Books every business owner should read
These are the business books that actually changed how our founder, Joe, starts, runs and funds a company. It’s not a list of every bestseller. Five featured picks with his take on each, then the rest of the shelf, for small business owners and anyone starting out.
“I’ve got close to 100 books in my Audible library. These are the ones that stuck.”
Quick answer
Start with Rich Dad Poor Dad for the mindset, then The E-Myth Revisited for how to build a business that doesn’t depend on you doing everything. The Art of the Start 2.0 covers getting off the ground with little or no money, Shoe Dog shows what the early days really feel like, and The Millionaire Next Door covers what to do once the money comes in.
Start here if…
| If… | Start with |
|---|---|
| You’re stuck doing everything yourself | The E-Myth Revisited |
| You’re starting with no money | The Art of the Start 2.0 |
| You need the mindset first | Rich Dad Poor Dad |
| You want to feel what the early days are really like | Shoe Dog |
| You’re earning more but not keeping it | The Millionaire Next Door |
Rich Dad Poor Dad
It changes how you think about money and work: own things that earn for you instead of only trading your time for a paycheck. For most new owners, that mindset shift has to come first.
Key takeaway: Your own limiting thoughts are usually the first thing standing between you and the business you picture.
I feel like everybody knows it, but it is a kickstart for so many people. I feel like this should almost be book number one to read.
It’s really about the mindset it takes to be successful. How your own limiting thoughts are the thing that is preventing you from being successful with your vision of your business in the future. You have to almost be delusionally positive, keep putting in work every single day, and believe fully.
The E-Myth Revisited
It explains why so many small businesses stall: the owner is busy doing the work instead of building a business that runs on systems.
Key takeaway: Know which role you’re playing, technician, manager or entrepreneur, and build the business so it doesn’t depend on you doing the work.
I really like the premise. Gerber argues most small businesses fail within the first five years, and most of the ones that make it past five fail before they ever get to ten. And he explains why.
Then he divides people into technicians, managers and entrepreneurs. It’s so important for people to recognize their strengths and their weaknesses before they venture into an entrepreneurial journey. And to recognize the valley of pain in front of them, and the things they may not like to do that they’re signing themselves up for.
I don’t mean that in a bad way about the book. I mean it in a great way. It gets you thinking about yourself, about people, and about your vision.
Building a business that runs without you is what our systems and SOP work is for. If you want to start on your own, our guide on how to write an SOP is the first step.
The Art of the Start 2.0
It’s a practical guide to the messy first stage of a company: getting something out the door, pitching it, and bootstrapping before you have money.
Key takeaway: There is always a way. Even with no money, you can start, sell, and keep figuring it out.
I really liked it. I know this so well, especially starting from nothing. I didn’t even think I had a truck that worked.
I had a friend from college who needed to get an A in our last semester on the entrepreneur assignment, so he would drive me around from store to store. I did door-to-door sales building my company for like three months.
There is always a way. Even if you don’t have money, there is a way. The Art of the Start is a great book about how chaotic and crazy the beginning of a company can be, and how fruitful it can be if you stick it out and keep figuring out a way.
Shoe Dog
It’s Nike co-founder Phil Knight’s memoir of the early, cash-strapped years of building the company. It’s a story, not a how-to.
Key takeaway: Read it for the story, not a playbook. Luck shows up, but the opportunity only counts if you seize it.
Just an amazing story about the founder of Nike and all the crazy journeys entrepreneurship can take you on, especially the early days. You really feel like you’re there with him through all these chaotic trips and the sequences of events that opened up. Yes, luck, but also opportunity that he seized.
I look at it as a great read, but not a self-help or answer book that will give you a playbook of execution for your business. If you’re interested in the topic, it is a phenomenal read.
The Millionaire Next Door
Its research into how wealthy Americans actually live shows that many build wealth by spending well below their income, not by looking rich.
Key takeaway: Let your income rise, keep your expenses low, and put the difference to work. That’s where the freedom comes from.
I love this. Because, are you trying to become rich, and for what reason? Money is great, and it definitely makes life easier in many ways. But are you doing it to impress the world? Or do you barely want to be known? This is an important question to ask yourself.
Never underestimate people driving an old truck. They could be worth much more than you. In fact, that is real freedom: not buying a bunch of flashy things and raising your expenses to meet your income as your income rises.
It’s much better to let your income rise, keep your expenses very low, and stack the extra profit into investments to secure your future and your freedom.
Also on the shelf
The rest of the books on this list, grouped by what they’re good for. The notes describe each book. They’re not reviews or ratings.
Systems and operations
Good to Great
Jim Collins
Research on companies that went from good results to great ones and stayed there, and the disciplined habits they had in common.
Buy Then Build
Walker Deibel
Makes the case for buying an existing small business instead of starting from scratch, and walks through how the process works.
SPIN Selling
Neil Rackham
A research-based method for larger sales, built on asking the right questions: situation, problem, implication and need-payoff.
Founder stories
The Everything Store
Brad Stone
A journalist’s account of how Jeff Bezos built Amazon, from an online bookstore into the company it is now.
People and mindset
How to Win Friends & Influence People
Dale Carnegie
The classic on dealing with people: listening, showing real interest, and persuading without arguing.
Ego Is the Enemy
Ryan Holiday
How ego gets in the way when you’re starting out, when you’re succeeding, and when things go wrong, drawing on Stoic ideas.
Think and Grow Rich
Napoleon Hill
A 1937 classic on desire, persistence and the habits Hill saw in the high achievers of his day.
The Art of War
Sun Tzu
The ancient text on strategy, read by many owners for its ideas on competition, positioning and picking your battles.
Money and taxes
Tax-Free Wealth
Tom Wheelwright
A CPA’s explanation of how the tax code is built to reward certain business and investment activity, and why to plan with that in mind.
The Lifestyle Investor
Justin Donald
A framework for investing toward passive income, so your time isn’t tied to every dollar you earn.
Not financial or tax advice. Talk to your own advisor before acting on any of it.
FAQ
What book should every business owner read first?
Rich Dad Poor Dad, because it sets the mindset. Then read The E-Myth Revisited, which shows how to build a business that runs on systems instead of on you.
Is The E-Myth Revisited still worth reading?
Yes. Some of the examples feel dated, but the core idea, that a business should run on systems rather than on the owner doing everything, still holds. It’s the idea behind most of our systems work.
What are the technician, manager and entrepreneur in The E-Myth?
They’re the three roles Gerber says every owner has to play: the technician does the work, the manager organizes it, and the entrepreneur looks ahead and builds the vision. Most owners start as technicians, and the business stalls when that’s the only role they play.
Is Rich Dad Poor Dad good for business owners?
Yes, as a mindset book. It’s about thinking like someone who owns assets rather than someone who only works for a paycheck, not a step-by-step business manual.
What is the main lesson of The Millionaire Next Door?
Many wealthy people get there by spending far less than they earn and investing the rest, not by earning the most or spending to look rich.
Is Shoe Dog worth reading for business owners?
Yes, as a story rather than a playbook. Joe’s take: it puts you right inside the chaotic early days of Nike, where luck shows up but the opportunity only counts if you seize it, and it won’t hand you a step-by-step execution manual.
What are the best books for starting a business with no money?
The Art of the Start 2.0 is the most practical place to begin, because it covers bootstrapping. Shoe Dog is worth reading alongside it for a real story of building a company on very little.
What to do next
Reading is the easy part. The hard part is the boring work after it: writing down how things run and building the systems so the business doesn’t need you for everything.
That’s the part we do. If one of these books has you thinking about what your business is missing, tell us what’s stuck.