Top 10 Books That Every Startup Founder Should Read

Book reading is the best hobby for most of the people and it helps you to enrich your knowledge. Especially startup founder must read many books to improve their product and implement some strategies to sustain.

I hope the following books which help startup founders to move on their startup to next level.Let us see the top 10 books that every startup founder should read.(It's not in order) 

1. The Startup Owner's Manual by Steve Blank

                                                        

This book is the bible of the startup.The author had discussed the step by step instructions on building successful,scalable,profitable startup.Every startup founders must have this to enhance your startup.

2. The Lean Startup by Eric Ries

This book deals with the new approach to run a startup in an innovative manner. It helps you to run a startup in different method of approach and bring your business idea into a successful and sustainable one. 

3. Entrepedia by Nandini Vaidyanathan 

It provides overall idea about the business. Here the author discussed about everything like how to get ideas, how to find our co-founders/partners, step by step approach for startup etc. This book will help you to get motivated on facing the problems.

4. Zero to One by Peter Thiel

This book helps you to craft your thinking into the different perspective and push your startup forward.It helps to fire you up and provides more enthusiasm.It was recommended by such entrepreneurs as Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk.

5. Hooked by Nir Eyal

This book discussed four step processes about the customer behavior. It helps you to teach like how to attract the early customers,how to get the users back etc.

6. Creativity Inc by Ed Catmull

This book describes how to build a creative culture within your startup or company.It helps you to get motivated and your team.The author Ed Catmull who was the Co-founder of Pixar animation studios explains about creativity in business.

7. Tested Advertising Methods by John Caples

It helps the founders to acquire customers by using some marketing techniques. By using this book you can able to create successful advertising features with limited revenues and it helps mostly for small business and non-profit organization.

8. Predictable Revenue by Aaron Ross

This book is the sales bible for startup founders and helps you to build a sales machine. It motivates your sales team and helps you to reach your financial goals in an efficient way.

9. The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz

In this book the author gave advice to startup founders on how to build and run a startup. The author had shared some insights about the problems faced by the leaders/founders etc.

10. Stay Hungry Stay Foolish by Rashmi Bansal

Book that traces the success-stories of twenty-five graduates from IIM-Ahmedabad. They decided against going in for regular corporate jobs that most of their classmates opted for. Instead, they chose to become entrepreneurs, choosing to carve out their careers, with their own hands.This book may boost your confidence and keep motivating every day.  

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What is Customer Segmentation? Why it is Important for Startup?

Customer segmentation enables startup/companies to accurately target tailored marketing messages to customers who are most likely to buy their products. It is the practice of dividing a customer base into groups of individuals by using specific ways such as age, gender, interests and spending habits.

Why it is important for Startup?

Generally entrepreneurs got the product idea from their instinct or problems faced by them. But they are not sure about whether the product is actual fit to which customers.

Here are the major reasons for customer segmentation:

• Startup doesn’t have time, resource, money to validate the product for a long period. If you have taken the vast segments it is very difficult to validate your product.
• Every customer is different and that their marketing efforts would be better served if they target specific, smaller groups with messages that those consumers would find relevant and lead them to buy something.
• Get deeper understanding of their customers' preferences and needs with the idea of discovering what each segment finds most valuable.
• Helps to focus your marketing on the customers who will be most likely to buy your products or services.
• Easy to build loyal relationships with customers by developing and offering them the products and services they want.
• Avoid the markets which will not be profitable for you.

So finally the customer segmentation will help you to show a route map to your startup ride. It helps you to validate your product in a quick manner.If your product is validated you are in a safe boat else you are in an ocean looking for a boat. Product validation process will discuss later.

Image Ref: http://www.dynamicwebusa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Customer-Segmentation.jpg

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Top 3 Essential Tips for Generating Startup Ideas

Do you want to become an entrepreneur ? Do you have a plan to begin a new start up.

If the answer is yes ! You are in a right place.

Ideas can come from anywhere. There are no hard fast rules for generating startup ideas. Some of them may turn into profitable businesses, and some may not.

Here we go!!  Below are some of the three essential tips I like for coming up with and filtering ideas.

Start with understanding the Problems:

• Having a problem is often a strong motivator for someone to buy or use a product. Many of the most successful companies start by solving a problem.
• Observe the daily activities of the people who are living around you like, their shopping habits, reading habits,ways of using the technology, entertainment etc. 
• Analyze the problems faced by the people on their daily activities and make a note of it.
• Highlight the major problems faced by people.

“ When you say "I" and "my" too much, you lose the capacity to understand the "we" and "our".” -  Steve Maraboli 

Scratch your Own:

• You can be your own customer. In fact, some say the best ideas come from one's own problem.Be observant of your day at work or outside of work. Look for tasks you find challenging or take a long time.
• Next step is you have to decide your Category / Segment - like Product for Business, IT -Companies, E-Commerce, Manufacturing, Education or General Consumer Product etc .
• Category / Segment will be selected based on the problems faced by you and people.
• If you got solutions for the problems previously,then think about the alternate solutions. If you don’t have the solution for the problems then think new.

