co/3vxao8CdqF
Hooked
Nir Eyal
Outlines a model for innovating engaging products that encourage profitable customer behavior without costly advertising or aggressive messaging, drawing on the author's experiences as a startup founder to identify specific actionable steps.I used to feel this way about LinkedIn right up to it getting bought for $26.2 billion. It's easy to criticize growth hacks such as various nudges to reopen the app and engage with other users but the fact is that it works extremely well. Read https://t.co/8VsTxXvVK1 for why. https://t.co/jUziDx4G1a
Fire and Fury
Michael Wolff
@migueldeicaza @soledadobrien @johnregehr @nytimes I wouldn't call this centrist. This is just opportunistic access journalism. I remember reading in Michael Wolff's Fire & Fury where he wrote about Trump & Hope Hicks having daily sessions on managing Maggie Haberman so it's odd people see her as objective https://t.co/uuFkKFJvKP
Ruined by Design
Mike Monteiro
The world is working exactly as designed. The combustion engine which is destroying our planet's atmosphere and rapidly making it inhospitable is working exactly as we designed it. Guns, which lead to so much death, work exactly as they're designed to work. And every time we "improve" their design, they get better at killing. Facebook's privacy settings, which have outed gay teens to their conservative parents, are working exactly as designed. Their "real names" initiative, which makes it easier for stalkers to re-find their victims, is working exactly as designed. Twitter's toxicity and lack of civil discourse is working exactly as it's designed to work.The world is working exactly as designed. And it's not working very well. Which means we need to do a better job of designing it. Design is a craft with an amazing amount of power. The power to choose. The power to influence. As designers, we need to see ourselves as gatekeepers of what we are bringing into the world, and what we choose not to bring into the world. Design is a craft with responsibility. The responsibility to help create a better world for all. Design is also a craft with a lot of blood on its hands. Every cigarette ad is on us. Every gun is on us. Every ballot that a voter cannot understand is on us. Every time social network's interface allows a stalker to find their victim, that's on us. The monsters we unleash into the world will carry your name. This book will make you see that design is a political act. What we choose to design is a political act. Who we choose to work for is a political act. Who we choose to work with is a political act. And, most importantly, the people we've excluded from these decisions is the biggest (and stupidest) political act we've made as a society.If you're a designer, this book might make you angry. It should make you angry. But it will also give you the tools you need to make better decisions. You will learn how to evaluate the potential benefits and harm of what you're working on. You'll learn how to present your concerns. You'll learn the importance of building and working with diverse teams who can approach problems from multiple points-of-view. You'll learn how to make a case using data and good storytelling. You'll learn to say NO in a way that'll make people listen. But mostly, this book will fill you with the confidence to do the job the way you always wanted to be able to do it. This book will help you understand your responsibilities.Reading Ruined By Design by @monteiro and it pulls no punches in the intro chapter. Can't say I disagree with its advice to Twitter or Uber employees either. https://t.co/kcppPy1ttD