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makingsociety.com /2014/10/best-entrepreneur-books-hardware/
By 10/8/2014
Mathilde Reading books will help you tremendously along your journey to build your hardware company.
Bill Gates or Elon Musk are known for being avid readers. Both said that some books had a great
influence in their business decisions. They are obviously not the only ones.
I spend the last months reading and researching the topic and I compiled this master list of books for makers
starting a hardware company. Pick the ones that fit your current need, they might be of great help.
This collaborative book is the first one to dive into the process of building open source hardware. It
covers the main aspects: from documentation to choosing a licence or manufacturing an open
source hardware piece.
Obligatory reading in some start-ups, this book will give you a full methodology on how to define a
strategy for your business. Its an essential from which you will be able to get knowledge and
advice along your entrepreneurial journey.
Business Models
Complete and pragmatic methodology to launch and run a business based on continuous innovation.
The Lean Startup is an absolute must-read.
The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More , by Chris
Anderson
Written by the former Editor-in-Chief of Wired magazine and current CEO of 3D Robotics, The Long
Tail is a world-famous book for any online entrepreneur who wants to harness the power of niche
markets to its business. Internet gives an almost infinite number of market opportunities, small but big
enough to start successful business.
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This book explores how free can become an highly successful business strategy. Chris Anderson
explains the different business models using the free model and shows how to compete when
competitors are giving away your product. A great read for hardware entrepreneurs exploring open
source hardware models.
Raising Capital
Venture Deals: Be Smarter Than Your Lawyer and Venture Capitalist , by Brad Feld
and Jason Mendelson
This book will let you understand how venture capitalists think and how deals work. Its a great book
to understand the outlines of venture capital term sheet and gives valuable insights on how to get a
fair deal.
Product Design
3/12
Forks, pins, paper clips, zippers The Evolution of Useful Things tells the story of how some of our
most common and iconic everyday things became the way they are today. Its a book about
technology and innovation, and a passionate look at what really drives inventions.
Emotional Design: Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things , by Donald A. Norman
Cognitive scientist Don Norman, who also wrote The Design of Everyday Things, explores how
products aesthetics affects our experience.
4/12
This book is one of all times Elon Musks favorite and a best-seller in architecture. Its a must-read
for anyone interested in product design and engineering. Very few math but plenty of real-life
examples and well-explained concepts that shape the world we live in.
Lean Manufacturing
5/12
This book is a detailed hands-on resource for implementing lean manufacturing, from deploying
plant-wide strategies to reducing lead times or synchronizing production and supply to the customer.
Advanced read for the hardware entrepreneur already well-engaged in his hardware company
process.
Work Methodology
6/12
Open Source
free download
7/12
Purple Cow is one of the most remarkable best-seller of marketing genius Seth Godin. Its a book
about the power of standing out. Ethical marketing at its best.
This book explores a marketing approach based on respect for your customers, transparency and
asking for permission. It details online and offline strategies to reach to your audience and transform
visitors into fans and friends.
One of the highly recommended book on how to sell. Filled with advice, techniques and examples.
Entrepreneurs stories
The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy
8/12
Answers , by Ben Horowitz
Entrepreneur and investor Ben Horowitz shares his advice on how to build and run a startup.
World Perspectives
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