Our Question of the Month Series Begins!
Book Recommendations for Founders/ Entrepreneurs
The entrepreneurial journey is difficult. It requires tenacity and inner strength. That’s why finding inspiration and feeding the mind and heart are so important.
We asked for book recommendations and love the responses we received! From sales and business to biography and memoirs, entrepreneurs can find inspiration from so many sources.
Thank you to all who responded!
The Full List of Responses
Bo Bernhard
Vice President of Economic Development at University of Nevada-Las Vegas

Shoe Dog, by Phil Knight.
How can anyone here *not* recommend Shoe Dog? Terrific (ghost) writing, unforgettable (real) characters, and a front row seat not only to one of the world’s most successful startups – you also get to read about the architecture of an entire era. Nike changed the way we thought about product, about experience, about fashion, about sports.
And this is how it all happened.

Tami Belt
Chief Storyteller – Blue Cube Marketing Solutions
- The Self-Employed Life – Jeffrey Shaw
- Permission Marketing – Seth Godin
Karina Singer
International Director of Sales And Marketing – On The Maps Digital Marketing

- The 10X Rule: The Only Difference Between Success and Failure – Grant Cardone

Morgan Waldron
Director of Marketing & Communications – Goodwill of Southern Nevada
- Skin in the Game – Jane Wurwand
Matthew Seltzer
Senior Vice President – Intuify, Owner – S2 Marketing Research

- The Infinite Game – Simon Simek
- Who Moved My Cheese? – Spencer Johnson and Kenneth Blanchard
Both should be essential reading for business leaders.

Tom Heaton
President – Las Vegas Innovation Marketing Association (LVIMA.com)
- Anything You Want – Derek Sivers
Tiger Todd
CEO – Heroes Incorporated

- The 10X Rule: The Only Difference Between Success and Failure – Grant Cardone
- The War of Art – Steven Pressfield
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
- The Book of Proverbs – Solomon
- Action Strategies for Personal Achievement – Brian Tracy

Diego Trujillo
CEO – Las Vegas Heals
- Start with Why – Simon Simek
- Road to Character – David Brooks
- Man’s Search for Meaning – Victor Frankl
Logan Brown
Community Development Manager & Dealflow Coordinator – StartupNV

- The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses – Eric Ries
- The Startup Owner’s Manual: The Step-By-Step Guide for Building a Great Company – Steve Blank
- Venture Deals: Be Smarter Than Your Lawyer and Venture Capitalist – Brad Feld & Jason Mendelson

Ben Laifsky
CEO Hunter.Marketing, Founder Tech.Vegas
- The Last Lion: Volume 2: Winston Spencer Churchill: Alone, 1932-1940 – William Manchester
- Steve Jobs – Walter Isaacson
Chat GPT
AI Bot, Raconteur

- “The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses” by Eric Ries: This book provides a scientific approach to creating and managing successful startups, with a focus on testing and iterating on ideas to find product-market fit.
- “Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future” by Peter Thiel: This book offers a unique perspective on startup creation, emphasizing the importance of finding and creating monopoly opportunities.
- “Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…And Others Don’t” by Jim Collins: This book outlines the key principles for taking a company from good to great, and provides insights into what sets successful businesses apart from the rest. It’s a useful guide for entrepreneurs looking to grow their startups and achieve long-term success.
Thanks again to everyone who responded!