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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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.
View on Amazon↗Crown Business hardcover
Cover shown: alternate paperback edition
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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.
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.
View on Amazon↗Harper Business hardcover
Cover shown: UK edition (ISBN 9781847942777)
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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.
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.
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.
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.
View on Amazon↗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.