Shreyas Doshi
startup advisor. built products at Stripe, Twitter, Google, Yahoo. tweets about product, strategy, org psych, leadership, life—useful for some, not for everyone
160+ Book Recommendations by Shreyas Doshi
Never Split the Difference
Chris Voss
A former international hostage negotiator for the FBI offers a new, field-tested approach to high-stakes negotiations—whether in the boardroom or at home. After a stint policing the rough streets of Kansas City, Missouri, Chris Voss joined the FBI, where his career as a hostage negotiator brought him face-to-face with a range of criminals, including bank robbers and terrorists. Reaching the pinnacle of his profession, he became the FBI’s lead international kidnapping negotiator. Never Split the Difference takes you inside the world of high-stakes negotiations and into Voss’s head, revealing the skills that helped him and his colleagues succeed where it mattered most: saving lives. In this practical guide, he shares the nine effective principles—counterintuitive tactics and strategies—you too can use to become more persuasive in both your professional and personal life. Life is a series of negotiations you should be prepared for: buying a car, negotiating a salary, buying a home, renegotiating rent, deliberating with your partner. Taking emotional intelligence and intuition to the next level, Never Split the Difference gives you the competitive edge in any discussion.@gkrinker Not sure about books specifically for working with execs, but Never Split the Difference and Thinking in Bets come to mind more generally.
Monetizing Innovation
Madhavan Ramanujam
"The book explains how most companies get sidetracked by Product-Driven Thinking and how to innovate by starting with the price customers will pay, and creating the product for that price. It will present a process that Simon-Kucher & Partners has used to help dozens of others avoid innovation failure by making pricing and marketing their guiding light throughout the product development process"--There are only 3 hard problems in SaaS: 1) self-serve pricing 2) enterprise pricing, and 3) re-pricing every 9 months 🙂 Bonus reco: That’s why you need to read Monetizing Innovation: an intentional, strategic approach for pricing your product https://t.co/YRkpzC5Fy3
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.9/ 7 Powers: excellent book that describes the 7 strategic powers that create differentiation and lasting business success: scale economies, network effects, counter-positioning (my favorite), switching costs, branding, cornered resource, process power https://t.co/zTXyF08Bgz
Crossing the Chasm, 3rd Edition
Geoffrey A. Moore
The bible for bringing cutting-edge products to larger markets—now revised and updated with new insights into the realities of high-tech marketing In Crossing the Chasm, Geoffrey A. Moore shows that in the Technology Adoption Life Cycle—which begins with innovators and moves to early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards—there is a vast chasm between the early adopters and the early majority. While early adopters are willing to sacrifice for the advantage of being first, the early majority waits until they know that the technology actually offers improvements in productivity. The challenge for innovators and marketers is to narrow this chasm and ultimately accelerate adoption across every segment. This third edition brings Moore's classic work up to date with dozens of new examples of successes and failures, new strategies for marketing in the digital world, and Moore's most current insights and findings. He also includes two new appendices, the first connecting the ideas in Crossing the Chasm to work subsequently published in his Inside the Tornado, and the second presenting his recent groundbreaking work for technology adoption models for high-tech consumer markets.10/ Crossing the Chasm: a high tech marketing classic, introduces Technology Adoption Lifecycle & the “chasm” you have to cross to grow your product’s adoption from “early adopters” to the “early majority” group (some examples are dated, but still good) https://t.co/xfTjRqxhl3
Inspired
Marty Cagan
How do today's most successful tech companies—Amazon, Google, Facebook, Netflix, Tesla—define, design and develop the products that have earned the love of literally billions of people around the world? Perhaps surprisingly, they do it very differently than the vast majority of tech companies. In INSPIRED, technology product management thought leader Marty Cagan provides readers with a master class in how to structure and staff an empowered and effective product organization, and how to discover and deliver technology products that your customers will love—and that will work for your business. With sections on assembling the right people and skills, discovering the right product, embracing an effective yet lightweight process, scaling the product organization, and creating a strong product culture, readers can take the information they learn and immediately leverage it within their own organizations—dramatically improving their own product efforts. Whether you're an early stage startup working to get to product/market fit, or a growth-stage company working to scale your organization, or a large, long-established company trying to regain your ability to consistently deliver new value for your customers, INSPIRED will take you and your product organization to a new level of customer engagement, consistent innovation, and business success. Filled with the author's own personal stories—and profiles of some of today's most-successful product managers and technology-powered product companies, including Adobe, Apple, BBC, Google, Microsoft, and Netflix—INSPIRED will show you how to turn up the dial of your own product efforts, creating technology products your customers love. The first edition of INSPIRED, published ten years ago, established itself as the primary reference for technology product managers, and can be found on the shelves of nearly every successful technology product company worldwide. This thoroughly updated second edition shares the same objective of being the most valuable resource for technology product managers, yet it is completely new—sharing the latest practices and techniques of today's most-successful tech product companies, and the men and women behind every great product.7/ Inspired: the first book you should read on Product Management, with practical advice on what it means to “create tech products that customers live”. Especially recommended for B2B companies that want to become more product-focused https://t.co/Jdbj20IBaE
Understanding Michael Porter
Joan Magretta
Examines and explains the revolutionary business frameworks of Michael Porter, with examples to illustrate and update Porter's ideas for achieving and sustaining competitive success.8/ Understanding Michael Porter: the first book you should read on strategy, esp. if you’re in B2B. A fabulous, accessible summary of Michael Porter’s timeless strategy frameworks. Another book I recommend very often to B2B founders and product leaders https://t.co/d64uNmXhJQ
Obviously Awesome
April Dunford
You know your product is awesome-but does anybody else? Successfully connecting your product with consumers isn't a matter of following trends, comparing yourself to the competition or trying to attract the widest customer base. So what is it? April Dunford, positioning guru and tech exec, is here to enlighten you.6/ Obviously Awesome: a practical guide on positioning your product. Includes the importance of positioning, identifying your core value propositions, articulating your positioning in ways it is actionable for your team and clear for your customers https://t.co/miRRkfbXkZ
Demand-Side Sales 101
Bob Moesta
For a lot of us, selling feels icky. Our stomachs tighten at the thought of reciting features and benefits, or pressuring customers into purchasing. It's really not our fault. We weren't taught how to sell, plus we've been sold before, leaving us with a bitter taste. Here's the truth: sales does not have to feel icky for you or your customers. In fact, with the right approach, sales can be an empowering experience for all. Bob Moesta, lifelong innovator and coarchitect of the "Jobs to be Done" theory, shares his approach for flipping the lens on sales. Bob shifts the focus of sales from selling, to helping people buy and make progress in their lives-demand-side sales. Now, in Demand-Side Sales 101, you'll learn to really see what your customers see, hear what they hear, and understand what they mean. You'll not only be a more effective and innovative salesperson-you'll want to help people make progress.5/ Demand-side Sales: a practical guide for putting the JTBD theory in practice. The title says “sales” and it is definitely about sales, but it is also about customer interviews, customer empathy, and product discovery in general https://t.co/la3R4DexCz
Competing Against Luck
Clayton M. Christensen
4/ Competing Against Luck: for understanding the real Job To Be Done, conceiving products & solutions that resonate with customers, and appreciating the role of creativity in product success https://t.co/3qqvW7rxdu
Amp It Up
Frank Slootman
The secret to leading growth is your mindset Snowflake CEO Frank Slootman is one of the tech world's most accomplished executives in enterprise growth, having led Snowflake to the largest software IPO ever after leading ServiceNow and Data Domain to exponential growth and the public market before that. In Amp It Up: Leading for Hypergrowth by Raising Expectations, Increasing Urgency, and Elevating Intensity, he shares his leadership approach for the first time. Amp It Up delivers an authoritative look at what it takes to transform an organization for maximum growth and scale. Slootman shows that most leaders have significant room to improve their organization's performance without making expensive changes to their talent, structure, or fundamental business model—and they don’t need to bring in an army of consultants to do it. What they do need is to align people around what matters and execute with urgency and intensity every day. Leading for unprecedented growth means declaring war on mediocrity, breaking the status quo, and making conflicted choices daily, all with a relentless focus on the mission. Amp It Up provides the first principles to guide that change, and the tactical advice for organizing a company around them. Perfect for executives, entrepreneurs, founders, managers, and leaders of all kinds, Amp It Up is a must-read resource for anyone who seeks to unleash the growth potential of a company and scale it to heights they never thought possible.2/ Amp It Up: an informative & actionable account of the operations & principles behind Snowflake’s success. Lots to understand & learn about how to build & scale modern B2B tech companies. https://t.co/YvguqFCS3L
The Secrets of Consulting
Gerald M. Weinberg
The Secrets of Consulting--techniques, strategies, and first-hand experiences--all that you'll need to set up, run, and be successful at your own consulting business.3/ The Secrets of Consulting: written for “consultants” but very useful for B2B product folks, marketers, and sales folks to understand customer expectations & biases that play out when customers dealing with outsiders. Bonus: very witty in some places https://t.co/dt6uyp5yz7
The Mom Test
Rob Fitzpatrick
1/ The Mom Test: the bible (in my opinion) of how to understand what customers want and avoid the biases that nearly everyone in B2B falls prey to. This is among the books I recommend the most to B2B founders and senior product people. https://t.co/BxbajB7K6E
The Courage to Be Disliked
Ichiro Kishimi
“Marie Kondo, but for your brain.” —HelloGiggles “Compelling from front to back. Highly recommend.” —Marc Andreessen Reading this book could change your life. The Courage to Be Disliked, already an enormous bestseller in Asia with more than 3.5 million copies sold, demonstrates how to unlock the power within yourself to be the person you truly want to be. Is happiness something you choose for yourself? The Courage to Be Disliked presents a simple and straightforward answer. Using the theories of Alfred Adler, one of the three giants of nineteenth-century psychology alongside Freud and Jung, this book follows an illuminating dialogue between a philosopher and a young man. Over the course of five conversations, the philosopher helps his student to understand how each of us is able to determine the direction of our own life, free from the shackles of past traumas and the expectations of others. Rich in wisdom, The Courage to Be Disliked will guide you through the concepts of self-forgiveness, self-care, and mind decluttering. It is a deeply liberating way of thinking, allowing you to develop the courage to change and ignore the limitations that you might be placing on yourself. This plainspoken and profoundly moving book unlocks the power within you to find lasting happiness and be the person you truly want to be. Millions have already benefited from its teachings, now you can too.@Rahul_J_Mathur This book is life changing, in a very good way.
Alchemy
Rory Sutherland
We think we are rational creatures. Economics and business rely on the assumption that we make logical decisions based on evidence. But we arent, and we dont. In many crucial areas of our lives, reason plays a vanishingly small part. Instead we are driven by unconscious desires, which is why placebos are so powerful. We are drawn to the beautiful, the extravagant and the absurd from lavish wedding invitations to tiny bottles of the latest fragrance. So if you want to influence peoples choices you have to bypass reason. The best ideas dont make rational sense: they make you feel more than they make you think. Rory Sutherland is the Ogilvy advertising legend whose TED Talks have been viewed nearly 7 million times. In his first book he blends cutting-edge behavioural science, jaw-dropping stories and a touch of branding magic, on his mission to turn us all into idea alchemists. The big problems we face every day, whether as an individual or in society, could very well be solved by letting go of logic and embracing the irrational.@imgracehuang For sure, such a wonderful book. I recommend Alchemy all the time to product people https://t.co/PglD1OvXCD
Thinking in Bets
Annie Duke
Poker champion turned business consultant Annie Duke teaches you how to get comfortable with uncertainty and make better decisions as a result. In Super Bowl XLIX, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll made one of the most controversial calls in football history: With 26 seconds remaining, and trailing by four at the Patriots' one-yard line, he called for a pass instead of a hand off to his star running back. The pass was intercepted and the Seahawks lost. Critics called it the dumbest play in history. But was the call really that bad? Or did Carroll actually make a great move that was ruined by bad luck? Even the best decision doesn't yield the best outcome every time. There's always an element of luck that you can't control, and there is always information that is hidden from view. So the key to long-term success (and avoiding worrying yourself to death) is to think in bets: How sure am I? What are the possible ways things could turn out? What decision has the highest odds of success? Did I land in the unlucky 10% on the strategy that works 90% of the time? Or is my success attributable to dumb luck rather than great decision making? Annie Duke, a former World Series of Poker champion turned business consultant, draws on examples from business, sports, politics, and (of course) poker to share tools anyone can use to embrace uncertainty and make better decisions. For most people, it's difficult to say "I'm not sure" in a world that values and, even, rewards the appearance of certainty. But professional poker players are comfortable with the fact that great decisions don't always lead to great outcomes and bad decisions don't always lead to bad outcomes. By shifting your thinking from a need for certainty to a goal of accurately assessing what you know and what you don't, you'll be less vulnerable to reactive emotions, knee-jerk biases, and destructive habits in your decision making. You'll become more confident, calm, compassionate and successful in the long run.@blakraven7 Check out Thinking in Bets by Annie Duke (excellent book that covers similar topics)
The Mom Test
Rob Fitzpatrick
@ramanvinod Read these 2 books: The Mom Test by @robfitz and Practical Empathy by @indiyoung
Practical Empathy
Indi Young
"Conventional product development focuses on the solution. Empathy is a mindset that focuses on people, helping you to understand their thinking patterns and perspectives. Practical Empathy will show you how to gather and compare these patterns to make better decisions, improve your strategy, and collaborate successfully." --Back cover.@ramanvinod Read these 2 books: The Mom Test by @robfitz and Practical Empathy by @indiyoung
The CEO Test
Adam Bryant
Are you ready to lead? Will you pass the test? Despite all the effort through the years to understand what it takes to be an effective leader, the challenges of leadership remain enormously difficult and elusive; even today, most CEOs don't last five years in the job. The demands to deliver at a consistently high level can be unforgiving. The loneliness. The weight of responsibility. The relentless second-guessing and criticism. The pressure to build all-star teams. The 24/7 schedule that requires superhuman stamina. The tough decisions that often leave no one happy. The expectation to always have the right answer when it can be hard just to know the right question. These challenges are brought into their highest and sharpest relief in the corner office, but they are hardly unique to chief executives. All leaders face their own version of these tests, and the authors drawing on the distilled wisdom, stories and lessons from hundreds of chief executives to show how every aspiring leader can master these challenges and lead like a CEO. These foundational leadership skills will make all aspiring executives more effective in their role today, and to lift the trajectory of their career. The CEO Test is the authoritative, no-nonsense insider's guide to navigating leadership's toughest challenges, brought to you by authors uniquely qualified to tell the stories. Adam Bryant has conducted in-depth interviews with more than 600 CEOs. Kevin Sharer spent more than two decades as president and then CEO of Amgen, where he led its expansion from $1 billion in annual revenues to nearly $16 billion. He has served on many boards and is a sought-after mentor for CEOs of global companies. Leadership is getting harder as the speed of disruption across all industries accelerates. The CEO Test will better prepare you to succeed whether you're a CEO or just setting out to become one.Must-read books for product leaders https://t.co/EY9PnBROps
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 subordinatesWhat books have you found to be most useful for product leaders? Please do share them below.
