4 books every cybersecurity startup founder needs to read (and 15 more that can be helpful)

I believe there are only a few books that everyone starting a cybersecurity startup should read; the rest will depend on their unique areas of focus and areas of weaknesses, and their company.

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4 books every cybersecurity founder needs to read

Whenever I read the so-called book recommendations for startup founders, it always amazes me that authors of these lists think founders have time to read 30-50 books. Sure, it would be great, but it is also hard to do when you are trying to get an early-stage venture off the ground. 

I believe there are only a few books that everyone starting a cybersecurity startup should read; the rest will depend on their unique areas of focus and areas of weaknesses, and the company they are building. 

While there are no playbooks for building a startup, there are a number of resources that have proven to be incredibly useful for startup founders and leadership teams. With that, here are the four books I believe every cybersecurity founder should read:

• If you only read one book, make it The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers

• Core principles for life, work, and business: Principles: Life and Work

• To get into the mindset of creating the company that will shape the future, get Zero to One

• Learn about ways to see if your business idea makes sense when everyone - our friends and people you ask will say things to make you feel good: The Mom Test: How to talk to customers & learn if your business is a good idea when everyone is lying to you

  

15 books cybersecurity startup founders can benefit from reading

In the part that follows, you can find a larger list of recommended reads divided by category. Most of the books are short, light, and practical. If you feel like you would benefit from diving deeper into a specific topic or if you are trying to solve a particular problem (i.e., raise capital), books in this section offer lots of invaluable advice. 

Think about the future of the industry

• Get a framework to identify where new opportunities in cybersecurity can come from and what to build: Cyber Defense Matrix: The Essential Guide to Navigating the Cybersecurity Landscape

• Reflect on the future of cybersecurity: ​​Rethinking InfoSec: Thoughts on why today's Information Security doesn't work, and how we can do better

• Learn about influencing the industry analysts: UP and to the RIGHT: Strategy and Tactics of Analyst Influence: A complete guide to analyst influence

Raise capital

• Learn about raising capital from angel investors - how angels think and make decisions, and how to work with them: Angel: How to Invest in Technology Startups--Timeless Advice from an Angel Investor Who Turned $100,000 into $100,000,000

• Learn about raising capital from VCs - how venture capital works, what makes a startup a fit for the VC model, how to structure the fundraising process, and what parts of the term sheet matter: Venture Deals: Be Smarter Than Your Lawyer and Venture Capitalist

Acquire customers

• Learn a step-by-step process to position your product, service, or company: Obviously Awesome: How to Nail Product Positioning so Customers Get It, Buy It, Love It

• Learn about the stages of startup growth, the types of users (innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards), and how to get your product beyond a small circle of early enthusiasts: Crossing the Chasm: Marketing and Selling Disruptive Products to Mainstream Customers

• Learn about ways to break through to new customers and grow your startup: Traction: How Any Startup Can Achieve Explosive Customer Growth

Build company culture

• Learn about giving feedback and building a culture of transparency: Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity

• Learn about hiring the right people: Who

Design your business model

• Learn how to experiment with and design new business models: Business Model Generation: A Handbook for Visionaries, Game Changers, and Challengers

• Learn practical frameworks for designing a viable business model, validating ideas & generating insights: The Real Startup Book

• Learn about building open source products: Working in Public: The Making and Maintenance of Open Source Software

Become more effective

• Learn how to build genuine relationships with people and form a community around yourself and your mission: Never Eat Alone, Expanded and Updated: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time

• Learn about effective negotiations strategies for high-stakes conversations: Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with any of the authors, and links to the books do not have any tracking. I do not get paid or otherwise benefit from recommending anything. 

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