Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It is considered one of the best books of all time on negotiation. Instead of focusing on economic theory or game theory, it focuses on practical techniques and psychological insight. Voss uses anecdotes from his career as an international hostage negotiator for the FBI to enliven the narrative while alternating with everyday business negotiation scenarios. We are thrilled to be joined by author Chris Voss to discuss his book. Show Notes Never Split the Difference by Chriss Voss via Amazon The Black Swan Group The Black Swan Group on Twitter The Black Swan Group on YouTube Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Edited by Giacomo Guatteri Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com
The Founders: The Story of PayPal and the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley is a comprehensive portrait of the early era of PayPal—predominantly focused on the years between its founding in 1998 and its sale to eBay in 2002. A deeply researched and well written narrative, The Founders provides the backstory of the group of individuals who became known as “The PayPal mafia.” We are privileged to be joined by the book’s author, Jimmy Soni. Show Notes The Founders: The Story of PayPal and the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley by Jimmy Soni via Amazon Jimmy Soni's Website Jimmy Soni on Twitter Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Edited by Giacomo Guatteri Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com
King of Capital: The Remarkable Rise, Fall, and Rise Again of Steve Schwarzman and Blackstone by David Carey and John Morris is more than just a book about Blackstone—it’s a history of private equity. Carey and Morris explain the sometimes esoteric world of this segment of high finance. They recount its cycles of booms and busts from the 1980s through the 2010s, and explain how Blackstone navigated the sometimes tumultuous waters to ultimately become one of the most influential alternative investment management companies in the world. In this episode we explain the basics of private equity and discuss the history of the private equity as recounted in the book. Show Notes King of Capital via Amazon Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Edited by Giacomo Guatteri Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com
In The Hard Thing About Hard Things, venture capitalist Ben Horowitz recounts lessons he learned about how to run a Silicon Valley startup, largely from his time as the CEO of Loudcloud, which later became Opsware. Horowitz provides specific advice about hiring, firing, managing emotions, handling growth, deciding whether or not to sell, and everything in-between. His thoughts are sometimes unconventional and often punctuated by relevant anecdotes from his experience as a CEO or venture capitalist. Show Notes The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz via Amazon Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Edited by Giacomo Guatteri Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com
Instant: The Story of Polaroid covers the rise, heyday, and decline of Polaroid Corporation. It has a particular focus on the personality and management style of Edwin Land, Polaroid’s innovative and dynamic founder, who was an inspiration to Steve Jobs. Polaroid’s niche in the marketplace and the strategic mistakes that led to Polaroid’s decline are other major themes of the book. We were pleased to be joined by the book’s author, Christopher Bonanos, for an interview about his work. Show Notes Instant: The Story of Polaroid by Christopher Bonanos via Amazon Christopher Bonanos on Twitter Flash: The Making of Weegee the Famous by Christopher Bonanos via Amazon Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Edited by Giacomo Guatteri Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com
Measure What Matters, by venture capitalist John Doerr, is about OKRs—Objectives and Key Results—an approach to goal setting. Doerr evangelizes the use of OKRs and explains how they can help any organization better align its direction and continually evaluate its success. OKRs are a simple concept, but the book elucidates them with many anecdotes about their use in varying organizations, including startups, large corporations, and charities. We discuss the key takeaways from the book and how they're applicable to our careers. By the end of the episode you'll have a strong understanding of OKRs. Show Notes Measure What Matters by John Doerr via Amazon S1E1 High Output Management S1E13 Only the Paranoid Survive Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Edited by Giacomo Guatteri Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com
We interviewed Eric Berger, the author of Liftoff: Elon Musk and the Desperate Early Days That Launched SpaceX. It's about the journey of grit, resilience, and unbridled optimism that turned a scrappy startup into the premier space company of the 21st century. Eric utilized full access at SpaceX to get the inside story from employees and Elon Musk himself. Most of the book focuses on the exciting early period of SpaceX from 2002 - 2009 when there were experimental rockets, tropical islands, and even some explosions. We also welcomed our new co-host, Kevin Hudak, and learned more about his background. Welcome to the show, Kevin! Show Notes Liftoff: Elon Musk and the Desperate Early Days That Launched SpaceX by Eric Berger via Amazon Eric Berger on Twitter Eric Berger at Ars Technica Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com
Over the past year we've read some fantastic books... and some that were not so fantastic. In this episode we break down the best and worst books of season 2. We also discuss our picks by category including entrepreneurship, career, and story. Finally, we have a meta discussion about the show and say goodbye to our valued co-host, Eli. Show Notes List of Read Books Eli's Dog's Instagram Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com
Amazon Unbound is the story of how Jeff Bezos has managed his business empire over the past decade. It picks up where author Brad Stone’s last Amazon book, The Everything Store, left off circa 2013. Stone chronicles Bezos’s incredible attention to detail on Amazon projects like the Echo and the Fire Phone, as well as his stewardship of The Washington Post and Blue Origin; and controversies from his personal life. We get an inside look into the trials, triumphs, and tribulations of this living legend and the organizations he runs. Show Notes Amazon Unbound by Brad Stone via Amazon Eli's Dog's Instagram Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com
This month we read Radical Candor by Kim Scott, a people management guide developed through Scott’s years of working as a manager in high tech. Scott led the AdSense, YouTube, and DoubleClick teams at Google and served as a faculty member at Apple University. Radical Candor is about fostering relationships where people sincerely care about one another but are also able to challenge each other directly. The book is a guide to developing these relationships in the workplace while avoiding the traps of ruinous empathy, manipulative insincerity, and obnoxious aggression. We discuss the key takeaways from the book and how they relate to our own career experiences. Show Notes Radical Candor by Kim Scott via Amazon Season 1, Episode 3: Trillion Dollar Coach Eli's Dog's Instagram Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com