I have written business plans every year for fun and executed a few. These books inspire different aspects of running a company or starting a new one.
E-Myth: Revisited by Gerber
First epiphany business book is E-Myth: Revisited by Gerber . This book exposes the myth of “I started a business so I’m an entrepreneur!” It follows the pie maker starting a pie shop and making pies.
The core insight: they are a technician making pies, not an entrepreneur. By documenting routines for pie production and hiring staff to follow them, they become a manager. Eventually, documenting management routines creates a self-running company based on repeatable processes.
This lesson applies universally. The author’s consulting firm applied it to software development, eliminating tribal knowledge and creating consistent processes. A release manager’s absence no longer disrupted production—anyone could follow established routines securely.
Presenting To Win by Weissman
Presenting To Win: The Art of Telling Your Story by Weissman focuses on listener-centric communication. Rather than data-heavy slides, each point should answer: “Why should the audience care?”
This principle extends beyond presentations to all communication.
Think Better by Hurson
Think Better: An Innovator’s Guide to Productive Thinking by Hurson emphasizes problem-solving through asking the right questions—85% of the methodology focuses on proper questioning techniques.
Purple Cow by Godin
Purple Cow: Transform Your Business to be Remarkable by Godin explores differentiation. It pairs well with Think Better for product managers and marketing professionals seeking to make products stand out.