Do Research:

• One way to learn about problems worth solving, is simply to be observant to what people complain about. Instead of picking ideas out of the sky, we're simply solving problems that we know people have.
• Start your research with real people who are all falls under your Category/ Segment.
• Ask questions like
• What’s your problem in your day to day activities?
• How should you solve these problems currently?
• If we provide better solutions what will you do?
• What are the main drawbacks of the current solution?
• Ask the questions to 100 - 300 people or more,because it helps to understand the real problems faced by the people.
• Compare the data and find out the common problems faced by most of the people. Think about the solution for the problems and validate the solution with people.
• Finally you can come up with ideas for your new startup.

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Top 5 Attitudes to Learn Before Launching Your Startup

I have an idea to launch a startup but I don’t know how much period I could sustain with my startup. After I launched a startup I have to face many problems like lack of finance, family pressure, lack of support, lack of customer response etc. How could I overcome this?

Are you confused with these kinds of questions? Don’t worry I have a solution for this.

Just refer the following Attitudes to learn before Starting A Business.

Passion

Most of the successful people said “ Passion is the key to success ”  What is passion ?

Passion is a very strong feeling about a thing. It is an intense emotion or desire for something. 

If you want to become a successful businessman you should have a strong desire to admire it. If you do your startup with inner emotions (full of joy) nothing can able to stop you to run your startup.

For example people say Steve Jobs created revolution in mobile technology, before he attained this position he faced many problems in personal life as well as in business life. The only motivation factor for steve jobs is Passion.Without this mantra he can’t able to attained this kind of achievement in his life. So, ultimate point of the success is Passion. At this moment I remember the quotes said by Steve Jobs

“ The only way to do Great Work is to Love what you do ” – Steve Jobs

Just find out your passion and do your business with full of love and surely you will see the positive result.

Self-Confidence

Self confidence is the most important attitude to run a startup. Most of the people have a talent to run the startup, with the lack of self confidence they can’t able to think about it. 

At the early stage of startup you have to  face many problems like lack of finance, lack of support or resource etc.At that time you may think “Can I able to do this thing”. At this moment self-confidence helps you recover from this kind of situation.

Below I have mentioned the best quote for Self-Confidence

“ My advice to young entrepreneurs is not to accept defeat in the face of odds, and challenge negative forces with hope, self-confidence and conviction ” - Dhirubhai Ambani 

Learning

Learning is the very important factor in startup. Why?

Without learning anything we can’t able to survive in startup for more years. Because the Market has changing day by day.With today’s more complex business environment, learning is the only factor which helps to survive. Especially during times of recession, it is important for people to learn new skills and enhance their marketability.We have to keep enhancing our skills in critical thinking, creativity , innovation, analytics , people leadership and networking, among other knowledge and skills.To do this, create a continual learning development plan and identify personal and professional goals and a realistic timeline for achieving those goals.

 “ Keep learning keep moving ” 

Motivation

Motivation is important because it is the psychological catalyst employees and owners require to reach the goal. Without goal setting and the necessary motivation for goal attainment, startups are without purpose or direction.

Motivation is important in startup because it impacts mental and physical human reactions. Highly-motivated people have a willingness to get the job done efficiently and effectively, resulting in higher productivity, increased revenue, cost savings etc

Here I have discussed some tips to get motivated

• Recognize yourself.
• Think positively.
• Know your strength and weakness and improve your weakness.
• Get help and Help others.
• Force yourself to start.
• This quote helps you to get motivated.

“ I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work ”- Thomas A. Edison

Never give up

It isn’t always easy trying to reach the top, but when you’re thinking about giving up, remember these things:

Nobody’s Perfect - We are all human. Realizing that it’s okay to make a mistake is only part of the battle to that ultimate goal. Learning and moving forward comes from doing something wrong and being told how to do it right.

Rome Wasn’t Built In A Day - This is the most important saying to remember when giving up becomes a legitimate thought. Nobody can create an empire in a day; no startup can become a multi-billion-dollar venture in one day, and no idea is worth throwing in the garbage if all the stops haven’t been pulled out yet.

There is a lot to say about rewriting drafts in our lives, and sometimes they need to be revised and edited multiple times before the finished copy can be published and celebrated.

The trick is that if you are stuck, you have to keep moving.  If nothing else, never give up because you only might have one last thing to overcome. Now stand up and say to yourself as loud as you can, 

“ Never give up !! Never Give up ”

“ Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time ” - Thomas A. Edison

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Top 10 Motivational Quotes for Startup

Running a Startup is hard work, and it can be easy to get down or lose your motivation. With that  in mind I have discussed the following quotes to raise your motivation level.

If you know of any other good quotes please add them in the comments

“ The value of an idea lies in the using of it ” - Thomas Edison

“ Be the change you want to see in the World ” - Mahatma Gandhi

 “ I want to put a ding in the universe ” - Steve Jobs

 “ If you can’t fly, then run,

    If you can’t run, then walk,

    If you can’t walk, then crawl,

    but whatever you do,

    you have to keep moving forward ” - Martin Luther King Jr

“ Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success ”  - Henry Ford

“ It’s fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure ”   - Bill Gates

“ There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure ” - Colin Powell

“ If you don’t drive your business, you will be driven out of business ” - B.C.Forbes

“ Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm ” - Winston Churchill

“ All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them ” - Walt Disney

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