What Got You Here Won't Get You There
Marshall Goldsmith
Your hard work is paying off. You are doing well in your field. But there is something standing between you and the next level of achievement. That something may just be one of your own annoying habits.Perhaps one small flaw - a behaviour you barely even recognise - is the only thing that's keeping you from where you want to be. It may be that the very characteristic that you believe got you where you are - like the drive to win at all costs - is what's holding you back. As this book explains, people often do well in spite of certain habits rather than because of them-and need a "to stop" list rather than one listing what "to do".Marshall Goldsmith's expertise is in helping global leaders overcome their unconscious annoying habits and become more successful. His one-on-one coaching comes with a six-figure price tag - but in this book you get his great advice for much less. Recently named as one of the world's five most-respected executive coaches by Forbes, he has worked with over 100 major CEOs and their management teams at the world's top businesses. His clients include corporations such as Goldman Sachs, Glaxo SmithKline, Johnson and Johnson and GE.What books have you found to be most useful for product leaders? Please do share them below.
Motive Why So Many Leaders Abdicate
Patrick M Lencioni
Shay was still angry but shrugged nonchalantly as if to say, it’s not that big of a deal. “So, what am I wrong about?” “You’re not going to want to hear this, but I have to tell you anyway.” Liam paused before finishing. “You might be working hard, but you’re not doing it for the company.” “What the hell does that mean?” Shay wanted to know. Knowing that his adversary might punch him for what he was about to say, Liam responded. “You’re doing it for yourself.” New York Times best-selling author Patrick Lencioni has written a dozen books that focus on how leaders can build teams and lead organizations. In The Motive, he shifts his attention toward helping them understand the importance of why they’re leading in the first place. In what may be his edgiest page-turner to date, Lencioni thrusts his readers into a day-long conversation between rival CEOs. Shay Davis is the CEO of Golden Gate Alarm, who, after just a year in his role, is beginning to worry about his job and is desperate to figure out how to turn things around. With nowhere else to turn, Shay receives some hard-to-swallow advice from the most unlikely and unwanted source—Liam Alcott, CEO of a more successful security company and his most hated opponent. Lencioni uses unexpected plot twists and crisp dialogue to take us on a journey that culminates in a resolution that is as unexpected as it is enlightening. As he does in his other books, he then provides a straightforward summary of the lessons from the fable, combining a clear explanation of his theory with practical advice to help executives examine their true motivation for leading. In addition to provoking readers to honestly assess themselves, Lencioni presents action steps for changing their approach in five key areas. In doing so, he helps leaders avoid the pitfalls that stifle their organizations and even hurt the people they are meant to serve.What books have you found to be most useful for product leaders? Please do share them below.
The Charisma Myth
Olivia Fox Cabane
Demonstrates how to improve one's persuasive abilities, sharing tools originally developed for Harvard and MIT to explain the fundamental components of charisma, what it really is, and how it works.What books have you found to be most useful for product leaders? Please do share them below.
The Score Takes Care of Itself
Bill Walsh
Offers insights and best leadership principles from the successful coach of the San Francisco 49ers, explaining how he motivated people, crafted winning teams, and his words of wisdom such as “Believe in people,” and “Keep a short enemies list.”What books have you found to be most useful for product leaders? Please do share them below.
The Mom Test
Rob Fitzpatrick
The Mom Test is a quick, practical guide that will save you time, money, and heartbreak. They say you shouldn't ask your mom whether your business is a good idea, because she loves you and will lie to you. This is technically true, but it misses the point. You shouldn't ask anyone if your business is a good idea. It's a bad question and everyone will lie to you at least a little . As a matter of fact, it's not their responsibility to tell you the truth. It's your responsibility to find it and it's worth doing right . Talking to customers is one of the foundational skills of both Customer Development and Lean Startup. We all know we're supposed to do it, but nobody seems willing to admit that it's easy to screw up and hard to do right. This book is going to show you how customer conversations go wrong and how you can do better.What books have you found to be most useful for product leaders? Please do share them below.
Working Backwards
Colin Bryar
Working Backwards is an insider's breakdown of Amazon's approach to culture, leadership, and best practices from Colin Bryar and Bill Carr, two long-time, top-level Amazon executives...What books have you found to be most useful for product leaders? Please do share them below.
Competing Against Luck
Clayton M. Christensen
Competing Against Luck, for conceiving products & solutions that resonate with customers (and understanding the importance of creativity in product work) https://t.co/dTILEgiCFk
Motive Why So Many Leaders Abdicate
Patrick M Lencioni
Shay was still angry but shrugged nonchalantly as if to say, it’s not that big of a deal. “So, what am I wrong about?” “You’re not going to want to hear this, but I have to tell you anyway.” Liam paused before finishing. “You might be working hard, but you’re not doing it for the company.” “What the hell does that mean?” Shay wanted to know. Knowing that his adversary might punch him for what he was about to say, Liam responded. “You’re doing it for yourself.” New York Times best-selling author Patrick Lencioni has written a dozen books that focus on how leaders can build teams and lead organizations. In The Motive, he shifts his attention toward helping them understand the importance of why they’re leading in the first place. In what may be his edgiest page-turner to date, Lencioni thrusts his readers into a day-long conversation between rival CEOs. Shay Davis is the CEO of Golden Gate Alarm, who, after just a year in his role, is beginning to worry about his job and is desperate to figure out how to turn things around. With nowhere else to turn, Shay receives some hard-to-swallow advice from the most unlikely and unwanted source—Liam Alcott, CEO of a more successful security company and his most hated opponent. Lencioni uses unexpected plot twists and crisp dialogue to take us on a journey that culminates in a resolution that is as unexpected as it is enlightening. As he does in his other books, he then provides a straightforward summary of the lessons from the fable, combining a clear explanation of his theory with practical advice to help executives examine their true motivation for leading. In addition to provoking readers to honestly assess themselves, Lencioni presents action steps for changing their approach in five key areas. In doing so, he helps leaders avoid the pitfalls that stifle their organizations and even hurt the people they are meant to serve.The Motive, for understanding your true role as the leader of an organization https://t.co/h1Y30rbj3R
Adrenaline Junkies and Template Zombies
DeMarco Tom
Adrenaline Junkies & Template Zombies, for understanding team dynamics for tech projects https://t.co/uoB3SanulO
What Got You Here Won't Get You There
Marshall Goldsmith
An executive coach presents a straightforward, effective program for achieving success in the business world, identifying important habits and behavioral problems that are keeping one from reaching the top, while offering helpful suggestions for overcoming and changing such issues.What Got You Here Won’t Get You There, for learning to adapt as a leader https://t.co/6Rp2PyigA8
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 subordinatesHigh Output Management, for operating (this is a classic, still phenomenally good and relevant, but of the two, I believe Working Backwards is better suited for modern tech companies) https://t.co/vpxSeCl5CO
The Score Takes Care of Itself
Bill Walsh
Offers insights and best leadership principles from the successful coach of the San Francisco 49ers, explaining how he motivated people, crafted winning teams, and his words of wisdom such as “Believe in people,” and “Keep a short enemies list.”The Score Takes Care of Itself, for empowered management (essential especially for PM leaders) https://t.co/HrbW85pwCO
The Charisma Myth
Olivia Fox Cabane
Demonstrates how to improve one's persuasive abilities, sharing tools originally developed for Harvard and MIT to explain the fundamental components of charisma, what it really is, and how it works.The Charisma Myth, for presence, communication, influence https://t.co/CU8s2tqxyk
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.7 Powers, for creating & leveraging assets for long-term competitive advantage https://t.co/lfNXDLxoF8
Empowered
Marty Cagan
Great teams are comprised of ordinary people that are empowered and inspired. They are empowered to solve hard problems in ways their customers love yet work for their business. They are inspired with ideas and techniques for quickly evaluating those ideas to discover solutions that work: they are valuable, usable, feasible and viable. This book is about the idea and reality of "achieving extraordinary results from ordinary people". Empowered is the companion to Inspired. It addresses the other half of the problem of building tech productshow to get the absolute best work from your product teams. However, the books message applies much more broadly than just to product teams. Inspired was aimed at product managers. Empowered is aimed at all levels of technology-powered organizations: founders and CEO's, leaders of product, technology and design, and the countless product managers, product designers and engineers that comprise the teams. This book will not just inspire companies to empower their employees but will teach them how. This book will help readers achieve the benefits of truly empowered teams.Empowered, for a better way to build product teams & products (this should literally be #1 on your reading list if you are still structuring your product work in “feature teams”) https://t.co/6BMHLsRRim
Principles
Ray Dalio
#1 New York Times Bestseller “Significant...The book is both instructive and surprisingly moving.” —The New York Times Ray Dalio, one of the world’s most successful investors and entrepreneurs, shares the unconventional principles that he’s developed, refined, and used over the past forty years to create unique results in both life and business—and which any person or organization can adopt to help achieve their goals. In 1975, Ray Dalio founded an investment firm, Bridgewater Associates, out of his two-bedroom apartment in New York City. Forty years later, Bridgewater has made more money for its clients than any other hedge fund in history and grown into the fifth most important private company in the United States, according to Fortune magazine. Dalio himself has been named to Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Along the way, Dalio discovered a set of unique principles that have led to Bridgewater’s exceptionally effective culture, which he describes as “an idea meritocracy that strives to achieve meaningful work and meaningful relationships through radical transparency.” It is these principles, and not anything special about Dalio—who grew up an ordinary kid in a middle-class Long Island neighborhood—that he believes are the reason behind his success. In Principles, Dalio shares what he’s learned over the course of his remarkable career. He argues that life, management, economics, and investing can all be systemized into rules and understood like machines. The book’s hundreds of practical lessons, which are built around his cornerstones of “radical truth” and “radical transparency,” include Dalio laying out the most effective ways for individuals and organizations to make decisions, approach challenges, and build strong teams. He also describes the innovative tools the firm uses to bring an idea meritocracy to life, such as creating “baseball cards” for all employees that distill their strengths and weaknesses, and employing computerized decision-making systems to make believability-weighted decisions. While the book brims with novel ideas for organizations and institutions, Principles also offers a clear, straightforward approach to decision-making that Dalio believes anyone can apply, no matter what they’re seeking to achieve. Here, from a man who has been called both “the Steve Jobs of investing” and “the philosopher king of the financial universe” (CIO magazine), is a rare opportunity to gain proven advice unlike anything you’ll find in the conventional business press.Principles, for operating & setting culture https://t.co/kNzGu3w2wX
Understanding Michael Porter
Joan Magretta
Examines and explains the revolutionary business frameworks of Michael Porter, with examples to illustrate and update Porter's ideas for achieving and sustaining competitive success.4) Understanding Michael Porter, for product strategy https://t.co/Y3GrPjMVEo
Super Thinking
Gabriel Weinberg
"The world's greatest problem-solvers, forecasters, and decision-makers all rely on a set of frameworks and shortcuts that help them cut through complexity and separate good ideas from bad ones. They're called mental models, and you can find them in dense textbooks on psychology, physics, economics, and more. Or, you can just read Super Thinking, a fun, illustrated guide to every mental model you could possibly need"--5) Super Thinking, for mental models & frameworks https://t.co/9JJ8Z5kiYR
Working Backwards
Colin Bryar
Working Backwards is an insider's breakdown of Amazon's approach to culture, leadership, and best practices from Colin Bryar and Bill Carr, two long-time, top-level Amazon executives...1) Working Backwards, for principles & tactics on operating https://t.co/u8WDWHmeC7
The Mom Test
Rob Fitzpatrick
The Mom Test is a quick, practical guide that will save you time, money, and heartbreak. They say you shouldn't ask your mom whether your business is a good idea, because she loves you and will lie to you. This is technically true, but it misses the point. You shouldn't ask anyone if your business is a good idea. It's a bad question and everyone will lie to you at least a little . As a matter of fact, it's not their responsibility to tell you the truth. It's your responsibility to find it and it's worth doing right . Talking to customers is one of the foundational skills of both Customer Development and Lean Startup. We all know we're supposed to do it, but nobody seems willing to admit that it's easy to screw up and hard to do right. This book is going to show you how customer conversations go wrong and how you can do better.2) The Mom Test, for truly understanding your customers https://t.co/qPhNxj7Ks5
Are Your Lights On?
Donald C. Gause
A Practical Guide for Everyone Involved in Product and Systems Development The fledgling problem solver invariably rushes in with solutions before taking time to define the problem being solved. Even experienced solvers, when subjected to social pressure, yield to this demand for haste. When they do, many solutions are found, but not necessarily to the problem at hand. Whether you are a novice or a veteran, this powerful little book will make you a more effective problem solver. Anyone involved in product and systems development will appreciate this practical illustrated guide, which was first published in 1982 and has since become a cult classic. Offering such insights as "A problem is a difference between things as desired and things as perceived, " and "In spite of appearances, people seldom know what they want until you give them what they ask for, " authors Don Gause and Jerry Weinberg provide an entertaining look at ways to improve one's thinking power. The book playfully instructs the reader first to identify the problem, second to determine the problem's owner, third to identify where the problem came from, and fourth to determine whether or not to solve it. Delightfully illustrated with 55 line drawings, the book conveys a message that will change the way you think about projects and problems.3) Are Your Lights On, for understanding the problem https://t.co/NhuTI2TvTP
Working Backwards
Colin Bryar
Working Backwards is an insider's breakdown of Amazon's approach to culture, leadership, and best practices from Colin Bryar and Bill Carr, two long-time, top-level Amazon executives...@BillCarr89 With this book, you and @cbryar have created the potential for the tech industry to leap years into the future, in terms of the principles & tactics for how to build products, operate for scale, and create an aligned culture. So it is my pleasure, and I thank you for writing it.
