Why a venture capital reading list?

At first glance, a humble reading list seems a little retro for a venture capital firm. In practice, we find that most material–for example on social media–is sliced, diced, and derivative to the point so much that there is significant value in focused dives. Thus, the old-fashioned reading list . . .

Ours began a few years ago as a work of love–and survival–for our venture capital interns. We started sharing it publicly after many asked about it. On this latest version of the venture capital reading list, a number of our visionary investors also contributed books that shape their perspective. We all hope you enjoy at least a read or two from the selection:

The Great CEO Within – A Practical Guide to Company Building –  Matt Mochary. A no-nonsense take on how a leader scales a business.

Never Split the Difference – Chris Voss.

Getting (More of) What You Want — Margaret Neale.

SuperForecasting: The Art & Science of Prediction – Philip Tetlock.

The 1% Rule — Tommy Baker

Alpha Girls – Julian Guthrie

Reset: My Fight for Inclusion — Ellen Pao

Principles: Life & Work — Ray Dalio

Elon Musk — Ashlee Vance

Bad Blood — John Carreyrou

Traction — Get a grip on your business — Gino Wickman

Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Thrive and Others Die — Chip & Dan Heath

Good to Great — Jim Collins

Getting (More of) What You Want — Margaret Neale

Stand-Out Self Assessment — download it for a deep dive into your own skillset

The Growing Market Investors are Missing — Morgan Stanley (PDF / Research)

The Biggest Bluff: How I Learned to Pay Attention, Master Myself, and Win — Maria Konnikova

**Most of these books can be checked out for free digitally at your local major city library. Use the free Libby app and your free library card to do it.

See something you like? Let us know. Always open to suggestions too. Which books are inspiring or shaping you as an investor?