What I read in 2023
I planned to read at least one book in 2023 as my resolution. Not that I do not like reading. I just felt I used to read without discipline. I successfully read 12 new titles in 2023. But there were also several books that I had read (or listened to) before and that I read again in 2023.
I re-read:
1- The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*** by Mark Manson for the fifth time. There are points in the book that I need to be reminded of, and every time I read this again, I get something new out of it. So, I definitely suggest this book. It's probably one of the best self-help books out there.
2- You Are a Badass®: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Cincero. I have lost track of how many times I have read this one. I love this book. It is certainly one that has changed me a lot. I keep listening to it when I feel like I am not a badass.
3- The Power Law: Venture Capital and the Making of the New Future. I read this once in 2022. Then, I needed to review the content as there are a lot of lessons from the history of venture capital. Certainly, I recommend this if you care about venture capital and want to know how it all happened and how it has evolved.
4- Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity by Kim Scott is a great book for anyone who wants to create a culture of respect and support. I read this again to be better equipped to help CEOs I work with.
New titles I read in 2023:
1- Thinking in Bets by Annie Duke is by far the best book I have read in 2023. It really resonated with me and bolded my wrong attitude towards what I call success and win. Hugely aligned with how investors should think and the portfolio theory.
2- Range: How Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein. The book explores how individuals with diverse skills and experiences often outperform the “cult of specialization”, encouraging a balanced approach that values adaptability, creativity, and delayed specialization for long-term success in a complex and unpredictable world. Again, this resonated with me because I feel I overspecialized early on in my education, but after that, I have always loved to stay general, though I was criticized for not being a specialist.
3- A CEO Only Does Three Things by Trey Taylor. CEO really has three responsibilities. CEO sets the vision, builds a team and secures resources (aka financing). The rest is not core to what the CEO does.
4- The Price of Time by Edward Chancellor. This book was recommended to me by Mike List, GreenSky Ventures’ General Partner. The book essentially shares the history of investment, interest rate, and economic cycles and how time frames affect market dynamics and economic cycles.
5- Hidden Potential by Adam Grant. This is a fun and positive read on cultivating overlooked talent and how diverse talents should be embraced. Grant highlights the untapped potential within ourselves and others.
6- The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel. The book uncovers the impact of emotions, biases, and individual psychology on money-related choices and how to build a healthy relationship with money.
7- Good to Great by Jim Collins points out how committed leadership, disciplined people, focus, and consistency are factors that separate good companies from great companies.
8- The Startup Playbook by Rajat Bhargava and Will Herman provides practical insights and advice for entrepreneurs, guiding readers on how to navigate various aspects of the startup journey, including idea generation, product development, team building, fundraising, and scaling. Extremely suggest if you are new to startups and are looking to start one.
9- Liar’s Poker by Michael Lewis. While most of the books I read were strategy, business, management, and finance-related books, this one was a recital of the writer’s own experience exposing the absurdities and excesses of the 1980s Wall Street.
10- The Making of a Manager by Julie Zhuo is more of a book for corporate managers than startup CEOs (whom I usually deal with). While this is a good toolkit for anyone stepping into a leadership role. It overlooks the challenges of a startup and sticks to the writer's experience at Facebook.
11- People Buy You by Jeb Blount. Building authentic relationships is the real key to sales success, and sales is not just about products; it’s about you. The goal should be to create a genuine and lasting connection.
12- The First 90 Days by Michael Watkins. The book discusses how to navigate the crucial early period of joining a firm, dodge common pitfalls, and emerge as the hero. It's basically a cheat sheet on how to handle onboarding a new role or joining a new organization as a manager.
Let me know if you have any recommendations for 2024. I am starting with Measure What Matters by John Doerr.