Working Backwards
Colin Bryar
Working Backwards is an insider's breakdown of Amazon's approach to culture, leadership, and best practices from Colin Bryar and Bill Carr, two long-time, top-level Amazon executives...Just finished Working Backwards. Superb book, with deep insights on how to operate. Unlike most books in this genre, it isn’t just a bunch of fun (but unactionable) stories about a mega-success. Very easily in my list of top 5 books for product leaders. https://t.co/de35JtjrZB
The Courage To Be Disliked
Ichiro Kishimi
The Japanese phenomenon that teaches us the simple yet profound lessons required to liberate our real selves and find lasting happiness. The Courage to be Disliked shows you how to unlock the power within yourself to become your best and truest self, change your future and find lasting happiness. Using the theories of Alfred Adler, one of the three giants of 19th century psychology alongside Freud and Jung, the authors explain how we are all free to determine our own future free of the shackles of past experiences, doubts and the expectations of others. It's a philosophy that's profoundly liberating, allowing us to develop the courage to change, and to ignore the limitations that we and those around us can place on ourselves. The result is a book that is both highly accessible and profound in its importance. Millions have already read and benefited from its wisdom. Now that The Courage to be Disliked has been published for the first time in English, so can you.@amitsomani So glad you liked it. It has a terrible title, but is such a wonderful book of wisdom.
Recursion: A Novel
Blake Crouch
Investigating a suicide, New York City police officer Barry Sutton finds a connection to the outbreak of a memory-altering disease and a controversial neuroscientist working to preserve precious memories.@patrick_oshag I don’t read much fiction these days, but I enjoyed reading Recursion a couple of years ago https://t.co/aDmO3vm0mq
The Mom Test
Rob Fitzpatrick
The Mom Test is a quick, practical guide that will save you time, money, and heartbreak. They say you shouldn't ask your mom whether your business is a good idea, because she loves you and will lie to you. This is technically true, but it misses the point. You shouldn't ask anyone if your business is a good idea. It's a bad question and everyone will lie to you at least a little . As a matter of fact, it's not their responsibility to tell you the truth. It's your responsibility to find it and it's worth doing right . Talking to customers is one of the foundational skills of both Customer Development and Lean Startup. We all know we're supposed to do it, but nobody seems willing to admit that it's easy to screw up and hard to do right. This book is going to show you how customer conversations go wrong and how you can do better.The Mom Test by @robfitz Some followers had recommended this book to me before. I finally got around to reading it in 2021. IMO it is a must-read for founders, PMs, engineers, etc. who are building B2B/SaaS products. (will help you avoid many mistakes & get to the Truth faster) https://t.co/taJydczQ3i
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.The Psychology of Money by @morganhousel I am not the first nor the last person to recommend this superb book. I wish this book existed when I was in my 20s & 30s, so I could have avoided making dozens of money mistakes. As a bonus, it also provides A+ lessons on clear thinking. https://t.co/XD4H8g4t4T
The Mom Test
Rob Fitzpatrick
The Mom Test is a quick, practical guide that will save you time, money, and heartbreak. They say you shouldn't ask your mom whether your business is a good idea, because she loves you and will lie to you. This is technically true, but it misses the point. You shouldn't ask anyone if your business is a good idea. It's a bad question and everyone will lie to you at least a little . As a matter of fact, it's not their responsibility to tell you the truth. It's your responsibility to find it and it's worth doing right . Talking to customers is one of the foundational skills of both Customer Development and Lean Startup. We all know we're supposed to do it, but nobody seems willing to admit that it's easy to screw up and hard to do right. This book is going to show you how customer conversations go wrong and how you can do better.@RainaShohit I've recommended some books in the thread below (I'd add The Mom Test by @robfitz to this list as a must-read, particularly for B2B product people) https://t.co/LJbTQUtF3B
The Charisma Myth
Olivia Fox Cabane
Demonstrates how to improve one's persuasive abilities, sharing tools originally developed for Harvard and MIT to explain the fundamental components of charisma, what it really is, and how it works.@ProductHarsha It's mainly about: - Becoming a clearer thinker - Learning the art of influence Some books: Are Your Lights On? Never Split the Difference The Charisma Myth Games People Play Books on cognitive biases Thread on clear product thinking: https://t.co/o0zQUc3ynL
The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership
Jim Dethmer
You'll never see leadership the same way again after reading this book. These fifteen commitments are a distillation of decades of work with CEOs and other leaders. They are radical or provocative for many. They have been game changers for us and for our clients. We trust that they will be for you too. Our experience is that unconscious leadership is not sustainable. It won't work for you, your team or your organization in the long term. Unconscious leadership can deliver short term results, but the costs of living and leading unconsciously are great. Fear drives most leaders to make choices that are at odds with healthy relationships, vitality and balance. This fear leaves a toxic residue that won't be as easily tolerated in an increasingly complex business environment. Conscious leadership offers the antidote to fear. These pages contain a comprehensive road map to guide you to shift from fear-based to trust-based leadership. Once you learn and start practicing conscious leadership you'll get results in the form of more energy, clarity, focus and healthier relationships. You'll do more and more of what you are passionate about, and less of what you do out of obligation. You'll have more fun, be happier, experience less drama and be more on purpose. Your team will get results as well. They'll be more collaborative, creative, energized and engaged. They'll solve issues faster, and once resolved the issues won't resurface. Drama and gossip will all but disappear, and the energy and resources that fueled them will be redirected towards innovation and creativity. Any one of these commitments will change your life. All of them together are revolutionary. Leaders who practice the 15 commitments: - End blame and criticism - Speak candidly, openly and honestly, in a way that invites others to do the same - Find their unique genius - Let go of taking everything-especially themselves and their problems-so seriously - Create win for all solutions - Experience a new relationship to time and money where there is always enough What do you need to bring to the table? Be curious. Sounds so simple, and yet in our experience it's a skill few have mastered. Most of us are far more interested in being right and proving it, than we are in learning, growing and shifting out of our old patterns. By default we gravitate towards the familiar. We're asking you to take a chance and explore the unfamiliar. You'll get scared and reactive. We all do. So what? Just stay curious and let us introduce you to a whole new world of leadership.@tparekh Nice. I learned about it from @ConsciousLG. The book is superb too. https://t.co/N1JUqo1pNs
Sum
David Eagleman
In this startling book, David Eagleman shows us forty possibilities of life beyond death. With wit and humanity, he asks the key questions about existence, hope, technology and love. These short stories are full of big ideas and bold imagination.@patrick_oshag Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives by @davideagleman https://t.co/wtuFyG8u1s
The Mom Test
Rob Fitzpatrick
This summary thread of @robfitz’s book by @louispereira is superb. Just ordered the book. https://t.co/HWWMCYDNoA
Will It Make The Boat Go Faster?
Harriet Beveridge
@MoronCapitlst For that detail, check out their book: https://t.co/7EmhFWBnS2
Autobiography of a Restless Mind
Dee Hock
The books: https://t.co/cHCa2Jd0Y7 and https://t.co/7QVwg5fh08
Autobiography of a Restless Mind
Dee Hock
Volume 1 Autobiography of a Restless Mind is a fascinating, exceptionally diverse collection of observations and reflections written over the past twenty-five years by one of the most innovative thinkers, writers, and leaders of the past half century. Witty and wise, playful and profound, prophetic and immensely quotable, it is a companion no thinking, caring person should be without. Written in an unforgettable style reminiscent of Aurelius, Montaigne, Lao-Tse, and Bacon, it is a classic that will be read with pleasure and profit for generations to come.Dee Hock is the founder of Visa His writing after retiring from Visa is even more fascinating than Visa's success I feel very lucky to have found @deehock's work Decades before Twitter, Dee was packing a lifetime of wisdom in his tweet-sized observations Here's a few of them: https://t.co/c99HQ11OC0
Autobiography of a Restless Mind
Dee Hock
Dee Hock is the founder of Visa His writing after retiring from Visa is even more fascinating than Visa's success I feel very lucky to have found @deehock's work Decades before Twitter, Dee was packing a lifetime of wisdom in his tweet-sized observations Here's a few of them: https://t.co/c99HQ11OC0
The Art of Game Design
Jesse Schell
Presents over 100 sets of questions, or different lenses, for viewing a game's design. Written by one of the world's top game designers, this book describes the deepest and most fundamental principles of game design, demonstrating how tactics used in board, card, and athletic games also work in video games. It provides practical instruction on creating world-class games that will be played again and again. New to this edition: many great examples from new VR and AR platforms as well as examples from modern games such as Uncharted 4 and The Last of Us, Free to Play games, hybrid games, transformational games, and more.@minhphan2301 Some books to understand user psychology and its application to product design & mktg: Alchemy by @rorysutherland The Art of Game Design by @jesseschell Practical Empathy by @indiyoung 100 Things [...] by Susan Weinschenk Book recos are from this thread https://t.co/oE09CvD7sa
Practical Empathy
Indi Young
"Conventional product development focuses on the solution. Empathy is a mindset that focuses on people, helping you to understand their thinking patterns and perspectives. Practical Empathy will show you how to gather and compare these patterns to make better decisions, improve your strategy, and collaborate successfully." --Back cover.@minhphan2301 Some books to understand user psychology and its application to product design & mktg: Alchemy by @rorysutherland The Art of Game Design by @jesseschell Practical Empathy by @indiyoung 100 Things [...] by Susan Weinschenk Book recos are from this thread https://t.co/oE09CvD7sa
- In 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People, 2nd Edition , Dr. Susan Weinschenk shows design and web professionals how to apply the latest research in cognitive, perceptual, and social psychology to create more effective web sites and apps. Dr. Weinschenk offers concise, plain-English insights and practical examples for designing sites and apps that are more intuitive and engaging, because they match the way humans think, work, and play. Updated to reflect the latest scientific findings, this full-color, relentlessly practical guide will help you whether your background is in visual design, interaction design, programming, or anything else. Weinschenk will help you improve the many design choices you make every single day -- from choosing fonts and chunking information to motivating people and guiding them towards purchase. Not just another "web design guidelines" book, 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People, 2nd Edition explains the why behind the guidelines, and exposes the many web design myths and "urban legends" that stand in your way. Dr. Weinschenk shows you what makes humans tick, and helps you translate that knowledge into exceptionally successful designs.
@minhphan2301 Some books to understand user psychology and its application to product design & mktg: Alchemy by @rorysutherland The Art of Game Design by @jesseschell Practical Empathy by @indiyoung 100 Things [...] by Susan Weinschenk Book recos are from this thread https://t.co/oE09CvD7sa
Peopleware
Tom DeMarco
Most software project problems are sociological, not technological. Peopleware is a book on managing software projects.5 book recos for Eng Mgrs & Tech Leads (from a Product Mgr's perspective) 1) Peopleware for managing people & projects 2) Super Thinking for frameworks 3) What Got You Here Won't Get You There for adapting 4) Are Your Lights On? for problem solving 5) 7 Powers for strategy https://t.co/vV4P5BKjso
Are Your Lights On?
