The Founder Bookshelf
Books founders recommend to each other. Browse by topic or by where you are as you grow, mark what you've read, and add what's next.
8 books on Operations & Scaling for timeless
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Tiny 1 percent habits compound into remarkable results over time.
James Clear argues that big change comes from small habits that compound, not from dramatic transformations. He offers a four-part framework (make it obvious,...
5 founders recommend Get the book ↗
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Twenty Indian entrepreneurs who built ventures without an MBA.
Connect the Dots profiles 20 entrepreneurs who succeeded without an MBA, organized into three sections the author calls Jugaad, Junoon, and Zubaan. The book argues...
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The comprehensive field manual for human-centered product design.
This thorough reference walks through the full process of designing digital products and services, from research and personas through requirements, interaction design,...
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How software platforms quietly reshape entire industries.
Invisible Engines examines how software platforms, from operating systems to game consoles, act as multisided markets connecting developers, users, and other parties....
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Becoming a leader is an act of self-invention.
Bennis draws on interviews with prominent leaders to argue that leadership begins with knowing and fully expressing yourself. He explores how people become leaders,...
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Product management is mostly people, not frameworks.
Matt LeMay focuses on the everyday, tactical realities of product management rather than abstract theory. He argues the job is a connective role defined by...
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Strategy is a philosophy of becoming, told in short provocations.
Godin reframes strategy not as a rigid plan but as a way of seeing systems, time, and the people you serve. Through a series of short, interconnected reflections, he...
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The habits that made you successful can hold you back.
Goldsmith identifies twenty interpersonal habits, like winning too much, adding too much value, and not listening, that keep already successful people from advancing...
Questions, answered
What books do founders recommend?
Founders on the eChai network recommend titles like Atomic Habits, Connect the Dots, and Designing for the Digital Age. The bookshelf ranks books by how many founders have read them.
Where can I find a startup reading list?
The eChai founder bookshelf is a curated, founder-recommended reading list you can browse by topic (fundraising, product, hiring) and by stage.
How is the bookshelf ordered?
By recommendation: the more founders mark a book read, the higher it ranks. You can also sort by newest or A to Z.
