The online marketplace is cluttered with generic advice and played-out strategies.
To build a standout business, you need to think differently.
Want to gain an edge in the competitive world of starting online business?
We’ve curated 52 unconventional, must-read business books designed to transform your mindset, strategies, and bottom line.
These unconventional business books challenge norms, uncover hidden potential, and offer actionable strategies with tangible results.
Don’t just start an online business – build one that stands out.
Here’s the list:
- The Dip by Seth Godin
- Antifragile by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
- The Art of Thinking Clearly by Rolf Dobelli
- Zero to One by Peter Thiel
- The 4-Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss
- Traction by Gabriel Weinberg and Justin Mares
- Pre-Suasion by Robert Cialdini
- This is Marketing by Seth Godin
- The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Ries and Jack Trout
- Alchemy by Rory Sutherland
- The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
- The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick
- The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Customer Development by Brant Cooper and Patrick Vlaskovits
- The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber
- The Personal MBA by Josh Kaufman
- Show Your Work by Austin Kleon
- Company of One by Paul Jarvis
- $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau
- Will it Fly? by Pat Flynn
- Expert Secrets by Russell Brunson
- The Adweek Copywriting Handbook by Joe Sugarman
- Scientific Advertising by Claude Hopkins
- Cashvertising by Drew Eric Whitman
- Ogilvy on Advertising by David Ogilvy
- Everybody Writes by Ann Handley
- Hooked by Nir Eyal
- The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
- Contagious by Jonah Berger
- Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi
- Tribes by Seth Godin
- The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande
- Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson
- Getting Real by 37 Signals by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson
- The Art of Action by Stephen Bungay
- Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh
- Priceless: The Myth of Fair Value (And How to Take Advantage of It) by William Poundstone
- The Strategy and Tactics of Pricing by Thomas Nagle and Reed Holden
- Confessions of a Pricing Man by Hermann Simon
- Free Prize Inside by Seth Godin
- Influence by Robert Cialdini
- Let My People Go Surfing by Yvon Chouinard
- Maverick by Ricardo Semler
- The Fish That Ate the Whale by Rich Cohen
- Built to Sell by John Warrillow
- Sam Walton: Made In America by Sam Walton
- Skin in the Game by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
- Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
- Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
- Finite and Infinite Games by James P. Carse
- The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains by Nicholas Carr
- The World Beyond Your Head: On Becoming an Individual in an Age of Distraction by Matthew Crawford
- Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now by Jaron Lanier
To get you started quickly on your online business journey, I will only explain each of those curated reading materials in one sentence.
Books about Starting Online Business you can finish in 52 weeks (Categorized):
Mindset and Unconventional Thinking
1. The Dip by Seth Godin: Teaches the importance of strategically quitting and recognizing when to cut your losses early, challenging the common “never give up” mentality.
2. Antifragile by Nassim Nicholas Taleb: Explores the concept of deliberate stress and how uncertainty can be an advantage in business.
3. The Art of Thinking Clearly by Rolf Dobelli: A handbook of common cognitive errors and mental models to improve decision-making.
4. Zero to One by Peter Thiel: Stresses the importance of true innovation and building monopolies in tech rather than competing in saturated markets.
5. The 4-Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss: A controversial guide on outsourcing, automation, and lifestyle design that has nonetheless inspired scores of entrepreneurs.
Unique Marketing and Sales
6. Traction by Gabriel Weinberg and Justin Mares: Introduces 19 marketing channels and a framework for choosing the right ones for your business, rather than sticking to conventional tactics.
7. Pre-Suasion by Robert Cialdini: Deep dive into psychological techniques to influence customers before they encounter your product or service.
8. This is Marketing by Seth Godin: Encourages businesses to think about solving problems and building relationships rather than traditional promotional tactics.
9. The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Ries and Jack Trout: Provides contrarian advice like being first in your category rather than being better, and narrowing your focus.
10. Alchemy by Rory Sutherland: Explores the subconscious, illogical side of consumer behavior and how to create disproportionate returns from small tweaks.
Niche Expertise & Skill Development
11. The Lean Startup by Eric Ries: Introduces the concept of validated learning, quick iterations and the minimum viable product — core concepts for many online businesses.
12. The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick: Teaches how to ask questions about your business idea without revealing it, helping you avoid bad assumptions.
13. The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Customer Development by Brant Cooper and Patrick Vlaskovits: A customer-centric approach rather than a product-centric approach to starting your business.
14. The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber: Dispels common myths about small business ownership and stresses creating a business that doesn’t depend on YOU being there for it to work.
15. The Personal MBA by Josh Kaufman: A wide-ranging introduction to business fundamentals if you don’t have formal training.
Non-Traditional Business Models
16. Show Your Work by Austin Kleon: Promotes sharing your process and building an audience, which can power many online business models.
17. Company of One by Paul Jarvis: Challenges the conventional wisdom of always growing your business and promotes staying small on purpose.
18. $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau: Full of case studies on building profitable businesses with very little initial investment.
19. Will it Fly? by Pat Flynn: A framework for validating your business idea without committing lots of time or resources upfront.
20. Expert Secrets by Russell Brunson: Focuses on building a following around your expertise and then utilizing sales funnels for high conversion rates.