Donald C. Gause
A Practical Guide for Everyone Involved in Product and Systems Development The fledgling problem solver invariably rushes in with solutions before taking time to define the problem being solved. Even experienced solvers, when subjected to social pressure, yield to this demand for haste. When they do, many solutions are found, but not necessarily to the problem at hand. Whether you are a novice or a veteran, this powerful little book will make you a more effective problem solver. Anyone involved in product and systems development will appreciate this practical illustrated guide, which was first published in 1982 and has since become a cult classic. Offering such insights as "A problem is a difference between things as desired and things as perceived, " and "In spite of appearances, people seldom know what they want until you give them what they ask for, " authors Don Gause and Jerry Weinberg provide an entertaining look at ways to improve one's thinking power. The book playfully instructs the reader first to identify the problem, second to determine the problem's owner, third to identify where the problem came from, and fourth to determine whether or not to solve it. Delightfully illustrated with 55 line drawings, the book conveys a message that will change the way you think about projects and problems.5 book recos for Eng Mgrs & Tech Leads (from a Product Mgr's perspective) 1) Peopleware for managing people & projects 2) Super Thinking for frameworks 3) What Got You Here Won't Get You There for adapting 4) Are Your Lights On? for problem solving 5) 7 Powers for strategy https://t.co/vV4P5BKjso
Super Thinking
Lauren McCann
You want to make better decisions. You want to be right more of the time-professionally and personally. However, being more right consistently is a hard problem because the world is such a complex, evolving place. How do you navigate this complexity? Mental models are decision making tools that guide our perception of the world and our behaviour in it. They help us understand life, make decisions and solve problems. The best models help us make intelligent investments, develop ground-breaking technologies and even travel to outer space. Building on our knowledge of well-known models such as the Bandwagon Effector Paradigm Shiftand introducing us to the lesser known like theEisenhower Matrixor the Boiling Frog Symbol,this indispensable book distills the most effective mental models into a single, digestible volume. It will make even the most complex models accessible and engaging to enable you to make better, more informed decisions in every part of your life.5 book recos for Eng Mgrs & Tech Leads (from a Product Mgr's perspective) 1) Peopleware for managing people & projects 2) Super Thinking for frameworks 3) What Got You Here Won't Get You There for adapting 4) Are Your Lights On? for problem solving 5) 7 Powers for strategy https://t.co/vV4P5BKjso
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.5 book recos for Eng Mgrs & Tech Leads (from a Product Mgr's perspective) 1) Peopleware for managing people & projects 2) Super Thinking for frameworks 3) What Got You Here Won't Get You There for adapting 4) Are Your Lights On? for problem solving 5) 7 Powers for strategy https://t.co/vV4P5BKjso
What Got You Here Won't Get You There
Marshall Goldsmith
5 book recos for Eng Mgrs & Tech Leads (from a Product Mgr's perspective) 1) Peopleware for managing people & projects 2) Super Thinking for frameworks 3) What Got You Here Won't Get You There for adapting 4) Are Your Lights On? for problem solving 5) 7 Powers for strategy https://t.co/vV4P5BKjso
Principles
Ray Dalio
#1 New York Times Bestseller “Significant...The book is both instructive and surprisingly moving.” —The New York Times Ray Dalio, one of the world’s most successful investors and entrepreneurs, shares the unconventional principles that he’s developed, refined, and used over the past forty years to create unique results in both life and business—and which any person or organization can adopt to help achieve their goals. In 1975, Ray Dalio founded an investment firm, Bridgewater Associates, out of his two-bedroom apartment in New York City. Forty years later, Bridgewater has made more money for its clients than any other hedge fund in history and grown into the fifth most important private company in the United States, according to Fortune magazine. Dalio himself has been named to Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Along the way, Dalio discovered a set of unique principles that have led to Bridgewater’s exceptionally effective culture, which he describes as “an idea meritocracy that strives to achieve meaningful work and meaningful relationships through radical transparency.” It is these principles, and not anything special about Dalio—who grew up an ordinary kid in a middle-class Long Island neighborhood—that he believes are the reason behind his success. In Principles, Dalio shares what he’s learned over the course of his remarkable career. He argues that life, management, economics, and investing can all be systemized into rules and understood like machines. The book’s hundreds of practical lessons, which are built around his cornerstones of “radical truth” and “radical transparency,” include Dalio laying out the most effective ways for individuals and organizations to make decisions, approach challenges, and build strong teams. He also describes the innovative tools the firm uses to bring an idea meritocracy to life, such as creating “baseball cards” for all employees that distill their strengths and weaknesses, and employing computerized decision-making systems to make believability-weighted decisions. While the book brims with novel ideas for organizations and institutions, Principles also offers a clear, straightforward approach to decision-making that Dalio believes anyone can apply, no matter what they’re seeking to achieve. Here, from a man who has been called both “the Steve Jobs of investing” and “the philosopher king of the financial universe” (CIO magazine), is a rare opportunity to gain proven advice unlike anything you’ll find in the conventional business press.Dec 2020 book recos for product people 1. Creativity 2. Principles 3. Deep Work 4. The Secrets of Consulting https://t.co/pCK84wKpEk
Deep Work
Cal Newport
One of the most valuable skills in our economy is becoming increasingly rare. If you master this skill, you'll achieve extraordinary results. Deep work is the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task. It's a skill that allows you to quickly master complicated information and produce better results in less time. Deep work will make you better at what you do and provide the sense of true fulfillment that comes from craftsmanship. In short, deep work is like a super power in our increasingly competitive twenty-first century economy. And yet, most people have lost the ability to go deep-spending their days instead in a frantic blur of e-mail and social media, not even realizing there's a better way. In DEEP WORK, author and professor Cal Newport flips the narrative on impact in a connected age. Instead of arguing distraction is bad, he instead celebrates the power of its opposite. Dividing this book into two parts, he first makes the case that in almost any profession, cultivating a deep work ethic will produce massive benefits. He then presents a rigorous training regimen, presented as a series of four "rules," for transforming your mind and habits to support this skill. A mix of cultural criticism and actionable advice, DEEP WORK takes the reader on a journey through memorable stories-from Carl Jung building a stone tower in the woods to focus his mind, to a social media pioneer buying a round-trip business class ticket to Tokyo to write a book free from distraction in the air-and no-nonsense advice, such as the claim that most serious professionals should quit social media and that you should practice being bored. DEEP WORK is an indispensable guide to anyone seeking focused success in a distracted world.Dec 2020 book recos for product people 1. Creativity 2. Principles 3. Deep Work 4. The Secrets of Consulting https://t.co/pCK84wKpEk
The Secrets of Consulting
Gerald M. Weinberg
The Secrets of Consulting--techniques, strategies, and first-hand experiences--all that you'll need to set up, run, and be successful at your own consulting business.Dec 2020 book recos for product people 1. Creativity 2. Principles 3. Deep Work 4. The Secrets of Consulting https://t.co/pCK84wKpEk
Stealing the Corner Office
Brendan Reid
"Whether you're a corporate newcomer or an entrenched executive, Stealing the Corner Office delivers a no-nonsense playbook that breaks the mold of conventional wisdom. Reid's unique style makes for a thought-provoking and entertaining read. --Yves Dupuis, vice president of sales, Jabra "Stealing the Corner Office is a must-read for MBA students, young corporate managers, and top-level executives. Reid delivers an immensely readable and insightful guide to career planning that demystifies the foibles, gaming, and hubris of corporate life." --Charles McMillan, professor of strategic management, Schulich School of Business Stealing the Corner Office is mandatory reading for smart, hardworking managers who always wonder why their seemingly incompetent superiors are so successful. It is a unique collection of controversial but highly effective tactics for middle managers and aspiring executives who want to learn the real secrets for moving up the corporate ladder. Unlike virtually all other business books--which are based on the assumption that corporations are logical and fair--Stealing the Corner Office explores the unconventional tactics people less competent than you use to get ahead and stay ahead. It is your proven playbook to thrive and win in an imperfect corporate world. Stealing the Corner Office will teach you: How incompetent people so often get ahead, and what you can learn from them. How to make universally flawed corporate policies work in your favor. Why showing too much passion for your ideas can be career suicide. Why delivering results should never be your highest priority. These and many more controversial tactics will change the way you look at your career and how you manage projects, people, and priorities. Apply the 10 principles in Stealing the Corner Office and watch your career take off!"Stealing the Corner Office" is an interesting read, but not for the reasons its author describes. It is useful for first-time founders, CEOs, and benevolent executives because it lays out the machiavellian tactics that many ILs tend to employ. https://t.co/XumEskpjsc
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.Some more thoughts/resources👇🏾 I first started thinking about this topic after listening to The Hard Thing About Hard Things. In it, @bhorowitz talks about how it's hard to manage executives because they are super-savvy. Generic mgmt advice doesn't work. https://t.co/en95S2oVHE
Escaping the Build Trap
Melissa Perri
"To stay competitive in today's market, organizations need to adopt a culture of customer-centric practices that focus on outcomes rather than outputs. In this book, Melissa Perri explains how laying the foundation for great product management can help companies solve real customer problems while achieving business goals. By understanding how to communicate and collaborate within a company structure, you can create a product culture that benefits both the business and the customer. You'll learn product management principles that can be applied to any organization, big or small"--Page 4 of cover.10/ Also check out Escaping the Build Trap @lissijean https://t.co/bTCGsQk5Ib
Sum
David Eagleman
In this startling book, David Eagleman shows us forty possibilities of life beyond death. With wit and humanity, he asks the key questions about existence, hope, technology and love. These short stories are full of big ideas and bold imagination.@Austen Sum by @davideagleman (I'd suggest reading it slowly) https://t.co/eDlYrGHFu1
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.Some of the points in this thread are related to Counter-positioning, my favorite of Helmer's 7 strategic powers: "A newcomer adopts a new, superior business model which the incumbent does not mimic due to anticipated damage to their existing business." https://t.co/bJTtjnzqpD
Tao Te Ching
Lao Tzu
Tao Te Ching is ~25 centuries old, written in 81 brief chapters. Its word economy is exemplary—each reading reveals new layers. Besides being a life manual, it imparts superb leadership wisdom. A thread of 7 profound leadership lessons from Tao Te Ching: https://t.co/TkFjjpWjXo
The Secrets of Consulting
Gerald M. Weinberg
The Secrets of Consulting--techniques, strategies, and first-hand experiences--all that you'll need to set up, run, and be successful at your own consulting business.@evanlapointe So true, had to learn that the hard way. I'm only now getting around to reading this book, and boy, it is SO good. https://t.co/aLv61XSMas
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Stephen R. Covey
@itskyleeddins Easy🙂 If I could recommend only one book for product managers, it would have to be The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Rationale: the Mindset is what holds more PMs back than Skills, and 7 Habits captures the essential PM mindset better than anything I’ve read.
Upstream
Dan Heath
New York Times bestselling author Dan Heath explores how to prevent problems before they happen, drawing on insights from hundreds of interviews with unconventional problem solvers. So often in life, we get stuck in a cycle of response. We put out fires. We deal with emergencies. We stay downstream, handling one problem after another, but we never make our way upstream to fix the systems that caused the problems. Cops chase robbers, doctors treat patients with chronic illnesses, and call-center reps address customer complaints. But many crimes, chronic illnesses, and customer complaints are preventable. So why do our efforts skew so heavily toward reaction rather than prevention? Upstream probes the psychological forces that push us downstream—including “problem blindness,” which can leave us oblivious to serious problems in our midst. And Heath introduces us to the thinkers who have overcome these obstacles and scored massive victories by switching to an upstream mindset. One online travel website prevented twenty million customer service calls every year by making some simple tweaks to its booking system. A major urban school district cut its dropout rate in half after it figured out that it could predict which students would drop out—as early as the ninth grade. A European nation almost eliminated teenage alcohol and drug abuse by deliberately changing the nation’s culture. And one EMS system accelerated the emergency-response time of its ambulances by using data to predict where 911 calls would emerge—and forward-deploying its ambulances to stand by in those areas. Upstream delivers practical solutions for preventing problems rather than reacting to them. How many problems in our lives and in society are we tolerating simply because we’ve forgotten that we can fix them?Dan Heath has written a whole book on the topic of problem prevention. I listened to the audiobook a few months ago and enjoyed it. Very much recommended. https://t.co/w3MuVJS7SL
Adrenaline Junkies and Template Zombies
DeMarco Tom
October 2020 book recommendations for product people: 1. https://t.co/4ZlHRkstuM 2. https://t.co/8qEiDpFOoW 3. https://t.co/t9O2XF9DDn 4. https://t.co/6mSk1DNDe6 https://t.co/MPhQsOYEEX
The Art of Game Design
Jesse Schell
Presents over 100 sets of questions, or different lenses, for viewing a game's design. Written by one of the world's top game designers, this book describes the deepest and most fundamental principles of game design, demonstrating how tactics used in board, card, and athletic games also work in video games. It provides practical instruction on creating world-class games that will be played again and again. New to this edition: many great examples from new VR and AR platforms as well as examples from modern games such as Uncharted 4 and The Last of Us, Free to Play games, hybrid games, transformational games, and more.October 2020 book recommendations for product people: 1. https://t.co/4ZlHRkstuM 2. https://t.co/8qEiDpFOoW 3. https://t.co/t9O2XF9DDn 4. https://t.co/6mSk1DNDe6 https://t.co/MPhQsOYEEX
The Score Takes Care of Itself
Bill Walsh
Offers insights and best leadership principles from the successful coach of the San Francisco 49ers, explaining how he motivated people, crafted winning teams, and his words of wisdom such as “Believe in people,” and “Keep a short enemies list.”October 2020 book recommendations for product people: 1. https://t.co/4ZlHRkstuM 2. https://t.co/8qEiDpFOoW 3. https://t.co/t9O2XF9DDn 4. https://t.co/6mSk1DNDe6 https://t.co/MPhQsOYEEX
Good Strategy Bad Strategy
Richard Rumelt
October 2020 book recommendations for product people: 1. https://t.co/4ZlHRkstuM 2. https://t.co/8qEiDpFOoW 3. https://t.co/t9O2XF9DDn 4. https://t.co/6mSk1DNDe6 https://t.co/MPhQsOYEEX
Adrenaline Junkies and Template Zombies
DeMarco Tom
A good book to understand biases & anti-patterns of software teams. https://t.co/nMhdIn2uvX https://t.co/3OCvc93MqY
The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership
Jim Dethmer
You'll never see leadership the same way again after reading this book. These fifteen commitments are a distillation of decades of work with CEOs and other leaders. They are radical or provocative for many. They have been game changers for us and for our clients. We trust that they will be for you too. Our experience is that unconscious leadership is not sustainable. It won't work for you, your team or your organization in the long term. Unconscious leadership can deliver short term results, but the costs of living and leading unconsciously are great. Fear drives most leaders to make choices that are at odds with healthy relationships, vitality and balance. This fear leaves a toxic residue that won't be as easily tolerated in an increasingly complex business environment. Conscious leadership offers the antidote to fear. These pages contain a comprehensive road map to guide you to shift from fear-based to trust-based leadership. Once you learn and start practicing conscious leadership you'll get results in the form of more energy, clarity, focus and healthier relationships. You'll do more and more of what you are passionate about, and less of what you do out of obligation. You'll have more fun, be happier, experience less drama and be more on purpose. Your team will get results as well. They'll be more collaborative, creative, energized and engaged. They'll solve issues faster, and once resolved the issues won't resurface. Drama and gossip will all but disappear, and the energy and resources that fueled them will be redirected towards innovation and creativity. Any one of these commitments will change your life. All of them together are revolutionary. Leaders who practice the 15 commitments: - End blame and criticism - Speak candidly, openly and honestly, in a way that invites others to do the same - Find their unique genius - Let go of taking everything-especially themselves and their problems-so seriously - Create win for all solutions - Experience a new relationship to time and money where there is always enough What do you need to bring to the table? Be curious. Sounds so simple, and yet in our experience it's a skill few have mastered. Most of us are far more interested in being right and proving it, than we are in learning, growing and shifting out of our old patterns. By default we gravitate towards the familiar. We're asking you to take a chance and explore the unfamiliar. You'll get scared and reactive. We all do. So what? Just stay curious and let us introduce you to a whole new world of leadership."The team that sees reality best, wins" comes from the A+ book "15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership" by @ConsciousLG I first heard about "Constructive Dissonance" from Hamilton Helmer on the @twentyminutevc podcast by @HarryStebbings (7:18 mark) More: https://t.co/eNagx1XLRk
Adrenaline Junkies and Template Zombies
Tom Demarco
In Adrenaline Junkies and Template Zombies, the six principal consultants of The Atlantic Systems Guild present the patterns of behavior they most often observe at the dozens of IT firms they transform each year, around the world. The result is a quick-read guide to identifying nearly ninety typical scenarios, drawing on a combined one-hundred-and-fifty years of project management experience. Project by project, you'll improve the accuracy of your hunches and your ability to act on them. The patterns are presented in an easy-reference format, with names designed to ease communication with your teammates. In just a few words, you can describe what's happening on your project. Citing the patterns of behavior can help you quickly move those above and below you to the next step on your project. Not every pattern will be evident in your organization, and not every pattern is necessarily good or bad. However, you'll find many patterns that will apply to your current and future assignments, even in the most ambiguous circumstances. When you assess your situation and follow your next hunch, you'll have the collective wisdom of six world-class consultants at your side.Good read on collaboration patterns & anti-patterns in software projects. One of the rare books that should be useful for every function involved in software projects & every level from individual contributor to senior mgmt. I don’t agree with some of the vocabulary but overall👌🏾 https://t.co/bbmYvUjrVt
Upstream
Dan Heath
New York Times bestselling author Dan Heath explores how to prevent problems before they happen, drawing on insights from hundreds of interviews with unconventional problem solvers. So often in life, we get stuck in a cycle of response. We put out fires. We deal with emergencies. We stay downstream, handling one problem after another, but we never make our way upstream to fix the systems that caused the problems. Cops chase robbers, doctors treat patients with chronic illnesses, and call-center reps address customer complaints. But many crimes, chronic illnesses, and customer complaints are preventable. So why do our efforts skew so heavily toward reaction rather than prevention? Upstream probes the psychological forces that push us downstream—including “problem blindness,” which can leave us oblivious to serious problems in our midst. And Heath introduces us to the thinkers who have overcome these obstacles and scored massive victories by switching to an upstream mindset. One online travel website prevented twenty million customer service calls every year by making some simple tweaks to its booking system. A major urban school district cut its dropout rate in half after it figured out that it could predict which students would drop out—as early as the ninth grade. A European nation almost eliminated teenage alcohol and drug abuse by deliberately changing the nation’s culture. And one EMS system accelerated the emergency-response time of its ambulances by using data to predict where 911 calls would emerge—and forward-deploying its ambulances to stand by in those areas. Upstream delivers practical solutions for preventing problems rather than reacting to them. How many problems in our lives and in society are we tolerating simply because we’ve forgotten that we can fix them?@TrentBlakely2 @michaelnewt +1 excellent lessons in that book
Are Your Lights On?
