Book recommendations for cybersecurity startup founders
Note: these are not affiliate links, and I am not in any way compensated for promoting these books. These are simply some resources I found useful and would like to share.
Five essential books for cybersecurity startup founders
If you only read one book, make it “The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers” by Ben Horowitz
If you only read two books, make the second “The Great CEO Within: The Tactical Guide to Company Building” by Matt Mochary, Alex MacCaw, and Misha Talavera your second
Core principles for life, work, and business: “Principles: Life and Work” by Ray Dalio
To get into the mindset of creating a company that will shape the future, get “Zero to One” by Peter Thiel and Blake Masters
Learn about ways to see if your business idea makes sense when everyone, our friends and people you ask, will just say nice 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” by Rob Fitzpatrick
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” by Sounil Yu
Reflect on the future of cybersecurity: “Rethinking InfoSec: Thoughts on why today's Information Security doesn't work, and how we can do better” by Greg van der Gaast
Learn about influencing industry analysts: “UP and to the RIGHT: Strategy and Tactics of Analyst Influence: A complete guide to analyst influence” by Richard Stiennon
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” by Jason Calacanis
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” by Brad Feld and Jason Mendelson
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” by April Dunford
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” by Geoffrey A. Moore
Learn about ways to break through to new customers and grow your startup: “Traction: How Any Startup Can Achieve Explosive Customer Growth” by Gabriel Weinberg and Justin Mares
Build company culture
Learn about giving feedback and building a culture of transparency: “Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity” by Kim Scott
Learn about hiring the right people: “Who” by Geoff Smart and Randy Street
Learn about dealing with team dysfunctions that commonly plague startups: “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable” by Patrick Lencioni
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” by Alexander Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur
Learn practical frameworks for designing a viable business model, validating ideas & generating insights: “The Real Startup Book” by Kromatic
Learn about building open source products: “Working in Public: The Making and Maintenance of Open Source Software” by Nadia Eghbal
Build a new product category
Learn how to build a new product category (incredibly relevant to cybersecurity): “Play Bigger: How Pirates, Dreamers, and Innovators Create and Dominate Markets” by Al Ramadan, Dave Peterson, Christopher Lochhead, and Kevin Maney
Build and scale your product
Learn how to build an empowered product team, structure process, and prioritize what to work on: “Inspired: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love” and “Empowered: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Products” by Marty Cagan
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” by Keith Ferrazzi and Tahl Raz
Learn about effective negotiation strategies for high-stakes conversations: “Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It” by Chris Voss and Tahl Raz