Rob Fitzpatrick has written the most essential book on validating your business ideas correctly and in a way that is practical and will save you time, money, and heartbreak. It's a short book that basically says that you shouldn't ask anyone if your business is a good idea, because it's a bad question and everyone is bound to lie in varying degrees. It's not their responsibility to tell you the truth, but yours to extract it correctly. And this book can teach you how.
Seth Goden's book talks about how all marketers tell stories, and good stories are what people believe in. Learn authentic storytelling that helps you form a strong bond with your customers and set your product and company apart from the competition.
Another fantastic book by Ryan Holiday where he uncovers that there is a defined formula for success that is timeless, and you can follow it too. To quote Marcus Aurelius, "The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way."
Using data the right way can help you steer your business away from mistakes and towards the promised land of customers and profits. This book steers you in the right direction with case studies and insights that show you how to validate your initial idea, find the right customers, decide what to build, how to monetize your business, and how to spread the word and get customers.
How many likes? How many purchases? How many email subscribers? It's easy to get lost in the numbers. As entrepreneurs, we have to remember that there are people behind all that data. People who are looking for someone they trust, someone who has their best interests in mind. Pat Flynn shows a path to becoming that trustworthy person and creating a tribe of superfans around the world.
Ryan Holiday's book explains the concept of growth hacking and the mindset one needs to think of marketing in the modern world. His advice is applicable to businesses of all kinds, but especially if you're trying to reach a consumer base with your ecommerce store.