Donald C. Gause
A Practical Guide for Everyone Involved in Product and Systems Development The fledgling problem solver invariably rushes in with solutions before taking time to define the problem being solved. Even experienced solvers, when subjected to social pressure, yield to this demand for haste. When they do, many solutions are found, but not necessarily to the problem at hand. Whether you are a novice or a veteran, this powerful little book will make you a more effective problem solver. Anyone involved in product and systems development will appreciate this practical illustrated guide, which was first published in 1982 and has since become a cult classic. Offering such insights as "A problem is a difference between things as desired and things as perceived, " and "In spite of appearances, people seldom know what they want until you give them what they ask for, " authors Don Gause and Jerry Weinberg provide an entertaining look at ways to improve one's thinking power. The book playfully instructs the reader first to identify the problem, second to determine the problem's owner, third to identify where the problem came from, and fourth to determine whether or not to solve it. Delightfully illustrated with 55 line drawings, the book conveys a message that will change the way you think about projects and problems.Aug 2020 book recommendations for product people: 1. Are Your Lights On? 2. Peopleware 3. The Systems Bible 4. Games People Play This month’s books are a nod to the Lindy Effect: these books are fairly old & we might reasonably expect them to stay relevant for a while longer https://t.co/kXtUqwJWk5
Peopleware
Tom DeMarco
Most software project problems are sociological, not technological. Peopleware is a book on managing software projects.Aug 2020 book recommendations for product people: 1. Are Your Lights On? 2. Peopleware 3. The Systems Bible 4. Games People Play This month’s books are a nod to the Lindy Effect: these books are fairly old & we might reasonably expect them to stay relevant for a while longer https://t.co/kXtUqwJWk5
The Systems Bible
John Gall
Being the Third Edition of Systemantics, extensively revised and expanded by the addition of several new Chapters including new Axioms, Theorems, and Rules of Thumb, together with many new Case Histories and Horrible Examples.Aug 2020 book recommendations for product people: 1. Are Your Lights On? 2. Peopleware 3. The Systems Bible 4. Games People Play This month’s books are a nod to the Lindy Effect: these books are fairly old & we might reasonably expect them to stay relevant for a while longer https://t.co/kXtUqwJWk5
Games People Play
Eric Berne
The fortieth anniversary edition of the groundbreaking best seller examines the interpersonal defenses which individuals construct to avoid dealing with reality in everyday situations in a volume that features a new prologue , as well as commentary by Kurt Vonnegut from his original 1965 LIFE magazine review. Reissue. 20,000 first printing.Aug 2020 book recommendations for product people: 1. Are Your Lights On? 2. Peopleware 3. The Systems Bible 4. Games People Play This month’s books are a nod to the Lindy Effect: these books are fairly old & we might reasonably expect them to stay relevant for a while longer https://t.co/kXtUqwJWk5
Good Strategy, Bad Strategy
Richard P. Rumelt
Argues that a manager's central responsibility is to create and implement strategies, challenges popular motivational practices, and shares anecdotes discussing how to enable action-oriented plans for real-world results.Strategy books, stack ranked: https://t.co/dTPnXGaxhJ
Competitive Strategy
Michael E. Porter
Now nearing its sixtieth printing in English and translated into nineteen languages, Michael E. Porter's Competitive Strategy has transformed the theory, practice, and teaching of business strategy throughout the world. Electrifying in its simplicity—like all great breakthroughs—Porter’s analysis of industries captures the complexity of industry competition in five underlying forces. Porter introduces one of the most powerful competitive tools yet developed: his three generic strategies—lowest cost, differentiation, and focus—which bring structure to the task of strategic positioning. He shows how competitive advantage can be defined in terms of relative cost and relative prices, thus linking it directly to profitability, and presents a whole new perspective on how profit is created and divided. In the almost two decades since publication, Porter's framework for predicting competitor behavior has transformed the way in which companies look at their rivals and has given rise to the new discipline of competitor assessment. More than a million managers in both large and small companies, investment analysts, consultants, students, and scholars throughout the world have internalized Porter's ideas and applied them to assess industries, understand competitors, and choose competitive positions. The ideas in the book address the underlying fundamentals of competition in a way that is independent of the specifics of the ways companies go about competing. Competitive Strategy has filled a void in management thinking. It provides an enduring foundation and grounding point on which all subsequent work can be built. By bringing a disciplined structure to the question of how firms achieve superior profitability, Porter’s rich frameworks and deep insights comprise a sophisticated view of competition unsurpassed in the last quarter-century.Strategy books, stack ranked: https://t.co/dTPnXGaxhJ
Obviously Awesome
April Dunford
You know your product is awesome-but does anybody else? Successfully connecting your product with consumers isn't a matter of following trends, comparing yourself to the competition or trying to attract the widest customer base. So what is it? April Dunford, positioning guru and tech exec, is here to enlighten you.Strategy books, stack ranked: https://t.co/dTPnXGaxhJ
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.Strategy books, stack ranked: https://t.co/dTPnXGaxhJ
Understanding Michael Porter
Joan Magretta
Examines and explains the revolutionary business frameworks of Michael Porter, with examples to illustrate and update Porter's ideas for achieving and sustaining competitive success.Strategy books, stack ranked: https://t.co/dTPnXGaxhJ
Deep Work
Cal Newport
One of the most valuable skills in our economy is becoming increasingly rare. If you master this skill, you'll achieve extraordinary results. Deep work is the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task. It's a skill that allows you to quickly master complicated information and produce better results in less time. Deep work will make you better at what you do and provide the sense of true fulfillment that comes from craftsmanship. In short, deep work is like a super power in our increasingly competitive twenty-first century economy. And yet, most people have lost the ability to go deep-spending their days instead in a frantic blur of e-mail and social media, not even realizing there's a better way. In DEEP WORK, author and professor Cal Newport flips the narrative on impact in a connected age. Instead of arguing distraction is bad, he instead celebrates the power of its opposite. Dividing this book into two parts, he first makes the case that in almost any profession, cultivating a deep work ethic will produce massive benefits. He then presents a rigorous training regimen, presented as a series of four "rules," for transforming your mind and habits to support this skill. A mix of cultural criticism and actionable advice, DEEP WORK takes the reader on a journey through memorable stories-from Carl Jung building a stone tower in the woods to focus his mind, to a social media pioneer buying a round-trip business class ticket to Tokyo to write a book free from distraction in the air-and no-nonsense advice, such as the claim that most serious professionals should quit social media and that you should practice being bored. DEEP WORK is an indispensable guide to anyone seeking focused success in a distracted world.Further reading & resources👇🏾 On Presence, the book Deep Work by Cal Newport is a good resource for intense focus and more. https://t.co/pkkAo3GSg8
Sum
David Eagleman
An array of tales speculates about the future that awaits us after death, presenting diverse versions of human purpose that range from experimental subjects for gods trying to understand emotional attachment to mobile robots for cosmic mapmakers.@AlexAndBooks_ @rjs I thought Sum by @davideagleman was quite a mind blowing book in that way.
Games People Play
Eric Berne
The fortieth anniversary edition of the groundbreaking best seller examines the interpersonal defenses which individuals construct to avoid dealing with reality in everyday situations in a volume that features a new prologue , as well as commentary by Kurt Vonnegut from his original 1965 LIFE magazine review. Reissue. 20,000 first printing.@twishmay I’ve only read Games People Play (and just started Scripts People Live), but learned a lot from Games People Play, among my top 10 all time favorite books.
Games People Play
Eric Berne
The fortieth anniversary edition of the groundbreaking best seller examines the interpersonal defenses which individuals construct to avoid dealing with reality in everyday situations in a volume that features a new prologue , as well as commentary by Kurt Vonnegut from his original 1965 LIFE magazine review. Reissue. 20,000 first printing.Transactional Analysis reference 1: https://t.co/YmjdtSjPyB https://t.co/crieievgAq
Never Split the Difference
VOSS/RAZ
'A master of persuasion.' Forbes'This book blew my mind.' Adam Grant, bestselling author of OriginalsA former FBI hostage negotiator offers a new, field-tested approach to negotiating - effective in any situation. After a stint policing the rough streets of Kansas City, Missouri, Chris Voss joined the FBI, where his career as a kidnapping negotiator brought him face-to-face with bank robbers, gang leaders and terrorists. Never Split the Differencetakes you inside his world of high-stakes negotiations, revealing the nine key principles that helped Voss and his colleagues succeed when it mattered the most - when people?s lives were at stake. Rooted in the real-life experiences of an intelligence professional at the top of his game, Never Split the Differencewill give you the competitive edge in any discussion.'Filled with insights that apply to everyday negotiations.' Business Insider'A stupendous book.' The Week'It's rare that a book is so gripping and entertaining while still being actionable and applicable.' Inc.Transactional Analysis reference 2: https://t.co/cFdiTuB26M
Deep Work
Cal Newport
One of the most valuable skills in our economy is becoming increasingly rare. If you master this skill, you'll achieve extraordinary results. Deep work is the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task. It's a skill that allows you to quickly master complicated information and produce better results in less time. Deep work will make you better at what you do and provide the sense of true fulfillment that comes from craftsmanship. In short, deep work is like a super power in our increasingly competitive twenty-first century economy. And yet, most people have lost the ability to go deep-spending their days instead in a frantic blur of e-mail and social media, not even realizing there's a better way. In DEEP WORK, author and professor Cal Newport flips the narrative on impact in a connected age. Instead of arguing distraction is bad, he instead celebrates the power of its opposite. Dividing this book into two parts, he first makes the case that in almost any profession, cultivating a deep work ethic will produce massive benefits. He then presents a rigorous training regimen, presented as a series of four "rules," for transforming your mind and habits to support this skill. A mix of cultural criticism and actionable advice, DEEP WORK takes the reader on a journey through memorable stories-from Carl Jung building a stone tower in the woods to focus his mind, to a social media pioneer buying a round-trip business class ticket to Tokyo to write a book free from distraction in the air-and no-nonsense advice, such as the claim that most serious professionals should quit social media and that you should practice being bored. DEEP WORK is an indispensable guide to anyone seeking focused success in a distracted world.Deep Work reference 2: https://t.co/pkkAo3GSg8
The Art of Thinking Clearly
Rolf Dobelli
We are all guilty of cognitive biases, simple errors we make in day-to-day thinking. But by knowing what they are and how to identify them, we can avoid them and make better choices. The Art of Thinking Clearly shows that in order to lead happier, more prosperous lives, we don't need extra cunning, new ideas, shiny gadgets, or more frantic activity—all we need is less irrationality. Simple, clear, and always surprising, this book will change the way you think and transform your decision making. From why you should not accept a free drink to why you should walk out of a movie you don't like, from why it's so hard to predict the future to why you shouldn't watch the news, The Art of Thinking Clearly helps solve the puzzle of human reasoning.Clear Thinking reference 1: https://t.co/dvWUjJZ9jj
The Art of the Good Life
Rolf Dobelli
Clear Thinking reference 2: https://t.co/Lad4KZYaNX
The Art of Thinking Clearly
Rolf Dobelli
Have you ever . . . Invested time in something that, in hindsight, just wasn't worth it? Paid too much in an eBay auction? Continued to do something you knew was bad for you? Sold stocks too late, or too early? Taken credit for success, but blamed failure on external circumstances? Backed the wrong horse? These are examples of what the author calls cognitive biases, simple errors all of us make in day-to-day thinking. But by knowing what they are and how to identify them, we can avoid them and make better choices: whether in dealing with personal problems or business negotiations, trying to save money or earn profits, or merely working out what we really want in life—and strategizing the best way to get it. Already an international bestseller, The Art of Thinking Clearly distills cutting-edge research from behavioral economics, psychology, and neuroscience into a clever, practical guide for anyone who's ever wanted to be wiser and make better decisions. A novelist, thinker, and entrepreneur, Rolf Dobelli deftly shows that in order to lead happier, more prosperous lives, we don't need extra cunning, new ideas, shiny gadgets, or more frantic hyperactivity—all we need is less irrationality. Simple, clear, and always surprising, this indispensable book will change the way you think and transform your decision making—at work, at home, every day. From why you shouldn't accept a free drink to why you should walk out of a movie you don't like, from why it's so hard to predict the future to why you shouldn't watch the news, The Art of Thinking Clearly helps solve the puzzle of human reasoning.@shekyboy Trying to post them here on Twitter bit by bit. Besides that, learning about mental models and cognitive biases helps. The Art of Thinking Clearly and Super Thinking are good books in this area.
Inspired
Marty Cagan
How do today's most successful tech companies—Amazon, Google, Facebook, Netflix, Tesla—define, design and develop the products that have earned the love of literally billions of people around the world? Perhaps surprisingly, they do it very differently than the vast majority of tech companies. In INSPIRED, technology product management thought leader Marty Cagan provides readers with a master class in how to structure and staff an empowered and effective product organization, and how to discover and deliver technology products that your customers will love—and that will work for your business. With sections on assembling the right people and skills, discovering the right product, embracing an effective yet lightweight process, scaling the product organization, and creating a strong product culture, readers can take the information they learn and immediately leverage it within their own organizations—dramatically improving their own product efforts. Whether you're an early stage startup working to get to product/market fit, or a growth-stage company working to scale your organization, or a large, long-established company trying to regain your ability to consistently deliver new value for your customers, INSPIRED will take you and your product organization to a new level of customer engagement, consistent innovation, and business success. Filled with the author's own personal stories—and profiles of some of today's most-successful product managers and technology-powered product companies, including Adobe, Apple, BBC, Google, Microsoft, and Netflix—INSPIRED will show you how to turn up the dial of your own product efforts, creating technology products your customers love. The first edition of INSPIRED, published ten years ago, established itself as the primary reference for technology product managers, and can be found on the shelves of nearly every successful technology product company worldwide. This thoroughly updated second edition shares the same objective of being the most valuable resource for technology product managers, yet it is completely new—sharing the latest practices and techniques of today's most-successful tech product companies, and the men and women behind every great product.@mar15sa @cagan Bookmarked the thread. Thanks for documenting it. Inspired is the very first book I recommend to product managers.
