This is the first in a series of articles where we’re sharing our thoughts on the industry, tips and tricks, and some advice that has helped us throughout our 10+ years. Up first, we’re talking to our Co-Founder, Eric Skiff, and asked him:

What is the best piece of advice you can give a first-time founder?

READ.

Get a kindle or an Audible account and use your commutes, chore time, etc to start focusing on this. You’re going to need to be an expert in product, marketing, running a business, managing your people, fundraising, your industry, and how companies like yours have worked in other industries… just to name a few. Start reading or listening to books today.

When we were initially building Tanooki, my Co-Founder Dave started showing up one day with all of these great ideas, and I realized he was reading books related to our business and totally leveling up. I committed to doing the same, and since then we’ve read hundreds of books. It’s amazing how applicable learnings from one area can be to other problems you face, and I’ve NEVER regretted reading a book, even when I heartily disagree with it. Either way, I’ve learned, and I know that we now run a better company and have become better leaders because of it.

If you need somewhere to start, here’s my shortlist for anyone building a tech product and running a company:

Never Split the Difference
Way more than a negotiation book, this will change how you relate to the people in your life, and use your empathy to hear what they really want…not always what they’re asking for.

Building A Story Brand

We all have to sell: ourselves, our products, our companies. This book is a master-class in understanding what your customer needs, crafting your message to make them the hero of the story, and positioning your product as the crucial tool they need to succeed. 

Traction: How Any Startup Can Achieve Explosive Customer Growth
Before you can sell, you need to find people to sell to! This book walks through a process for trying experiments, looking for your niche, and then laser-focusing your marketing spend to fill your funnel.

Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business
A totally different book with a similar name. Traction by Gino Wickman is about building the operating system for your business, setting the strategy, and using a quarterly meeting rhythm. Also known as “EOS” of the Enterprise Operating System, this has been amazing for aligning everyone on the goals and working in the same direction. 

Built to Sell: Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You

What makes your business attractive to potential acquirers? Learn how to build those metrics and get your business hitting them in a way that you could step away. Once you do, you might find you’re having a lot more fun running your business and no longer want to sell!

The E-Myth Revisited

A classic for a reason! This book is especially helpful for anyone starting a small business, but I’ve found it applies to early startups as well. You need documentation, routine, and repeatability or you can never scale past the hand-to-hand stage. 

Competing Against Luck

Unlock real innovation by understanding the job that customers are hiring your product to do, and what the real competitors are that they might choose (including using nothing at all). 

The Great Game of Business, Expanded and Updated: The Only Sensible Way to Run a Company and its more engaging sequel, A Stake in the Outcome

These books absolutely changed the way we’ve run our company and any company we’ll start after this. They pioneered open book management and profit sharing, and if you’re giving anyone equity, I highly recommend reading these books to understand how to align that equity with shared goals. 

We’d love to hear from YOU - what’s on your “required reading” list?