If you're raising venture capital
Read both Venture Deals and Secrets of Sand Hill Road before your Series A. Pair with Zero to One for the strategic frame you'll be evaluated against, and Inspired for the product narrative VCs are scoring against during the pitch.
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Venture Deals
PickBrad Feld · Jason Mendelson · 2019
The only term-sheet textbook a non-finance founder will ever need.
Read if you are a first-time founder approaching a priced equity round.
textbook200–350pintermediate - 02
Secrets of Sand Hill Road
Scott Kupor · 2019
The 'how venture firms actually work internally' explainer that founders rarely get straight from a partner.
Read if you are raising a Series A or B and want to understand the room you're pitching into.
framework200–350pintermediate - 03
Zero to One
PickPeter Thiel · Blake Masters · 2014
The contrarian counterweight to The Lean Startup. Short, dense, and quotable to a fault.
Read if you are a technical founder evaluating whether your idea is differentiated enough to build.
essay collection<200pintermediate - 04
Inspired
PickMarty Cagan · 2017
The closest thing to a product management textbook the field has produced. Reread every two years.
Read if you are a product leader at a company transitioning out of founder-mode product.
framework200–350pintermediate