Entrepreneurs never ‘switch off’. But sometimes taking a break can be a good thing. You can plan a holiday for this or take a walk in the woods. But there are plenty of techies who take a moment, every day or week, at a fixed time, to digest new information. It’s a perfect opportunity to fuel your plans for business growth. B
y reading a good book, for example. That’s why we compiled a top 10 for entrepreneurs who run a tech company. All these books have given us valuable insights in the startup and growth of our own businesses. Below are our ten reading tips, in no specific order, as well as two bonus books.
Behind the Cloud by Marc Benioff
As the Chairman and CEO of Salesforce.com, Marc Benioff has experienced his share of ups and downs. He shares his most important learnings in this very honest book. It gives you more insight, as a tech entrepreneur, into how Salesforce became the billion dollar operation that it is today. A must-read for anyone working in tech.
How Google Works by Eric Schmidt
In the same vein as Behind the Cloud, this is the story of the founder of Google. Culture, talent, communication, strategy, and innovation: he touches upon all of these topics and more. The book’s subtitle is ‘Rules for Success in the Internet Age’, and as such it offers practical advice and an insight into what goes on behind the scenes at one of the world’s most successful companies.
De Sekte uit Leusden by Daan Quakernaat and Alles is marketing by Truus Koppelaar
Successful tech companies are masters of marketing. The best example of this premise in the Netherlands is AFAS, sometimes also called the Leusden Sect. This book offers an insight into the culture at AFAS and how they work. The second book was written by the company’s former marketing director. She explains how AFAS was able to grow this fast. Two excellent books that reveal the background of this success story.
Growth Hacker Marketing by Ryan Holiday
You often hear how the scale of the end points is more important than the turnover in tech companies, making scalability one of the most important success factors when developing a tech company. Growth Hacker Marketing was invented to quickly reach many users. Do you want to know how companies such as Hotmail, Dropbox and eBay were able to acquire millions of customers in such a short time? Then read this book!
Overtuigen met neuromarketing and Schrijven voor SEO in the Haystack series
These two books explain that a good content strategy is a crucial factor for growth. Your website is an essential component of this marketing mix. Entrepreneurs need to know how this works. That’s why we’ve added these two tips, precisely because we know that the interests of tech entrepreneurs often lay elsewhere. Each one will take up about an hour of your time. The first one gives you a better insight into how people think. The second shows you how to write good SEO texts.
Way of the Wolf by Jordan Belfort
Having plenty of valuable leads is one thing. Converting them into customers is another. And who better to explain how to do this than the Wolf of Wall Street himself? He explains how the sales process can become more predictable with his straight line sales method. Compulsory reading for your sales team! But the book also helps you as an entrepreneur to become more effective at sales. A bit American perhaps, but throw in some Dutch business savvy and it can be a very valuable book.
Hooked by Nir Eyal
Acquiring new customers is nice, but retaining them is just as important. This book explains exactly how you should build your software in such a way that your customers won’t be able to do without it. They’ll be hooked, as the author explains. A good read for your developers, but just as instructive for you. As an entrepreneur you often play a defining role in software development. This book helps you choose the right direction.
Een fan per dag by Jos Burgers
Another book that discusses customer retention. But this one prefers to focus on creating ambassadors, rather than the technique itself. We think Jos Burgers is easily the Netherlands’ best writer of marketing books and this one’s spot on. He explains very simply how you can retain your customers, turning them into fans. It’s an easy read and it will definitely make you think.
Customers the day after tomorrow by Steven van Belleghem
Steven van Belleghem travels around the world to see how tech companies attract customers. This book discusses AI, bots and automation, as well as the current platform era at length. Find out what the future has in store for you, as a tech entrepreneur. We also recommend subscribing to Steven’s YouTube channel where he shares his newest learnings and experiences every week.
Scaling Up by Verne Harnish
In our humble opinion, the last book on the list is possibly THE entrepreneur’s bible. Do you want to grow your tech company the smart way? Then read this book! Harnish explains how you can take the next step in your growth process based on the following growth components, i.e., People, Strategy, Execution, and Cash. Many tech entrepreneurs around the world have already adopted his growth method.
That’s it! Our 10 tips for you.
Of course, there are plenty of other books worth reading. Other suggestions might have been The Lean Startup, Good to Great, Start with Why, Blitzscaling or Eckart’s Notes. But we do recommend starting with this Top 10. Have you read them all? Just mail or call us for more tips! 😊