1. Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future

In Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future, the founder Peter Thiel shows how to find ways to create new innovations.
It highlights three principles, such as -

Principle No. 1 - Go from 0 to 1

It says that if you want to become successful then do something new and unique, which is also called vertical progress, i.e. going from 0 to 1. But if you are copying the existing thing with some changes, then you are going from 1 to N, which is also called horizontal progress, which reduces the chances of success.

Principle No. 2 - Become a Monopoly, avoid Competition

The society is associated with competition in each sector. Peter Thiel explains that capitalism and competition are two opposite things, where capitalism generates profit and competition ends the profit. The more competition, the less you will make a profit.

Principle No. 3 - Start with a Niche Market, and then Dominate

If you want to make your business successful, then initially focus on a niche market, and solve a major problem of a small group, on which no one is paying attention, and where there is very less or no competition. Firstly give very good services there, then gradually expand the business and dominate the market.

2. REWORK: Change the Way You Work Forever

REWORK: Change the Way You Work Forever teaches that do not to be afraid of mistakes in work. Never think before the work and while doing work that you will be doing mistakes, rather learn from your mistakes, get experience and improvise your work. The book teaches us to not follow others because all the work done by others was in different scenarios and circumstances, and their mistakes are their own, and it does not mean to you. People learn more from your success because it teaches you what works, but failure teaches about what does not works, so for getting success, there is no need of getting failure.

Despite getting tensed about failure, this book encourages you for doing the next important work. Do not stay with the previous ideas or thoughts, and bring changes to it with time. If you make big plans and stay with it, then your future would come in danger, so you can make strategic plans. Suppose you made a strategic plan today, then you would not know how long it would work, and it needs to change every time, so in the future, you can grow in the perfect direction. The book teaches that a person can do many works by being a workaholic. The author says that a person should work hard only when needed and not always.

A person should give preference to the work which he is interested in, and keep a to-do list short, which can bring more productivity to the work. The book will raise the self-confidence to start your own business. It is a good book for getting the knowledge of startups and inspiration. Business entrepreneurs who are unable to take some business decisions can get valuable lessons from this book. If you want to start a business and do something productive then this is the best work for you. It tells about the efficient, productive, and straightforward ways of doing work, which will help to cross those barriers that stop you to reach progress.

3. The 4-Hour Workweek

The The 4-Hour Workweek book teaches that it is possible for a person to earn more in less time, by making the income automated.

For doing any work effectively in less time, the author asks us to pay more attention to two points.

One is elimination, which means if you want the best results of your work in lesser time, then a person must know what all selective work they should do, and the most important thing is what all things should be avoided.

To know this 80-20 principle is there, which says that people get results from some of their works, i.e. from 20% of their work.

In fact, people get 80% results from their 20% of work, so people must know their 20% of work to put all the energy and focus on that 20% of work and eliminate the other 80% of work.

Another one is outsourcing, which signifies that the people must do only those work which they are experts in, and other work can be outsourced to others.

4. The Lean Startup

The Lean Startup: How Todays Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation To Create Radically Successful Businesses is mandatory for new entrepreneurs, which gives innovative and effective business ideas.

While starting a company or business, people take risks to achieve their dreams, because the risks either bring success or give experience. Initially, they fail to achieve a certain level.

The Lean Startup: How Todays Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation To Create Radically Successful Businesses by Eric Ries is about using new techniques or methods called Lean Startup to restructure the world of business.

The person always thinks about the risks and uncertainty of the business at the time of start. They always think to bring a long-lasting business, with the help of innovations and creative ideas.

The Lean Startup approach focuses on increasing the capital efficiency of the companies, and also uses human creativity to its highest level.

The book explains difficult concepts, such as validated learning and vanity metrics with ease. It explains the new ideas which help in making the company agile and flexible.

5. How to Win Friends & Influence People

How to Win Friends & Influence People teaches the following points, such as -

Give people what they want

Besides health, food, money, and sleep, there is another thing that is very important and everyone wants it, that is - the desire to be important and to be appreciated.

The author has explained that there are many people who criticize but when you give importance to people and appreciate them, then they will always like you and support you.

Arouse in the Other Person an Eager Want

We cannot make any person work forcefully.

If you want to make a work done by someone, then do not say what you want, rather say something by which he himself would do that work.

Become Genuinely Interested In Other People

If you want to make bonding with someone, then let them speak about themselves and talk about them, rather than talking about yourself, which will make them interested in talking to you.

6. The 1-Page Marketing Plan

The book The 1-Page Marketing Plan explains how to get new customers, make more money and stand out from the crowd. The author simplifies marketing for small size businesses. One can have a great product or service, but if nobody knows about it, then it will fail. When the stakes are high, all professionals have plans.

For most business owners, the stakes are very high, they have their business and possibly the livelihood of their family on the line, and yet they do not have a plan, because most early-staged companies get overwhelmed about marketing when they do not have a framework or just focus maniacally on their product, and marketing falls by the wayside. The One Page Marketing Plan is a template that guides you through the three phases of your marketing journey.

