In a recent initiative to foster knowledge and innovation, a16z crypto curated an extensive list of books for the gift library at the inaugural a16z crypto Founder Summit. Designed to inspire and educate, the list spans a variety of genres and disciplines, including company building, biographies, technology trends, and creative inspiration.
Company Building and Method
Key titles in the company building sector include:
- Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future Co-authored by Peter Thiel and Blake Master
- People Extension: Strategies for Management and Company Building by Claire Hughes Johnson (Stripe Press)
- High-Growth Handbook: Scaling Your Startup from 10 to 10,000 People Author: Elad Gil (Stripe Press)
- High Output Management Andy Grove’s
- Hard work on hard work By Ben Horowitz
- Systems Thinking: An Introduction By Donella Meadows
- Elegant Puzzle: Engineering Management System Author: Will Larson (Stripe Press)
- 20 lectures on algorithmic game theory Written by Tim Roughgarden
- Designing Data-Intensive Applications: Core Ideas for Reliable, Scalable, and Maintainable Systems By Martin Kleppmann
- Legal and Strategy Guide for Entrepreneurs Authors: Constance Bagley and Craig Dauchy
- Think Faster, Speak Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You’re Put in the Spot Written by Matt Abrahams
- Web3 Marketing: A Handbook for the Next Internet Revolution By Amanda Cassatt
- Fun Theory for Game Design Written by Raph Koster
- The Art of Doing Engineering Science: Learning How to Learn Written by Richard Hamming (Stripe Press)
Builder Electrical, Organization and Innovation Processes
This section contains insightful reading material, including:
- Chip Wars: The Battle for the World’s Most Critical Technology By Chris Miller
- Coding Democracy: How Hackers Are Disrupting Power, Surveillance, and Authoritarianism Written by Maureen Web
- Infinite Machine: How an Army of Crypto Hackers Are Building the Next-Generation Internet Ethereum By Camilla Russo
- Shoe Dog: Memoirs of Nike’s Founder Phil Knight’s
- Founders: Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, and the Story of PayPal Jimmy Sonny’s
- Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Face Adversity By David Goggins
Technology trends, history, open source and other Web3 themes
The main titles in this category are:
- Cathedrals and Markets: An Accidental Revolutionary’s Thoughts on Linux and Open Source By Eric Raymond
- Working in the public sphere: Creating and maintaining open source software Author: Nadia Eghbal (Stripe Press)
- The evolution of cooperation By Robert Axelrod
- Everything Token: How NFTs and Web3 Will Change the Way We Buy, Sell, and Create By Scott Duke Kominers
- Internet Design By David Clark
- Read, Write, and Do It Yourself: Building the Next Era of the Internet By Chris Dixon
SF, other fiction and creative inspiration
For those looking for creative inspiration, this list offers:
- Project Hail Mary By Andy Weir
- When we no longer understand the world Benjamin Labatutt
According to a16z crypto, the curated list is not just for cryptocurrency builders and founders. It covers a wide range of topics that can be helpful to anyone interested in entrepreneurship, innovation, and personal growth. These books have been selected to provide valuable insight and inspiration, making them a must-read for anyone looking to make a mark in the rapidly evolving world of technology and startups.
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