Book Club, July '22 Edition
Pop Off or Die....
The last month of JP has been focused around Pop Off or Die. The resources in this months edition of Book Club will echo that same sentiment; tactical reads that provide frames for one to execute. Let’s dive in:
The Hard Thing About Hard Things, by Ben Horowitz
This is a classic novel every founder should read, especially now that we’re heading into a recession. Ben, one of the founders of a16z, paints a picture that there’s no “formula” for the chaotic world of startups; in fact, it’s an all-out war. Quotes such as the following sum it up quite well:
“If you’re going to eat shit, don’t nibble”
After months of failed fundraising attempts, Ben finally secured financing for LoudCloud. On the plane ride home, Ben turns to Scott Kupor & says, “We did it”, to which Scott responds, “yeah, but we’re still fucked”.
As we now turn into a recession from a macro-economic standpoint, especially for tech startups, adopting the wartime CEO mental model is a must. Preparing yourself, your team, and your company for a war is the way to go.
The No Bullshit Guide to Raising Angel Funding/Venture Capital as an Outsider, by Mat Sherman
Many of you are outsiders/pirates (not elites), and attempting to raise Silicon Valley money for your startup. Frankly, there isn’t a better read I’ve seen that concretely breaks down the nuts & bolts of turning yourself into an insider (from an EQ/fundamentals standpoint) in tech than this thread.
So, if you need to raise capital to get off the ground and pop off, OR want to someday play in the major leagues of VC, this should become a chapter in your startup bible.
Positioning: The Battle For Your Mind, by Jack Trout & Al Ries
As you launch your product into the frenzy that is today’s overcrowded market, it’s tricky to rise atop the ladder and remove yourself from all the noise out there. That’s where Positioning comes in, providing frameworks for how to take ownership of the consumers mind in a retro, Madison Avenue lens.
If you’re launching a product or pre-PMF, JP highly recommends this book.
AL