The before phase is where you find your prospects and increase awareness of your offering. It consists of identifying your target market, clarifying your message, and determining the media you will use to reach the market. The during phase is where you turn prospects into leads, who buy from you. It starts with a lead capturing funnel, a nurturing system, and a sales conversion strategy. The after phase is where you retain customers, and turn them into fans, consists of delivering a world-class experience, increasing the customer lifetime value, and stimulating referrals.

At the end of the day, the best marketer wins every time. Some companies focus on creating the best products and services, but before that, they have to think about customer acquisition. People do not know how good you are until they become your client, and that is where marketing comes in. So to grow your business, you have to become an excellent marketer.

7. Think & Grow Rich: The Landmark Bestseller

The Book Think & Grow Rich: The Landmark Bestseller is one of the best book for the entrepreneurs.

It explains many logical and valuable things, which attracts the attention of people towards it.

The book explains Burning Desire is mandatory to achieve the dreams.

One can put on all of its smart work and efforts to achieve the dreams.

This burning desire can be used to fulfill the earning desire by following the 7 steps. These are -

1. Fix the amount of money you want
2. Determine exactly what you intend to give in return for the money you desire
3. Establish a definite date when you intend to possess the money you desire
4. Create a definite plan
5. Write down everything, like the answers of the points
6. Read all the points daily
7. Read loudly and repeat it consistently.

This will help in thinking creatively, grow high to the peak of success, and become rich.

8. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

The Book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change explains the 7 habits that will make people effective.

1st Habit - Be Proactive

There are two kinds of people - reactive and proactive. The reactive people blame other people for everything. Whereas proactive people control their feeling by themselves, instead of giving control to others. They take 100% responsibility for every action they take and the situation they are in. You can focus on the things you can change and not those things which you cannot change.

2nd Habit - Be with the End in Mind

If you want to be remembered as a person who has achieved a lot in life and helped everyone a lot. Are you doing something like that right now, so you can surely say that? Ask yourself what all things you want to achieve before you die, both personally or professionally, and start working on it as soon as possible.

3rd Habit - Put First Things First

One should do the most important things first. Do not waste more time on social media, watching TV, or thinking unnecessary things, though we want to complete some important work. These are some common habits that waste most of our time and do not enable us to grow high. So if you want to achieve something in life then firstly do the things that will help you to achieve your goals in life, and give priority to the rest of the work later.

4rth Habit - Think Win-Win

Many people think that they can win when other people lose, or they think that if he gets then I would not get that, which is a scarcity mentality. One should remove this mentality, and think that there are a lot of things for everyone, which is an abundance mentality, so always try to create a win-win situation, from which everyone will get benefited.

5th Habit - Seek First to be Understand and then To Be Understood

People always say that no one understands their feelings, and they also do not try to understand the feelings of others. People mostly think about what and instead of thinking about why, and the feelings of the people behind that. So while talking to anyone, do not keep the intention of only giving a reply, but understand their feelings behind that. The most important thing is that, make the person realize that you understand their feelings. When you genuinely start doing this, then the other people too will start understanding you in a better way.

6th Habit - Synergy

If you plant two plants together, then their roots together increase the quality of the soil, by which the growth of both the plants gets good, as compared to those two plants which have been placed at different places. The habit of synergy always asks us to work together with the team. It can help to increase our capabilities tremendously, which will help us in fulfilling our goals.

7th Habit - Sharpen the Saw

Usually, people do not take out 30 minutes from their daily schedule to do exercise to maintain their health, 15 minutes to read a book to increase their knowledge, and then complain that why their life is not going well. This habit focuses on improving yourself. People should make the best use of their time in improving the 4 areas, which are - physical, mental, social, and spiritual. These habits surround the other habits and make it possible to follow them all, and help in improving ourselves.

9. Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone To Take Action

The Book Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone To Take Action explains the principle of The Golden Circle. This idea says that why some leaders and some organization inspires people a lot and becomes successful. But some people are unable to do this, though they put all of their efforts and money.

This is a simple idea, which is based on three questions, such as - What, How, and Why. Every individual knows what they do, like what kind of job they do, and what their company is doing. Some people also know how they do it, or how their organization is doing work. But very few people know why they are doing it.

The answer to why is not earning money and fame, because these are just results, and not reasons. The meaning of why is, what is the purpose of the work that you are doing, with what believe you are working, what is your cause, and why your company exists in the world. If you think that the main purpose of your work is earning money and making a profit, then you are following the wrong path.

Many people do not know why they are doing their job, and are only chasing money. Many organizations or companies communicate with the people, by telling initially about What, then How, and ultimately Why. Whereas the inspiring companies follow vice versa path of this. They firstly ask Why, then How, and ultimately What. The people get inspired by the Why, and when they understand this, then they get connected to the company. This book also tells about how to make a good company, and how to become a good leader.

[The images are being taken from the registered companies and belong to their respective owners only.]