Copywriting and Persuasion
21. The Adweek Copywriting Handbook by Joe Sugarman: A classic resource on writing copy that sells, focusing on the psychology of the reader.
22. Scientific Advertising by Claude Hopkins: A vintage yet timeless text on direct response marketing and data-driven copywriting.
23. Cashvertising by Drew Eric Whitman: Full of sometimes-outrageous examples of attention-grabbing and persuasive ad techniques.
24. Ogilvy on Advertising by David Ogilvy: Insights from a legendary ad man, emphasizing the importance of research and storytelling.
25. Everybody Writes by Ann Handley: An essential guide to improving your online content and creating a strong brand voice.
Building Online Communities
26. Hooked by Nir Eyal: Analyzes how to create engaging products and services that build user habits.
27. The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell: How seemingly small trends can gain momentum and reach a critical mass.
28. Contagious by Jonah Berger: Dissecting virality and what makes some things spread like wildfire.
29. Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi: Not online-focused specifically, but essential for those looking to build strong networks for partnerships and support.
30. Tribes by Seth Godin: Inspiring manifesto on why online businesses need to center around fostering a sense of shared identity and purpose.
Unconventional Operations and Logistics
31. The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande: Argues for the power of simple checklists when managing complex systems (like many online businesses become).
32. Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson: Provocative takes on hiring, meetings, and conventional work norms from the founders of Basecamp.
33. Getting Real by 37 Signals by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson: More contrarian thinking focused on simplicity and avoiding the feature bloat that traps many software products.
34. The Art of Action by Stephen Bungay: Originating from military strategy, this book encourages bias towards action and course correction rather than overplanning.
35. Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh: The story of Zappos, famous for its customer service and radical company culture.
Pricing and Value Perception
36. Priceless: The Myth of Fair Value (And How to Take Advantage of It) by William Poundstone: Challenges conventional pricing logic and how our brains perceive value.
37. The Strategy and Tactics of Pricing by Thomas Nagle and Reed Holden: An in-depth guide to profitable pricing strategies and techniques.
38. Confessions of a Pricing Man by Hermann Simon: Insights and case studies from a world-renowned expert on pricing strategies.
39. Free Prize Inside by Seth Godin: Short but thought-provoking look at unconventional pricing and how to add perceived value to your offerings.
40. Influence by Robert Cialdini: Though not solely about pricing, many of the psychological principles discussed are crucial for influencing how customers view your prices.
Contrarian Biographies and Outlier Companies
41. Let My People Go Surfing by Yvon Chouinard: The founder of Patagonia shares a refreshingly anti-corporate philosophy on business and sustainability
42. Maverick by Ricardo Semler: How a Brazilian company achieved shocking success and high employee satisfaction through radical self-management principles.
43. The Fish That Ate the Whale by Rich Cohen: The story of the underdogs at the sportswear company Fila who, in an audacious move, changed the athletic endorsement game.
44. Built to Sell by John Warrillow: Designed for founders seeking eventual exits, but its focus on creating a valuable, buyer-attractive business is relevant to many.
45. Sam Walton: Made In America by Sam Walton: Autobiography of the Walmart founder. Though a behemoth, Walmart’s origins were in small-town, cost-conscious, contrarian innovation.
Philosophy & Big-Picture Thinking
46. Skin in the Game by Nassim Nicholas Taleb: Delves into risk-taking, personal accountability, and the dangers of those who make decisions with no “skin in the game.”
47. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius: Stoic philosophy from a Roman emperor on self-mastery, virtue, and resilience — surprisingly relevant to challenges faced by online entrepreneurs.
48. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari: A sweeping overview of human history and how our past tendencies shape our present and future behavior.
49. Finite and Infinite Games by James P. Carse: Explores the difference between games with a definite ending and games that continue indefinitely, a good mental model for thinking about business strategy.
Contrarian Perspectives on Technology
50. The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains by Nicholas Carr: A critical look at how the internet may be reshaping our brains and attention spans, something everyone building online businesses should consider.
51. The World Beyond Your Head: On Becoming an Individual in an Age of Distraction by Matthew Crawford: Argues for the importance of craftsmanship and focus in a world often filled with digital distraction.
52. Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now by Jaron Lanier: A controversial and strong critique of how social media platforms function and their impact on our minds.
Bonus: Strategies on Starting Online Business
Million Dollar Weekend by Noah Kagan: A behind-the-scenes look at a very specific kind of rapid, pre-sale driven launch strategy, Love it or hate it, it offers insights into building buzz.
The Pumpkin Plan by Mike Michalowicz: This book advocates focusing on your most promising clients and eliminating the worst ones for strategic growth – a valuable lesson for any online business launch.
Launch by Jeff Walker: Introduces the “Product Launch Formula,” a step-by-step system for generating excitement and sales over a focused launch period.
These unconventional business books offer far more than just strategies to launch online business.
They fuel a mindset for building a venture designed for longevity and resilience.
This is your chance to stand apart in a crowded digital landscape, equipped with insights that put you a step ahead on starting online business.
Invest in building a business with lasting power by exploring these unconventional guides.
Now share in the comment, which book will you dive into first? Let’s kickstart your success – pick up one (or several!) of these game-changing reads.