8 books that mattered
BOOKS
Not a long list. Just the ones that actually changed how I think, build, and make decisions. Each one earned its place.
I read a lot. Most books give you one or two good ideas buried in 300 pages of filler. These are the ones where I stopped highlighting because I'd be highlighting the whole thing. Each book below includes my one-line takeaway — the idea that stuck with me longest.
Thinking, Fast and Slow
Daniel Kahneman
Human BehaviorThe foundation for understanding how people actually make decisions. If you read one book on human behavior, make it this one. Every chapter rewired something in my head.
Key takeaway
People don't make rational decisions. They make fast, emotional ones and then rationalize them after the fact.
Influence
Robert Cialdini
MarketingThe six principles of persuasion. Every marketer and founder needs this mental framework. I've used it in every business I've built.
Key takeaway
Reciprocity, commitment, social proof, authority, liking, scarcity. That's the entire playbook.
The Hard Thing About Hard Things
Ben Horowitz
Founder LessonsThe most honest book about what it actually feels like to run a company. No sugarcoating. No motivational fluff. Just the truth.
Key takeaway
There's no formula for the hard parts. You just have to survive them and not lose your mind in the process.
Zero to One
Peter Thiel
BusinessHow to think about building something genuinely new. Changed how I think about competition — specifically, why you should avoid it.
Key takeaway
Competition is for losers. The best businesses create something so different that there's no one to compete with.
Poor Charlie's Almanack
Charlie Munger
Human BehaviorMental models for thinking clearly about business, life, and everything in between. Dense, brilliant, and worth re-reading every year.
Key takeaway
Invert, always invert. Instead of asking how to succeed, ask how to fail — then avoid those things.
Obviously Awesome
April Dunford
MarketingThe best book on positioning. Short, practical, and immediately applicable to any product. I wish I'd read it five years earlier.
Key takeaway
Your product isn't what you built. It's what your customer believes it is relative to the alternatives.
The Almanack of Naval Ravikant
Eric Jorgenson
BusinessWealth, leverage, and clear thinking distilled into something you can re-read every year. Free to read online, but worth owning.
Key takeaway
Seek wealth, not money. Build something that earns while you sleep. Leverage code, media, and capital.
Shoe Dog
Phil Knight
Founder LessonsThe Nike origin story. Raw, emotional, and a reminder that every great company almost died ten times before anyone noticed it existed.
Key takeaway
Every overnight success took years of near-death experiences that nobody talks about afterward.
How I read.
I don't read to finish books. I read to find ideas I can use. If a book gives me one idea that changes how I operate, it was worth the entire cover price. If it doesn't, I put it down. No guilt.
Why this list is short.
I could list fifty books. But that wouldn't help you. A long list is just a way of not choosing. These eight books had the most impact on how I think and build. That's the only criteria that matters.
My writing on these topics
All articles →Raw Notes
Unfiltered thinking on business, marketing, and human nature.
No schedule. No fluff. Just honest notes when I have something worth saying.