Noah Kagan – Million Dollar Weekend
Surprisingly simple, indeed – just like it said on the cover.
If, as a financial journalist, you want to bring down a fraudulent fintech startup, you need to be very, very careful
The Netflix documentary is better, because it has less extensive digressions into the author’s personal life.
Founders are gaslighted by VCs in order to convince them that they need to take high risks that are not in their own best interest
Rand Fishkin – Lost and Founder
Juicy slightly contrarian view written with sufficient self-deprication in order not to offend anyone in the vally.
Use ‘validated learning’ to launch your ‘MVP’, and ‘pivot’ when your ‘value and growth hypotheses’ are falsified
A staple of startup literature, advocating a deceivingly simple concept which is hard to get right (as is proven by the examples of startups that have failed since publication).
Re-read 2024: Even though some examples are by now pretty stale, there are still many relevant insights in there.
If you want to learn how to build good products or start yur own company, Tony Fadell recommends listening to Tony Fadell
Tony Fadell – Build
Shamelessly self-aggrandizing autobiography dressed-up as self-help book for entrepreneurs.
PayPal has been successful first and foremost because of ruthless competitiveness and a maniacal work ethic
In hindsight, the early internet was shockingly primitive.
Compared to the Chinese tech scene, Silicon Valley is slow and complacent
Former Google China Chief explains why China will win the AI race when it comes to applications of deep learning in the physical world.
Every visonary entrepreneur needs an integrator to assure his/her ideas materialize
By far the more readable book on org structure that I have come across.
Theranos’ downfall shows a reality distortion field gone wrong
What seems to have started as entrepreneurial over-confidence ended in a web of fraud and lies.
To make the difference you have to do something truly different and definitive
Rich repository of one-liners for those who seek to make bold moves.
The success of Uber and AirBnB is (partly) due to structural exploration of legal limits
Most illustrative are the descriptions of failed competitors, which show importance of both luck and ruthlessness.
Exposure therapy is highly effective to overcome fear of rejection
Contageous enthusiasm of authentic curiosity comes across best in his Jia Jiang’s youtube videos (cf. Olympic rings).
Ashlee Vance – Elon Musk
Do not read the Dutch translation: Henk Popken did a crappy job.
Elmira Bayrasli – From the other side of the world
Some well chosen case studies; but with too little explanation on ‘what’ they did and too many stories about how they did it.