The Power of Now
Eckhart Tolle
The author shares the secret of his own self-realization and the philosophy for living in the present he has developed.Books that have helped shape my perspective on things: https://t.co/c4EFLtwjSw
The Practicing Stoic
Ward Farnsworth
At the school of philosophy founded at Athens by Zeno of Citium the teachers believed that virtue, the highest good, is based on knowledge and reason, and encouraged indifference to the vicissitudes of fortune and to pleasure and pain. Farnsworth integrates his own observations with scores of quotations to provide perspective of the various Stoic philosophers. His organization and commentary makes the meaning and relevance of this ancient philosophy clear for our times.Books that have helped shape my perspective on things: https://t.co/c4EFLtwjSw
The Courage to Be Disliked
Ichiro Kishimi
“Marie Kondo, but for your brain.” —HelloGiggles “Compelling from front to back. Highly recommend.” —Marc Andreessen Reading this book could change your life. The Courage to Be Disliked, already an enormous bestseller in Asia with more than 3.5 million copies sold, demonstrates how to unlock the power within yourself to be the person you truly want to be. Is happiness something you choose for yourself? The Courage to Be Disliked presents a simple and straightforward answer. Using the theories of Alfred Adler, one of the three giants of nineteenth-century psychology alongside Freud and Jung, this book follows an illuminating dialogue between a philosopher and a young man. Over the course of five conversations, the philosopher helps his student to understand how each of us is able to determine the direction of our own life, free from the shackles of past traumas and the expectations of others. Rich in wisdom, The Courage to Be Disliked will guide you through the concepts of self-forgiveness, self-care, and mind decluttering. It is a deeply liberating way of thinking, allowing you to develop the courage to change and ignore the limitations that you might be placing on yourself. This plainspoken and profoundly moving book unlocks the power within you to find lasting happiness and be the person you truly want to be. Millions have already benefited from its teachings, now you can too.Books that have helped shape my perspective on things: https://t.co/c4EFLtwjSw
The Art of the Good Life
Rolf Dobelli
Books that have helped shape my perspective on things: https://t.co/c4EFLtwjSw
Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends on It
Kamal Ravikant
"The bestselling self-published phenomenon that sold over 300,000 copies addresses our urgent need for self-love in the world today-now expanded with new reader oriented lessons, and a powerful and transformative personal story of the practice in action"--Books that have helped shape my perspective on things: https://t.co/c4EFLtwjSw
Sum
David Eagleman
An array of tales speculates about the future that awaits us after death, presenting diverse versions of human purpose that range from experimental subjects for gods trying to understand emotional attachment to mobile robots for cosmic mapmakers.Books that have helped shape my perspective on things: https://t.co/c4EFLtwjSw
Understanding Michael Porter
Joan Magretta
Examines and explains the revolutionary business frameworks of Michael Porter, with examples to illustrate and update Porter's ideas for achieving and sustaining competitive success.More July 2020 book recommendations for product people: 1. Understanding Michael Porter 2. Practical Empathy 3. The Charisma Myth 4. 7 Powers 5. Getting Things Done 6. The Art of Thinking Clearly https://t.co/7A1xviJ2sj
Practical Empathy
Indi Young
"Conventional product development focuses on the solution. Empathy is a mindset that focuses on people, helping you to understand their thinking patterns and perspectives. Practical Empathy will show you how to gather and compare these patterns to make better decisions, improve your strategy, and collaborate successfully." --Back cover.More July 2020 book recommendations for product people: 1. Understanding Michael Porter 2. Practical Empathy 3. The Charisma Myth 4. 7 Powers 5. Getting Things Done 6. The Art of Thinking Clearly https://t.co/7A1xviJ2sj
The Charisma Myth
Olivia Fox Cabane
Demonstrates how to improve one's persuasive abilities, sharing tools originally developed for Harvard and MIT to explain the fundamental components of charisma, what it really is, and how it works.More July 2020 book recommendations for product people: 1. Understanding Michael Porter 2. Practical Empathy 3. The Charisma Myth 4. 7 Powers 5. Getting Things Done 6. The Art of Thinking Clearly https://t.co/7A1xviJ2sj
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.More July 2020 book recommendations for product people: 1. Understanding Michael Porter 2. Practical Empathy 3. The Charisma Myth 4. 7 Powers 5. Getting Things Done 6. The Art of Thinking Clearly https://t.co/7A1xviJ2sj
Getting Things Done
David Allen
More July 2020 book recommendations for product people: 1. Understanding Michael Porter 2. Practical Empathy 3. The Charisma Myth 4. 7 Powers 5. Getting Things Done 6. The Art of Thinking Clearly https://t.co/7A1xviJ2sj
The Art of Thinking Clearly
Rolf Dobelli
We are all guilty of cognitive biases, simple errors we make in day-to-day thinking. But by knowing what they are and how to identify them, we can avoid them and make better choices. The Art of Thinking Clearly shows that in order to lead happier, more prosperous lives, we don't need extra cunning, new ideas, shiny gadgets, or more frantic activity—all we need is less irrationality. Simple, clear, and always surprising, this book will change the way you think and transform your decision making. From why you should not accept a free drink to why you should walk out of a movie you don't like, from why it's so hard to predict the future to why you shouldn't watch the news, The Art of Thinking Clearly helps solve the puzzle of human reasoning.More July 2020 book recommendations for product people: 1. Understanding Michael Porter 2. Practical Empathy 3. The Charisma Myth 4. 7 Powers 5. Getting Things Done 6. The Art of Thinking Clearly https://t.co/7A1xviJ2sj
Alchemy
Rory Sutherland
The legendary advertising guru—Ogilvy UK’s vice chairman—and star of three massively popular TED Talks, blends the science of human behavior with his vast experience in the art of persuasion in this incomparable book that decodes successful branding and marketing in the vein of Freakonomics, Thinking Fast and Slow, and The Power of Habit. When Rory Sutherland was a trainee working on a direct mail campaign at the famed advertising firm OgilvyOne, he noticed that very small changes in design often had immense effects on the number of consumer responses. Yet no one he worked with knew why. Sutherland began taking stock of each effective yet nebulous trick—”the thing which has no name”—he discovered. As he rose in the advertising industry, he began to understand why these things had no name: no one was interested in quantifying them, cataloguing them, or really investigating them. So, he did it himself. Like classic behavioral economists Daniel Kahneman and Richard Thaler, Sutherland peels away hidden, often irrational human behaviors that explain how the world around us functions. In How to Be an Alchemist he examines why certain ads work and the broader truths they tell us about who we are. Why do people prefer stripy toothpaste, and how might that help us design retirement plans that young people would actually buy? Why do we think orange juice is healthy, and how does the same principle guide our feelings about nuclear reactors? Why do budget airlines advertise services they don’t offer—and what might insurance companies learn from them about keeping healthcare costs low? Filled with startling and profound conclusions, Sutherland’s journey through the world of advertising and its surprising lessons for human behavior is insightful, brilliant, eye-opening, and irresistibly fun.July 2020 Product Management book recommendations: 1. Super Thinking 2. The War of Art 3. 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People 4. Alchemy 5. The Cartoon Guide to Statistics 6. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People https://t.co/38LYLjPdu3
Super Thinking
Gabriel Weinberg
"The world's greatest problem-solvers, forecasters, and decision-makers all rely on a set of frameworks and shortcuts that help them cut through complexity and separate good ideas from bad ones. They're called mental models, and you can find them in dense textbooks on psychology, physics, economics, and more. Or, you can just read Super Thinking, a fun, illustrated guide to every mental model you could possibly need"--July 2020 Product Management book recommendations: 1. Super Thinking 2. The War of Art 3. 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People 4. Alchemy 5. The Cartoon Guide to Statistics 6. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People https://t.co/38LYLjPdu3
The War of Art
Steven Pressfield
"In this powerful, straight-from-the-hip examination of the internal obstacles to success, bestselling author Steven Pressfield shows readers how to identify, defeat, and unlock the inner barriers to creativity. The War of Art is an inspirational, funny, well-aimed kick in the pants guaranteed to galvanize every would-be artist, visionary, or entrepreneur." --from back cover.July 2020 Product Management book recommendations: 1. Super Thinking 2. The War of Art 3. 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People 4. Alchemy 5. The Cartoon Guide to Statistics 6. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People https://t.co/38LYLjPdu3
- Provides information and examples to help designers create products, applications, Web sites, and print materials that match the way people think and feel.
July 2020 Product Management book recommendations: 1. Super Thinking 2. The War of Art 3. 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People 4. Alchemy 5. The Cartoon Guide to Statistics 6. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People https://t.co/38LYLjPdu3
The Cartoon Guide to Statistics
Larry Gonick
If you have ever looked for P-values by shopping at P mart, tried to watch the Bernoulli Trails on "People's Court," or think that the standard deviation is a criminal offense in six states, then you need The Cartoon Guide to Statistics to put you on the road to statistical literacy. The Cartoon Guide to Statistics covers all the central ideas of modern statistics: the summary and display of data, probability in gambling and medicine, random variables, Bernoulli Trails, the Central Limit Theorem, hypothesis testing, confidence interval estimation, and much more—all explained in simple, clear, and yes, funny illustrations. Never again will you order the Poisson Distribution in a French restaurant!July 2020 Product Management book recommendations: 1. Super Thinking 2. The War of Art 3. 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People 4. Alchemy 5. The Cartoon Guide to Statistics 6. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People https://t.co/38LYLjPdu3
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Stephen R. Covey
A leading management consultant outlines seven organizational rules for improving effectiveness and increasing productivity at work and at home.July 2020 Product Management book recommendations: 1. Super Thinking 2. The War of Art 3. 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People 4. Alchemy 5. The Cartoon Guide to Statistics 6. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People https://t.co/38LYLjPdu3
The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership
Jim Dethmer
You'll never see leadership the same way again after reading this book. These fifteen commitments are a distillation of decades of work with CEOs and other leaders. They are radical or provocative for many. They have been game changers for us and for our clients. We trust that they will be for you too. Our experience is that unconscious leadership is not sustainable. It won't work for you, your team or your organization in the long term. Unconscious leadership can deliver short term results, but the costs of living and leading unconsciously are great. Fear drives most leaders to make choices that are at odds with healthy relationships, vitality and balance. This fear leaves a toxic residue that won't be as easily tolerated in an increasingly complex business environment. Conscious leadership offers the antidote to fear. These pages contain a comprehensive road map to guide you to shift from fear-based to trust-based leadership. Once you learn and start practicing conscious leadership you'll get results in the form of more energy, clarity, focus and healthier relationships. You'll do more and more of what you are passionate about, and less of what you do out of obligation. You'll have more fun, be happier, experience less drama and be more on purpose. Your team will get results as well. They'll be more collaborative, creative, energized and engaged. They'll solve issues faster, and once resolved the issues won't resurface. Drama and gossip will all but disappear, and the energy and resources that fueled them will be redirected towards innovation and creativity. Any one of these commitments will change your life. All of them together are revolutionary. Leaders who practice the 15 commitments: - End blame and criticism - Speak candidly, openly and honestly, in a way that invites others to do the same - Find their unique genius - Let go of taking everything-especially themselves and their problems-so seriously - Create win for all solutions - Experience a new relationship to time and money where there is always enough What do you need to bring to the table? Be curious. Sounds so simple, and yet in our experience it's a skill few have mastered. Most of us are far more interested in being right and proving it, than we are in learning, growing and shifting out of our old patterns. By default we gravitate towards the familiar. We're asking you to take a chance and explore the unfamiliar. You'll get scared and reactive. We all do. So what? Just stay curious and let us introduce you to a whole new world of leadership.Footnote 2: In the 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership, the authors talk about To Me and By Me (among other things). This is another way of thinking about High Agency. Book: https://t.co/HZu8Q5Iyfz Twitter: @ConsciousLG https://t.co/evNd5MbwNW
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Stephen R. Covey
A leading management consultant outlines seven organizational rules for improving effectiveness and increasing productivity at work and at home.14/20 Observing and adjusting your language and self-talk is an important aspect of cultivating High Agency. From The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: https://t.co/q2bxa1FRRn https://t.co/rfMJYrnRf6
The Courage to Be Disliked
Ichiro Kishimi
“Marie Kondo, but for your brain.” —HelloGiggles “Compelling from front to back. Highly recommend.” —Marc Andreessen Reading this book could change your life. The Courage to Be Disliked, already an enormous bestseller in Asia with more than 3.5 million copies sold, demonstrates how to unlock the power within yourself to be the person you truly want to be. Is happiness something you choose for yourself? The Courage to Be Disliked presents a simple and straightforward answer. Using the theories of Alfred Adler, one of the three giants of nineteenth-century psychology alongside Freud and Jung, this book follows an illuminating dialogue between a philosopher and a young man. Over the course of five conversations, the philosopher helps his student to understand how each of us is able to determine the direction of our own life, free from the shackles of past traumas and the expectations of others. Rich in wisdom, The Courage to Be Disliked will guide you through the concepts of self-forgiveness, self-care, and mind decluttering. It is a deeply liberating way of thinking, allowing you to develop the courage to change and ignore the limitations that you might be placing on yourself. This plainspoken and profoundly moving book unlocks the power within you to find lasting happiness and be the person you truly want to be. Millions have already benefited from its teachings, now you can too.@ravindragovndni @joshelman The Courage to be Disliked The Courage to be Happy (they aren’t explicitly about parenting but I learned a ton about it from these books)
The Courage to be Happy
Ichiro Kishimi
@ravindragovndni @joshelman The Courage to be Disliked The Courage to be Happy (they aren’t explicitly about parenting but I learned a ton about it from these books)
Upstream
Dan Heath
___________ 'Informs, engages and, above all, entertains' - Charles Duhigg New York Times bestselling author Dan Heath asks what happens when we take our thinking upstream and try to prevent problems before they happen. We all have a tendency to work around problems. We are resourceful. We improvise. We're so accustomed to managing emergencies as they strike that we often don't stop to think about how we could prevent crises before they happen. Why 'solve' crimes when we could stop them being committed? Why treat chronic diseases when they could be prevented from developing? Why provide shelter for the homeless rather than working to keep people housed in the first place? Why do our efforts skew so heavily towards reaction rather than prevention? The notion of preventing problems is an evergreen need in our professional and daily lives. Which makes Upstream a book for skeptical optimists - across all sectors - who know it's not going to be easy, but who believe that we have the capacity to solve some of our thorniest issues, if only we start to think about the system rather than the symptoms. Drawing on insights from Dan Heath's extensive research, as well as hundreds of new interviews with unconventional problem solvers, he delivers practical solutions for preventing problems rather than simply reacting to them.@joshelman Couldn't agree more. The new book "Upstream" by Dan Heath provides an excellent treatment of this topic, if you haven't yet checked it out. And a related thread: https://t.co/iLHtonG8cB
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.@brandonkeao That's a really great book!
