Start a Business

Start a business — everything you need to go from an idea to real income. Practical guidance, the tools founders actually use, and the hard-won lessons from the best business and startup books.

Why start with books instead of courses

A lot of people looking to start their own venture begin with either a $500 training program or hours of YouTube. The case for starting with books instead: the best business books are written by people who already built the thing they’re writing about, they cost $20 instead of $500, and they don’t expire when the algorithm changes. A course teaches you one person’s funnel. The Personal MBA educates you on how businesses function — regardless of the type of business, or whether you’ve even settled on one yet.

This track collects everything on the site about going from an idea to generating income: the reading lists, step-by-step instructions, and individual book summaries, arranged so you can begin based on where you actually are.

Start here: your first three reads

If you’re new to all of this, this order works better than scrolling alphabetically. Start with The Personal MBA, which is the foundation layer and the closest thing to a business degree in one book. Next, read Zero to One, since it will make you rethink what type of business you want to create; Peter Thiel’s position is that competing in overcrowded markets is a trap and the greater rewards go to those willing to attempt something new. Lastly, read Key Person of Influence — once you determine what you’re building, being unknown becomes your greatest expense, and Priestley’s five-step process is the solution.

For the complete ranked lists, visit the founders’ reading list and the best entrepreneur books roundup.

Starting with no money

Having zero funds in your bank account alters the reading list. The books for starting a business with no money guide covers the bootstrapping canon, and two practical guides accompany it: best businesses to start with little money for selecting the model, and how to start an online business for the execution path requiring the least capital.

The step-by-step guides

Once you’ve moved beyond reading and are ready to execute, these cover the mechanics: how to write a business plan (shorter than you’d think), and how to start a dropshipping business if you’re testing e-commerce without inventory risk. Everything else lives in the business & entrepreneurship archive.

Business track FAQ

What is the best business book to read first?

The Personal MBA by Josh Kaufman. This single book addresses value creation, marketing, sales, finance and operations, so each subsequent book you read has a place to connect. Most people who begin with a niche-tactic book end up revisiting it eventually — foundations first is faster.

Can you really learn business from books?

You can learn the patterns from books; you learn the feel from doing. The practical approach is one book followed by one action — register the domain name, speak with a customer, publish the offer. Books compress other founders’ costly mistakes into hours, which is the highest-leverage studying available. It only sticks when you act on it.

Where to go next

Want to generate income before incorporating anything? Go to the Make Money Online track. Need a specific skill your business idea requires? Visit Skills & Learning. Want the whole library? Browse all books.