The VMT Reading Guide
No founder needs to read every book on this list before starting a company. Entrepreneurship is learned primarily through action, customer engagement, experimentation, reflection, and responsible decision-making.
- Language for recognizing recurring problems.
- Frameworks for organizing uncertainty.
- Examples drawn from other founders and companies.
- Warnings about mistakes that may otherwise be expensive to learn personally.
- A way for mentors and founders to develop a shared vocabulary.
The strongest reading program is therefore selective. A founder should read the book most relevant to the decision immediately ahead. A mentor may read more broadly to recognize patterns across industries, stages, and business models.
For FoundersSix guided reading sequences matched to where a founder is right now.For MentorsA foundational and an advanced set to develop your mentoring craft.
Browse by Part
- Part IEntrepreneurial Foundations6 books
- Part IICustomer and Problem Discovery6 books
- Part IIIBusiness-Model DesignBusiness Models and Experimentation5 books
- Part IVProduct Discovery and Development5 books
- Part VPositioning, Marketing, and Customer AcquisitionPositioning, Marketing, and Growth6 books
- Part VIFounder-Led Sales and NegotiationSales, Partnerships, and Negotiation5 books
- Part VIIFinance, Fundraising, and Venture Capital5 books
- Part VIIILeadership, Teams, and Organizational CultureLeadership, Teams, and Culture6 books
- Part IXScaling and Operating the Company6 books
- Part XFailure, Resilience, Ethics, and Founder JudgmentFailure, Resilience, Ethics, and Judgment6 books
- Part XISpecialized Paths4 books
- Part XIIMentoring, Inquiry, and Practical Wisdom6 books