Rising to Power
Ron A. Carucci
Presents a guide for managers who have been promoted to executive positions, discussing the skills needed to become focused on company structure, business strategies for the future, and financial goals.“Hit the ground running” is often the conventional advice & expectation when starting in a new role. Source of the above reframing: https://t.co/og2vsVorSD Related book (haven't read it, summary seems interesting): https://t.co/qxBM6wIa4F
Games People Play
Eric Berne
The fortieth anniversary edition of the groundbreaking best seller examines the interpersonal defenses which individuals construct to avoid dealing with reality in everyday situations in a volume that features a new prologue , as well as commentary by Kurt Vonnegut from his original 1965 LIFE magazine review. Reissue. 20,000 first printing.This book is spectacular. Presents models & analysis of the “drama” in everyday life and at work. It would easily take decades of life experience (along with deep analysis and introspection) to learn what’s in this book. 🤯 https://t.co/I2y5ycQWeI https://t.co/kwfqMifjjz
Flow
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
@anirudhbb Flow: https://t.co/ddLNQ0tzjG Agency: https://t.co/MZXsVD7aI7
The Art of Strategy
Avinash K. Dixit
@OwenResistor Good question, I had to think it through before answering. Ultimately, strategy is about disciplined thinking. So I'd start there and c couple of resources come to mind: — Super Thinking (Chapters 1, 6, 9) — Art of Strategy or similar game theory books
Super Thinking
Gabriel Weinberg
"The world's greatest problem-solvers, forecasters, and decision-makers all rely on a set of frameworks and shortcuts that help them cut through complexity and separate good ideas from bad ones. They're called mental models, and you can find them in dense textbooks on psychology, physics, economics, and more. Or, you can just read Super Thinking, a fun, illustrated guide to every mental model you could possibly need"--@OwenResistor Good question, I had to think it through before answering. Ultimately, strategy is about disciplined thinking. So I'd start there and c couple of resources come to mind: — Super Thinking (Chapters 1, 6, 9) — Art of Strategy or similar game theory books
Principles
Ray Dalio
#1 New York Times Bestseller “Significant...The book is both instructive and surprisingly moving.” —The New York Times Ray Dalio, one of the world’s most successful investors and entrepreneurs, shares the unconventional principles that he’s developed, refined, and used over the past forty years to create unique results in both life and business—and which any person or organization can adopt to help achieve their goals. In 1975, Ray Dalio founded an investment firm, Bridgewater Associates, out of his two-bedroom apartment in New York City. Forty years later, Bridgewater has made more money for its clients than any other hedge fund in history and grown into the fifth most important private company in the United States, according to Fortune magazine. Dalio himself has been named to Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Along the way, Dalio discovered a set of unique principles that have led to Bridgewater’s exceptionally effective culture, which he describes as “an idea meritocracy that strives to achieve meaningful work and meaningful relationships through radical transparency.” It is these principles, and not anything special about Dalio—who grew up an ordinary kid in a middle-class Long Island neighborhood—that he believes are the reason behind his success. In Principles, Dalio shares what he’s learned over the course of his remarkable career. He argues that life, management, economics, and investing can all be systemized into rules and understood like machines. The book’s hundreds of practical lessons, which are built around his cornerstones of “radical truth” and “radical transparency,” include Dalio laying out the most effective ways for individuals and organizations to make decisions, approach challenges, and build strong teams. He also describes the innovative tools the firm uses to bring an idea meritocracy to life, such as creating “baseball cards” for all employees that distill their strengths and weaknesses, and employing computerized decision-making systems to make believability-weighted decisions. While the book brims with novel ideas for organizations and institutions, Principles also offers a clear, straightforward approach to decision-making that Dalio believes anyone can apply, no matter what they’re seeking to achieve. Here, from a man who has been called both “the Steve Jobs of investing” and “the philosopher king of the financial universe” (CIO magazine), is a rare opportunity to gain proven advice unlike anything you’ll find in the conventional business press.@Coatney That’s a great book, but I figured everyone has already read it by now 😃 Tried to keep these recos to books that I don’t hear recommended as much. Principles by @RayDalio is also great (and perhaps a more modern take), I enjoyed it more than HOM.
Crossing the Chasm, 3rd Edition
Geoffrey A. Moore
The bible for bringing cutting-edge products to larger markets—now revised and updated with new insights into the realities of high-tech marketing In Crossing the Chasm, Geoffrey A. Moore shows that in the Technology Adoption Life Cycle—which begins with innovators and moves to early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards—there is a vast chasm between the early adopters and the early majority. While early adopters are willing to sacrifice for the advantage of being first, the early majority waits until they know that the technology actually offers improvements in productivity. The challenge for innovators and marketers is to narrow this chasm and ultimately accelerate adoption across every segment. This third edition brings Moore's classic work up to date with dozens of new examples of successes and failures, new strategies for marketing in the digital world, and Moore's most current insights and findings. He also includes two new appendices, the first connecting the ideas in Crossing the Chasm to work subsequently published in his Inside the Tornado, and the second presenting his recent groundbreaking work for technology adoption models for high-tech consumer markets.Notably missing: Crossing the chasm (LOVED it in 2001, feels quite dated now) Christensen’s books (didn’t resonate a whole lot with me a decade ago, haven’t re-tried) What else?
Advantage
Patrick M Lencioni
There is a competitive advantage out there, arguably more powerful than any other. Is it superior strategy? Faster innovation? Smarter employees? No, New York Times best-selling author, Patrick Lencioni, argues that the seminal difference between successful companies and mediocre ones has little to do with what they know and how smart they are and more to do with how healthy they are. In this book, Lencioni brings together his vast experience and many of the themes cultivated in his other best-selling books and delivers a first: a cohesive and comprehensive exploration of the unique advantage organizational health provides. Simply put, an organization is healthy when it is whole, consistent and complete, when its management, operations and culture are unified. Healthy organizations outperform their counterparts, are free of politics and confusion and provide an environment where star performers never want to leave. Lencioni’s first non-fiction book provides leaders with a groundbreaking, approachable model for achieving organizational health—complete with stories, tips and anecdotes from his experiences consulting to some of the nation’s leading organizations. In this age of informational ubiquity and nano-second change, it is no longer enough to build a competitive advantage based on intelligence alone. The Advantage provides a foundational construct for conducting business in a new way—one that maximizes human potential and aligns the organization around a common set of principles.8. The Advantage — Patrick M. Lencioni A compelling case and recipe for improving organizational health, relevant because great managers not only make their teams better but they also leave the larger organization better than they found it https://t.co/cC6qjyuyqw
3. HBR’s 10 Must Reads on Managing Yourself Includes classic articles such as “How Will You Measure Your Life”, “Managing Oneself”, and “Who’s Got the Monkey” https://t.co/TbLkhSv92V
The Charisma Myth
Olivia Fox Cabane
Demonstrates how to improve one's persuasive abilities, sharing tools originally developed for Harvard and MIT to explain the fundamental components of charisma, what it really is, and how it works.4. The Charisma Myth — Olivia Fox Cabane A book that’s about much more than “charisma” (in the traditional sense of the word): how to make an impact, how to influence, how to inspire, by being present and authentic https://t.co/gQvKcvYKcC
HBR's 10 Must Reads on Managing People (with featured article "Leadership That Gets Results," by Daniel Goleman)
Harvard Business Review
Managing people is fraught with challenges- even if you are a seasoned manager. Here's how to handle them. If you read nothing else on managing people, read these articles. We've combed through hundreds of Harvard Business Review articles and selected the most important ones to help you maximize your employee's performance.This book will inspire you to: tailor your management styles to fit your people; motivate with more responsibility, not more money; support first-time managers; build trust by soliciting input; teach smart people how to learn from failure; build high-performing teams; and manage your boss. -- from Back Cover6. HBR’s 10 Must Reads on Managing People Includes classic articles such as “Leadership That Gets Results” and “What Great Managers Do” https://t.co/lH0BAGLhzN
What Got You Here Won't Get You There
Marshall Goldsmith
An executive coach presents a straightforward, effective program for achieving success in the business world, identifying important habits and behavioral problems that are keeping one from reaching the top, while offering helpful suggestions for overcoming and changing such issues.2. What Got You Here Won’t Get You There — Marshall Goldsmith A real kick in the butt to identify & fix the behavioral quirks that are holding you back, with concrete examples and actions you can take https://t.co/xTZokr4qiC
Motive Why So Many Leaders Abdicate
Patrick M Lencioni
Shay was still angry but shrugged nonchalantly as if to say, it’s not that big of a deal. “So, what am I wrong about?” “You’re not going to want to hear this, but I have to tell you anyway.” Liam paused before finishing. “You might be working hard, but you’re not doing it for the company.” “What the hell does that mean?” Shay wanted to know. Knowing that his adversary might punch him for what he was about to say, Liam responded. “You’re doing it for yourself.” New York Times best-selling author Patrick Lencioni has written a dozen books that focus on how leaders can build teams and lead organizations. In The Motive, he shifts his attention toward helping them understand the importance of why they’re leading in the first place. In what may be his edgiest page-turner to date, Lencioni thrusts his readers into a day-long conversation between rival CEOs. Shay Davis is the CEO of Golden Gate Alarm, who, after just a year in his role, is beginning to worry about his job and is desperate to figure out how to turn things around. With nowhere else to turn, Shay receives some hard-to-swallow advice from the most unlikely and unwanted source—Liam Alcott, CEO of a more successful security company and his most hated opponent. Lencioni uses unexpected plot twists and crisp dialogue to take us on a journey that culminates in a resolution that is as unexpected as it is enlightening. As he does in his other books, he then provides a straightforward summary of the lessons from the fable, combining a clear explanation of his theory with practical advice to help executives examine their true motivation for leading. In addition to provoking readers to honestly assess themselves, Lencioni presents action steps for changing their approach in five key areas. In doing so, he helps leaders avoid the pitfalls that stifle their organizations and even hurt the people they are meant to serve.1. The Motive — Patrick M. Lencioni Make sure you understand what “management” truly is: view it as an opportunity to serve your team and your company, not as a reward for a job well done https://t.co/UM5JJZLbiE
Motive Why So Many Leaders Abdicate
Patrick M Lencioni
Shay was still angry but shrugged nonchalantly as if to say, it’s not that big of a deal. “So, what am I wrong about?” “You’re not going to want to hear this, but I have to tell you anyway.” Liam paused before finishing. “You might be working hard, but you’re not doing it for the company.” “What the hell does that mean?” Shay wanted to know. Knowing that his adversary might punch him for what he was about to say, Liam responded. “You’re doing it for yourself.” New York Times best-selling author Patrick Lencioni has written a dozen books that focus on how leaders can build teams and lead organizations. In The Motive, he shifts his attention toward helping them understand the importance of why they’re leading in the first place. In what may be his edgiest page-turner to date, Lencioni thrusts his readers into a day-long conversation between rival CEOs. Shay Davis is the CEO of Golden Gate Alarm, who, after just a year in his role, is beginning to worry about his job and is desperate to figure out how to turn things around. With nowhere else to turn, Shay receives some hard-to-swallow advice from the most unlikely and unwanted source—Liam Alcott, CEO of a more successful security company and his most hated opponent. Lencioni uses unexpected plot twists and crisp dialogue to take us on a journey that culminates in a resolution that is as unexpected as it is enlightening. As he does in his other books, he then provides a straightforward summary of the lessons from the fable, combining a clear explanation of his theory with practical advice to help executives examine their true motivation for leading. In addition to provoking readers to honestly assess themselves, Lencioni presents action steps for changing their approach in five key areas. In doing so, he helps leaders avoid the pitfalls that stifle their organizations and even hurt the people they are meant to serve.Book recos for new & aspiring managers, with emphasis on practical advice: The Motive What Got You Here Won't Get You There HBR’s 10 Must Reads on Managing Yourself The Charisma Myth Super Thinking HBR’s 10 Must Reads on Managing People The Practicing Stoic The Advantage More👇🏾
What Got You Here Won't Get You There
Marshall Goldsmith
An executive coach presents a straightforward, effective program for achieving success in the business world, identifying important habits and behavioral problems that are keeping one from reaching the top, while offering helpful suggestions for overcoming and changing such issues.Book recos for new & aspiring managers, with emphasis on practical advice: The Motive What Got You Here Won't Get You There HBR’s 10 Must Reads on Managing Yourself The Charisma Myth Super Thinking HBR’s 10 Must Reads on Managing People The Practicing Stoic The Advantage More👇🏾
HBR's 10 Must Reads on Managing Yourself (with bonus article "How Will You Measure Your Life?" by Clayton M. Christensen)
Harvard Business Review
Business.Book recos for new & aspiring managers, with emphasis on practical advice: The Motive What Got You Here Won't Get You There HBR’s 10 Must Reads on Managing Yourself The Charisma Myth Super Thinking HBR’s 10 Must Reads on Managing People The Practicing Stoic The Advantage More👇🏾
The Charisma Myth
Olivia Fox Cabane
Demonstrates how to improve one's persuasive abilities, sharing tools originally developed for Harvard and MIT to explain the fundamental components of charisma, what it really is, and how it works.Book recos for new & aspiring managers, with emphasis on practical advice: The Motive What Got You Here Won't Get You There HBR’s 10 Must Reads on Managing Yourself The Charisma Myth Super Thinking HBR’s 10 Must Reads on Managing People The Practicing Stoic The Advantage More👇🏾
Super Thinking
Gabriel Weinberg
