“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.” These are the wisest words ever said by George R. R. Martin, and they are spot on.
As per Peter DeCaprio, we have only one life and thousands of choices to make every day, and there aren’t people to guide us on what’s the right choice. Thank God there are books, remnants of minds of brilliant people who left their mark on the world
People don’t get to make a hundred start-ups in their lives, and that’s why they need to be really careful about the decisions they’re going to make because every step in the way can be the cornerstone for either success or failure. But no worries, because we have arranged five books that are necessary for anyone starting a business, whether you want to be the next Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk.
Peter DeCaprio’s List of Must-Read Business Books for a Successful Start-up
1. Getting Things Done by David Allen
First things first: to start any business, one has to have a specific mindset. As Steve Maraboli says in his book, “Once your mindset changes, everything on the outside will change along with it.” In this book, David Allen has tried to explain this, telling people what he thinks is necessary to live a productive life. Once you’re productive, you can focus on the things that really matter in your life; you become clearer about what you want and what you need to do.
According to Peter DeCaprio, this is a necessary book for anyone trying to start a business.
2. Profit First by Mike Michalowicz
Let’s say the truth for once; profits are the most important thing in every business. Without profits, no business can ever prosper, and it’s the factor that can transform a small business into a big one. Mike Michalowicz explains the necessary things required for generating profits in your business. He mentions easy-to-understand steps and makes a general system that prioritizes profits and stability of the company. A must-read!
3. The E-Myth by Michael E. Gerber
How can the same companies giving the same things be so radically different? How can one perform so well and the other so bad? What are the targets for any company? These difficult questions are answered by Michael E. Gerber in this fantastic book. As per Peter DeCaprio, it tells us that businesses need growth, companies require policies, proper structure, and, most importantly, consistency. Moreover, it tells us how to run a business on itself without our presence.
4. Super-bosses by Sidney Finkelstein
How can we live a thousand lives? Until an elixir of immortality is discovered, we will have to rely on books, read about their lives, and feel that we are living some part of it as well, and Sidney Finkelstein does it for us. In this fantastic book, he has interviewed successful leaders and transformed their leadership ideas into this book; what ways do they use, what is their attitude, and is there anything common in them?
This is especially important for the tech companies and an interesting read for anyone who is looking for leadership skills
5. Conscious Capitalism by John Mackey
We might have heard about capitalists as power and wealth-hungry people, but John Mackey tells how capitalism can be beneficial to everyone in the company, the leaders, employees, and the customers. He himself has made a company called “whole foods,” and he tells us about the secrets behind it.
In this era of capitalism, Peter DeCaprio believes that this is a must-read for any businessman who wants to please everyone, leading to a better company.
