Want something to pore over on your Christmas break? Take a look at our list of books as recommended from start-up leaders around the world.
For many, the Christmas break is an opportunity to unwind, relax and catch up on some reading.
There’s no better way to distract from the hustle and bustle of the world than losing yourself in a good book.
Throughout the year, SiliconRepublic.com asked founders and start-up leaders that featured in our Start-up of the Week series about what books had a profound impact on their career or leadership mindset. Here’s a list of 12 such books that might entice you this Christmas.
Down to business
As expected when speaking to entrepreneurs and founders, there were plenty of business books recommended.
Christian Højbo Møller, founder and CEO of employee engagement platform Zoios, described Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson, a hands-on guide to starting your own business with a self-described “easy-is-better” approach
Møller described the book as a “brilliant, short and well-written take on how to run a workplace”.
Next we have The Pricing Roadmap by Ulrik Lehrskov-Schmidt, which AgriRobot’s co-founder and CCO Henrik Lynge Jacobsen described as having a “big impact” on the start-up’s strategy.
“It is a very tactical deep dive into how to build pricing models for B2B SaaS,” said Jacobsen. “One of the key takeaways is that pricing isn’t just about numbers, it’s about understanding your product’s value and your customers’ needs.
“That mindset has shaped how we talk about AgriRobot’s offering. We’re not just selling safety features. We’re selling the right to scale autonomy confidently.”
Restore Blue’s Dr Sarah Cosgrove had high praise for The Road Less Stupid by Keith J Cunningham.
Cosgrove told us that one of the book’s core principles is the discipline of setting aside regular “thinking time”.
“This involves uninterrupted time in a specific sitting and on a regular basis to ask high-quality questions about your business before making decisions,” she explained.
“In a start-up environment there’s a sense of constant pressure on the founder to move fast and this book helps remind me how clarity and strategic thinking create more long-term value than constant action. That reflective space helps me avoid what is referred to in the book as ‘expensive mistakes’ and keep our mission strongly aligned with action.
“It highlights how good leadership isn’t about having all the answers, but about consistently asking smart questions, both to myself and the team.”
Leadership and philosophy
A number of entrepreneurs also recommended some titles dealing with leadership mentalities and investigations into the ‘why’ of human processes.
One book with glowing reviews from two of our featured founders was Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek.
EcoSafe Products’ Grace McNamara said Sinek’s writing helped the start-up stay focused on “purpose, not just product”, while Lia Eyecare’s Breda O’Regan said the book had “a huge impact” on how she thinks about leadership.
“As a mission-driven start-up, understanding and communicating our ‘why’ – improving the lives of millions suffering from dry eye disease – has helped us stay focused and aligned through every stage of development,” said O’Regan. “It’s also shaped how we engage with our team, investors and partners, making sure everything we do connects back to that core mission.”
Meanwhile, Momntum’s Brian Kenny spoke about how Principles by Ray Dalio has had a “lasting impact” on him as a founder.
“His approach to radical transparency and thoughtful decision-making really influenced how I think about building both teams and systems,” he explained.
“Dalio’s emphasis on first principles thinking, data-driven iteration, and honest feedback loops has shaped how I navigate everything from product development to team culture.”
Moving on to the more psychological side of our literature list, we have The Stories of Your Life: The Eight Masterplots That Explain Human Behaviour by Ben Ambridge – a favourite of Michael Dowling, co-founder and CEO of Narrative Banking.
Dowling spoke about how the book “sets out how we are all internally shaped by the story we’ve self-written of where we’re going in life”.
“We now have the abilities to speak to those stories, but only if we understand them,” he said.
Another recommendation by Dowling was Nudge, written by Nobel laureate Richard H Thaler and Harvard Law School professor Cass R Sunstein, which Dowling described as “fundamental for understanding the nuances of real financial decision-making, which is core to building effective conversational banking tools”.
“I suspect a lot of attempts to build AI versions of real behaviour are lacking that core focus on trying to understand the underlying behaviours at an advanced level,” he said.
Next, we have The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday, a book inspired by the philosophy of stoicism that was recommended by Taceo co-founder and CEO Lukas Helminger.
“Great book, but more than that it made me double down on reading, and opened me up to practical philosophy,” he says. “Both had a big impact on me as a founder.”
Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway by Susan Jeffers – a self-help book designed to help people overcome their fears – was highlighted by Canavan Atlantic’s Cressida Canavan as one of her top recommendations as a founder.
“Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway reminded me that courage isn’t the absence of fear,” she said, “it’s action in spite of it, something every founder needs.”
Technology
Not to be unexpected from sci-tech founders, a number of books focused on technology were recommended this year.
Among them was The Innovator’s Dilemma by Clayton Christensen, a book about the concept of disruptive technologies.
Sean Blanchfield, co-founder and CEO of Jentic, included this book as his recommendation.
“Ironically, it is possible that all software will be generated by AI in the future, making this the last disruptive innovation wave in software,” he said about the book’s content.
Microamp’s Dawid Kuchta highlighted Chip War by Chris Miller, a spotlight on the importance of semiconductors, which he said changed how he views “the link between technology, geopolitics and innovation”.
“It shows how control over advanced semiconductors shapes global power, a reminder that deep-tech success requires both engineering excellence and strategic vision.”
Meanwhile, Justyna Strzeszynska, founder and CEO of women’s health start-up Joii, recommended Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez – a deep dive into the gender data gap widely affecting the population today.
“It’s a gut-punch reminder of how deeply gender bias runs in data, design, and medicine and a core reason Joii exists,” said Strzeszynska.
Last but not least, Rephobia’s Liam Harte didn’t recommend any particular book, but encouraged reading as a whole.
“Whether it’s fiction, memoir, or essays, reading gives you fresh perspectives, expands your empathy, and helps you zoom out from your own head,” he said.
“Some of my biggest mindset shifts have come from unexpected pages. As a founder, that ability to think differently, sit with uncertainty, and stay curious has been everything.”
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