"The world's greatest problem-solvers, forecasters, and decision-makers all rely on a set of frameworks and shortcuts that help them cut through complexity and separate good ideas from bad ones. They're called mental models, and you can find them in dense textbooks on psychology, physics, economics, and more. Or, you can just read Super Thinking, a fun, illustrated guide to every mental model you could possibly need"--Book recos for new & aspiring managers, with emphasis on practical advice: The Motive What Got You Here Won't Get You There HBR’s 10 Must Reads on Managing Yourself The Charisma Myth Super Thinking HBR’s 10 Must Reads on Managing People The Practicing Stoic The Advantage More👇🏾
The Practicing Stoic
Ward Farnsworth
At the school of philosophy founded at Athens by Zeno of Citium the teachers believed that virtue, the highest good, is based on knowledge and reason, and encouraged indifference to the vicissitudes of fortune and to pleasure and pain. Farnsworth integrates his own observations with scores of quotations to provide perspective of the various Stoic philosophers. His organization and commentary makes the meaning and relevance of this ancient philosophy clear for our times.Book recos for new & aspiring managers, with emphasis on practical advice: The Motive What Got You Here Won't Get You There HBR’s 10 Must Reads on Managing Yourself The Charisma Myth Super Thinking HBR’s 10 Must Reads on Managing People The Practicing Stoic The Advantage More👇🏾
Advantage
Patrick M Lencioni
There is a competitive advantage out there, arguably more powerful than any other. Is it superior strategy? Faster innovation? Smarter employees? No, New York Times best-selling author, Patrick Lencioni, argues that the seminal difference between successful companies and mediocre ones has little to do with what they know and how smart they are and more to do with how healthy they are. In this book, Lencioni brings together his vast experience and many of the themes cultivated in his other best-selling books and delivers a first: a cohesive and comprehensive exploration of the unique advantage organizational health provides. Simply put, an organization is healthy when it is whole, consistent and complete, when its management, operations and culture are unified. Healthy organizations outperform their counterparts, are free of politics and confusion and provide an environment where star performers never want to leave. Lencioni’s first non-fiction book provides leaders with a groundbreaking, approachable model for achieving organizational health—complete with stories, tips and anecdotes from his experiences consulting to some of the nation’s leading organizations. In this age of informational ubiquity and nano-second change, it is no longer enough to build a competitive advantage based on intelligence alone. The Advantage provides a foundational construct for conducting business in a new way—one that maximizes human potential and aligns the organization around a common set of principles.Book recos for new & aspiring managers, with emphasis on practical advice: The Motive What Got You Here Won't Get You There HBR’s 10 Must Reads on Managing Yourself The Charisma Myth Super Thinking HBR’s 10 Must Reads on Managing People The Practicing Stoic The Advantage More👇🏾
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.Must-read books on strategy: 1. Understanding Michael Porter, by Joan Magretta 2. 7 Powers, by Hamilton Hemler 3. Good Strategy / Bad Strategy, by Richard P. Rumelt (most of the ideas above have been synthesized from these three books)
Understanding Michael Porter
Joan Magretta
Examines and explains the revolutionary business frameworks of Michael Porter, with examples to illustrate and update Porter's ideas for achieving and sustaining competitive success.Must-read books on strategy: 1. Understanding Michael Porter, by Joan Magretta 2. 7 Powers, by Hamilton Hemler 3. Good Strategy / Bad Strategy, by Richard P. Rumelt (most of the ideas above have been synthesized from these three books)
Good Strategy Bad Strategy
Richard Rumelt
Must-read books on strategy: 1. Understanding Michael Porter, by Joan Magretta 2. 7 Powers, by Hamilton Hemler 3. Good Strategy / Bad Strategy, by Richard P. Rumelt (most of the ideas above have been synthesized from these three books)
The Practicing Stoic
Ward Farnsworth
At the school of philosophy founded at Athens by Zeno of Citium the teachers believed that virtue, the highest good, is based on knowledge and reason, and encouraged indifference to the vicissitudes of fortune and to pleasure and pain. Farnsworth integrates his own observations with scores of quotations to provide perspective of the various Stoic philosophers. His organization and commentary makes the meaning and relevance of this ancient philosophy clear for our times.@JamesClear The Practicing Stoic by Ward Farnsworth https://t.co/CSS94Gkvwr
Understanding Michael Porter
Joan Magretta
Examines and explains the revolutionary business frameworks of Michael Porter, with examples to illustrate and update Porter's ideas for achieving and sustaining competitive success.Lots of good stuff in the replies to the Tweet below. Makes sense to bookmark. My answer: "Understanding Michael Porter" by Joan Magretta (yes, while the title isn't "inspiring", the content is A+) https://t.co/XSovuixjKx https://t.co/jaHbnHTJiz
The Charisma Myth
Olivia Fox Cabane
"The Charisma Myth" by Olivia Fox Cabane is a splendid book, that among other things, prescribes an authentic path towards building and exuding confidence. https://t.co/UKrzxsC128
Mistakes Were Made (but Not by Me)
Carol Tavris
Now, onto the book recommendations for this one. "Mistakes were made (but not by me)" by Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson reminds us of the countless ways in which we're fallible. Therefore, keep your confidence in check. https://t.co/itp2SdHg5D
The Practicing Stoic
Ward Farnsworth
At the school of philosophy founded at Athens by Zeno of Citium the teachers believed that virtue, the highest good, is based on knowledge and reason, and encouraged indifference to the vicissitudes of fortune and to pleasure and pain. Farnsworth integrates his own observations with scores of quotations to provide perspective of the various Stoic philosophers. His organization and commentary makes the meaning and relevance of this ancient philosophy clear for our times.Speaking of ego, if you want to learn more about shedding your ego and being an even-keeled PM, there’s no better book than “The Practicing Stoic” by Ward Farnsworth. (another one of my top 5 all-time favorite books, and also unconventional PM book reco) https://t.co/cP1oi5lYtg
The Art of the Good Life
Rolf Dobelli
Since antiquity, people have been asking themselves what it means to live a good life. How should I live? What constitutes a good life? What's the role of fate? What's the role of money? Is leading a good life a question of mindset, or is it more about reaching your goals? Is it better to actively seek happiness or to avoid unhappiness? Each generation poses these questions anew, and somehow the answers are always fundamentally disappointing. Why? Because we're constantly searching for a single principle, a single tenet, a single rule. Yet this holy grail--a single, simple path to happiness--doesn't exist. Rolf Dobelli--successful businessman, founder of the TED-style ideas conference Zurich Minds, bestselling author, and all-around seeker of big ideas--has made finding a shortcut to happiness his life's mission. He's synthesized the leading thinkers and the latest science in happiness to find the best shortcuts to satisfaction in The Art of the Good Life, his follow up to the international bestseller The Art of Thinking Clearly (which has sold more than 2.5 million copies in 40 languages all around the globe). The Art of the Good Life is a toolkit designed for practical living. Here you'll find fifty-two happiness hacks--from guilt-free shunning of technology to gleefully paying your parking tickets--that are certain to optimize your happiness. These tips may not guarantee you a good life, but they'll give you a better chance (and that's all any of us can ask for).@yegg Bonus PM book recommendation: "The Art of the Good Life" by @dobelli is one of my top 5 favorite books of all time. It will make you a better PM and decision-maker (among other things). https://t.co/Z9YYJJZVFF
The Art of Thinking Clearly
Rolf Dobelli
We are all guilty of cognitive biases, simple errors we make in day-to-day thinking. But by knowing what they are and how to identify them, we can avoid them and make better choices. The Art of Thinking Clearly shows that in order to lead happier, more prosperous lives, we don't need extra cunning, new ideas, shiny gadgets, or more frantic activity—all we need is less irrationality. Simple, clear, and always surprising, this book will change the way you think and transform your decision making. From why you should not accept a free drink to why you should walk out of a movie you don't like, from why it's so hard to predict the future to why you shouldn't watch the news, The Art of Thinking Clearly helps solve the puzzle of human reasoning.Last one here: "The Art of Thinking Clearly", also by @dobelli https://t.co/dvWUjJZ9jj
Alchemy
Rory Sutherland
The legendary advertising guru—Ogilvy UK’s vice chairman—and star of three massively popular TED Talks, blends the science of human behavior with his vast experience in the art of persuasion in this incomparable book that decodes successful branding and marketing in the vein of Freakonomics, Thinking Fast and Slow, and The Power of Habit. When Rory Sutherland was a trainee working on a direct mail campaign at the famed advertising firm OgilvyOne, he noticed that very small changes in design often had immense effects on the number of consumer responses. Yet no one he worked with knew why. Sutherland began taking stock of each effective yet nebulous trick—”the thing which has no name”—he discovered. As he rose in the advertising industry, he began to understand why these things had no name: no one was interested in quantifying them, cataloguing them, or really investigating them. So, he did it himself. Like classic behavioral economists Daniel Kahneman and Richard Thaler, Sutherland peels away hidden, often irrational human behaviors that explain how the world around us functions. In How to Be an Alchemist he examines why certain ads work and the broader truths they tell us about who we are. Why do people prefer stripy toothpaste, and how might that help us design retirement plans that young people would actually buy? Why do we think orange juice is healthy, and how does the same principle guide our feelings about nuclear reactors? Why do budget airlines advertise services they don’t offer—and what might insurance companies learn from them about keeping healthcare costs low? Filled with startling and profound conclusions, Sutherland’s journey through the world of advertising and its surprising lessons for human behavior is insightful, brilliant, eye-opening, and irresistibly fun.At this point, we get to the part of the talk where I leave exercises for the audience (and for you here). If you are a PM (or if work on products in almost any capacity), you must read "Alchemy" by @rorysutherland. https://t.co/YsuGViJlMV
Super Thinking
Gabriel Weinberg
"The world's greatest problem-solvers, forecasters, and decision-makers all rely on a set of frameworks and shortcuts that help them cut through complexity and separate good ideas from bad ones. They're called mental models, and you can find them in dense textbooks on psychology, physics, economics, and more. Or, you can just read Super Thinking, a fun, illustrated guide to every mental model you could possibly need"--Another must-add to the PM bookshelf: In "Super Thinking", Lauren McCann and @yegg describe hundreds of mental models that can help you become a better thinker and decision maker. https://t.co/3nlet7Hy7B
The Courage to Be Disliked
Ichiro Kishimi
“Marie Kondo, but for your brain.” —HelloGiggles “Compelling from front to back. Highly recommend.” —Marc Andreessen Reading this book could change your life. The Courage to Be Disliked, already an enormous bestseller in Asia with more than 3.5 million copies sold, demonstrates how to unlock the power within yourself to be the person you truly want to be. Is happiness something you choose for yourself? The Courage to Be Disliked presents a simple and straightforward answer. Using the theories of Alfred Adler, one of the three giants of nineteenth-century psychology alongside Freud and Jung, this book follows an illuminating dialogue between a philosopher and a young man. Over the course of five conversations, the philosopher helps his student to understand how each of us is able to determine the direction of our own life, free from the shackles of past traumas and the expectations of others. Rich in wisdom, The Courage to Be Disliked will guide you through the concepts of self-forgiveness, self-care, and mind decluttering. It is a deeply liberating way of thinking, allowing you to develop the courage to change and ignore the limitations that you might be placing on yourself. This plainspoken and profoundly moving book unlocks the power within you to find lasting happiness and be the person you truly want to be. Millions have already benefited from its teachings, now you can too.@0nn04 @davideagleman @EckhartTolle And last but not least: The Courage to be Disliked by @ichiro and Fumitake Koga https://t.co/RoIuGq9yKf (title has almost nothing to do with the book. exceptional book, misleading title)
The Power of Now
Eckhart Tolle
The author shares the secret of his own self-realization and the philosophy for living in the present he has developed.@0nn04 @davideagleman The Power of Now by @EckhartTolle https://t.co/gDwyGnKSQk
The Practicing Stoic
Ward Farnsworth
At the school of philosophy founded at Athens by Zeno of Citium the teachers believed that virtue, the highest good, is based on knowledge and reason, and encouraged indifference to the vicissitudes of fortune and to pleasure and pain. Farnsworth integrates his own observations with scores of quotations to provide perspective of the various Stoic philosophers. His organization and commentary makes the meaning and relevance of this ancient philosophy clear for our times.@0nn04 @davideagleman The Practicing Stoic by Ward Farnsworth https://t.co/cP1oi5lYtg
Sum
David Eagleman
An array of tales speculates about the future that awaits us after death, presenting diverse versions of human purpose that range from experimental subjects for gods trying to understand emotional attachment to mobile robots for cosmic mapmakers.@0nn04 Sum by @davideagleman https://t.co/eDlYrGHFu1
The Art of the Good Life
Rolf Dobelli
Since antiquity, people have been asking themselves what it means to live a good life. How should I live? What constitutes a good life? What's the role of fate? What's the role of money? Is leading a good life a question of mindset, or is it more about reaching your goals? Is it better to actively seek happiness or to avoid unhappiness? Each generation poses these questions anew, and somehow the answers are always fundamentally disappointing. Why? Because we're constantly searching for a single principle, a single tenet, a single rule. Yet this holy grail--a single, simple path to happiness--doesn't exist. Rolf Dobelli--successful businessman, founder of the TED-style ideas conference Zurich Minds, bestselling author, and all-around seeker of big ideas--has made finding a shortcut to happiness his life's mission. He's synthesized the leading thinkers and the latest science in happiness to find the best shortcuts to satisfaction in The Art of the Good Life, his follow up to the international bestseller The Art of Thinking Clearly (which has sold more than 2.5 million copies in 40 languages all around the globe). The Art of the Good Life is a toolkit designed for practical living. Here you'll find fifty-two happiness hacks--from guilt-free shunning of technology to gleefully paying your parking tickets--that are certain to optimize your happiness. These tips may not guarantee you a good life, but they'll give you a better chance (and that's all any of us can ask for).What you’re about to see is a remarkable couple of paragraphs from Rolf Dobelli’s excellent book “The Art of The Good Life”* https://t.co/Z9YYJJZVFF * As an aside, this is one of my top 5 all-time favorite books.
The Art of the Good Life
Rolf Dobelli
@Suhail Read The Art of the Good Life by Rolf Dobelli. That should take less than a day, so read it again a few times over the 6-month period. Other than that, try a subset of the activities in this thread to determine which ones engender a step function change in wisdom for you.