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Agentic Matt

The book library

Good ideas.
Better building.

Seven books to explore the business, product and creative sides of building something people want.

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Hacking Growth book cover

Growth experiments

Hacking Growth

Sean Ellis & Morgan Brown

A framework for running experiments across acquisition, activation, retention and monetization, with growth treated as a team-wide process.

Useful for teams building a repeatable growth process.

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Crown Business hardcover

Cover shown: alternate paperback edition

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Traction book cover

Distribution

Traction

Gabriel Weinberg & Justin Mares

Nineteen customer acquisition channels and the Bullseye framework for testing which ones can bring your business traction.

Useful for founders choosing where to find customers.

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Portfolio hardcover

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The Cold Start Problem book cover

Network effects

The Cold Start Problem

Andrew Chen

How network effects emerge, why early networks are hard to get started, and what helps connected products grow and sustain momentum.

Useful for builders of marketplaces, communities and networks.

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Harper Business hardcover

Cover shown: UK edition (ISBN 9781847942777)

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The Mom Test book cover

Customer discovery

The Mom Test

Rob Fitzpatrick

A practical guide to asking about customers’ lives and past behavior, so conversations reveal useful evidence rather than polite compliments.

Useful for founders validating a problem before building.

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English paperback · 2013

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Hooked book cover

Product psychology

Hooked

Nir Eyal

The four-part Hook Model explores how triggers, actions, variable rewards and investment can shape repeat product use.

Useful for product teams studying habits and engagement.

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Portfolio hardcover

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Positioning book cover

Brand strategy

Positioning

Al Ries & Jack Trout

An introduction to positioning: defining a clear place for a product or brand in the customer’s mind, especially in a crowded market.

Useful for builders sharpening what makes their product different.

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Hardcover · 20th Anniversary Edition

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Steal Like an Artist book cover

Creative practice

Steal Like an Artist

Austin Kleon

Ten principles for creative work, from studying your influences to developing ideas through practice and making things of your own.

Useful for creators finding ideas and developing their voice.

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Hardcover · 10th Anniversary Gift Edition (2022)

Cover shown: original paperback artwork

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Cover images provided by Open Library. Cover artwork may vary by edition.