Dylan, Alastair and Tim have each picked their their top three Business books that have served as inspiration for their careers, including how they operate Book Hero today! Check out their recommendations below to learn if they might help with your business...
Dylan's Picks 🚢📃🐄
Turn The Ship Around
The ideas in this book form the foundation of how I think about leadership - move decision making to the people closest to the work, and away from managers. Performance not only improves, but people enjoy their roles more too!
Rework
By Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson
A must-read for business-starters wanting to move fast and make an impact. I've read every book by DHH and Jason Fried and subscribe to so many of their ideas - meetings are toxic, focus on what won’t change, embrace constraints - and so much more.
Purple Cow
By Seth Godin
I read this book in my 20s and it gave me permission to be myself. The book essentially states that marketing is overrated and it's better to invest resources into building a remarkable product that will stand out and let happy customers do the talking for you!
The Author: Dylan Bland
Dylan is responsible for assembling a team of Heroes on a mission to build the best online bookstore in the world for New Zealanders. Passionate about eCommerce, design, and customer service, Dylan is driven to build a company the whole team is proud to be part of—and that customers are proud to support.
Alastair's Picks 🤝📦😄
The Lean Startup
By Eric Ries
Embracing the concept of the "minimum viable product" from this book was a game-changer. It dispelled my fear of failure and empowered me to rapidly iterate on ideas, everything can be improved. Instead of spending months in prep and design, I could now implement change in its rawest form and swiftly discern what works.
Never Split The Difference
By Chris Voss
Before reading this book I never considered myself a negotiator. I used to believe negotiation was a skill you either had or didn't. However, this book gave me the courage to push back on deals and start reclaiming ground. While I may not be ready to handle hostage negotiations, this book has equipped me with essential tools for my business.
Delivering Happiness
By Tony Hsieh
This a timeless guide to service delivery in the business world. Tony Hsieh, with his company Zappos, set the gold standard for customer service in e-commerce. He made customer satisfaction the cornerstone of his business, and this book continues to shape my understanding of customers and business.
The Author: Alastair Burns
Alastair is the mastermind behind scaling Book Hero’s backend systems and operations to help us sell more books! Alastair has many interests, with a borderline phobia of sitting still. He is always on the move, learning and working on various projects.
Tim's Picks📈🌊❄️
Good to Great
By Jim Collins
A foundational read for anyone interested in business. The ideas of getting the right people on the bus before figuring out where it’s going and focusing relentlessly on what you can be the best at have shaped how I think about strategy and even my career.
Blue Ocean Strategy
By W. Chan Kim and Rene A. Mauborgne
This book changed how I think about competition and how to create markets with zero competition. The idea of value innovation and the visual tools like the strategy canvas have stuck with me. It’s essential reading for anyone trying to build something different.
The Snowball
This is the most in-depth look at Warren Buffett I've found. It's not just about investing, it's about Buffet's approach to business, life and the power of compounding. A long read, but worth it!
The Author: Tim Wackrow
Tim is responsible for Book Hero's website (and many other things!) and is a fan of Biographies, History, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Business, and Personal Development. Tim loves technology, cars, playing sport and of course, reading! He is currently re-reading The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
