Books are a man’s best friend, as they say has held true time and again. For the SaaS founders and CEOs, there is especially a whole lot to regale them with information and more. If you as a SaaS founder have been wondering lately on some of the must-have books on your shelf, we have put together a list of top 10 must-reads for you. Without any further ado, let us get to them right away.

1. The Lean Startup

By Eric Ries

This book teaches you about the ins and outs of lean manufacturing processes. It outlines a framework for rapid, iterative business development, relying on validated learning and constant experimentation to test and improve ideas. It is said that with the launch of this book on lean manufacturing, people got to see a ground-breaking changing in implementing lean principles in the workplace. This is a must have if you are keen on SaaS startup practices and feedback loops.

2. Value as a Service: Embracing the Coming Disruption

 By Rob Bernshteyn

This book shows its readers that a disruption is coming up in the near future. The author, enterprise software and spend management expert and Coupa CEO Bernshteyn provides step-by-step insights for today’s business leaders on how they can better deliver and measure value to customers. This is a must have in your shelf if you want to know more about the areas of change that are necessary for a startup to render value as a service. Get your copy today itself.

3 Scaling Up: How a Few Companies Make It…and Why the Rest Don’t

By Verne Harnish

This book focuses on the top four keys that a company must try to unlock to get the maximum benefits. This includes people, strategy, execution and cash. It also says that everyone from the frontline employees to the senior executives can successfully contribute to the growth of a firm. Additionally, if you are looking for some practical tools and techniques for creating an industry dominating business, then you must have your hands on this book right now.

4. The Four Steps to the Epiphany

By Steve Blank

Four Steps to the Epiphany is more like an ugly, tricky book that was responsible for planting the seed of the entire “lean startup” movement that followed (including Eric Ries’ book of the same name). The book puts forward the concept of Customers and how a simple concept like customer development can be the pivotal focus of any new startup. This will also teach you how a radical departure from the then-product focused world of new business has now successfully changed. If you are a SaaS founder, this book is your go-to.

5. From Impossible To Inevitable

By Aaron Ross and Jason Lemkin

From Impossible to Inevitable traces out all of the details on hypergrowth. Whether you’re a small business owner or have a $1 billion firm, you can use the insights from these notable companies to learn what it really takes to break your own revenue records. The authors show how you can grow your company by developing repeatable processes that will consistently drive revenue and increase your growth. If you are a CEO of a SaaS company, you must strive to have this on your shelf.

6. Customer Success: How Innovative Companies Are Reducing Churn and Growing Recurring Revenue

By Nick Mehta, Dan Steinman and Lincoln Murphy

Things have totally transformed the second customer success as a niche has walked into that door. It has been the greatest B2B movement since the advent of the subscription business model. On that note, this book is no exception and shows you how to make it work in your company. Learn how to kick start your customer-centric revolution and make your investment in success stick for the long term. If you want to know the ins and outs from customer success perspective, this should be your go-to.

7. Disrupting Digital Business: Create an Authentic Experience in the Peer-to-Peer Economy

By R “Ray” Wang

You might have read a ton of books on digital transformation, but this one is truly an unmissable on your list. This book will tell you more on how organizations can surf the waves of change and still keep their promises to customers. Learn why companies must pivot with and ahead of major social, organizational and technological shifts or risk being left behind. Also, if you wish to learn more about the peer to peer economy, buy it right away.

8. Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content

By Ann Handley

This book is a wonderful gift to enticing and keeping the customers with stellar online communication. It renders good guidance and insights into the procedure and strategy of content creation, production and publishing, with actionable how-to advice designed to get results. Content is the king, as they say. And this book proves it just right on why it is so.

9. Social Selling: Techniques to Influence Buyers and Changemakers

By Tim Hughes

This book will offer you more insights on the power of social media, providing a practical, step-by-step outline for mastering the skills and techniques necessary to achieve social sales. With this, you will also know tips on developing a high-quality community, building trust, developing authority and influence, and connecting with the right changemakers.

10. Growth Hacker Marketing: A Primer on the Future of PR, Marketing and Advertising

By Ryan Holiday

This book by the bestselling author, Ryan Holiday, sheds light on the new growth strategies and provides valuable examples and case studies for aspiring growth hackers. Whether you work in a start-up or for a Fortune 500 company, this book provides a road map for building awareness fast and easy. Brands like Facebook, Twitter and Dropbox have relied on these strategies on growth hacking to reach people with the modest marketing budgets. This book too, should be a must have on your shelves.

Parting Thoughts

Books imbibe you with all the knowledge and information for life. We hope that our top 10 list will help you get all these bits of information that you must have as a SaaS founder or a CEO. In the end it is all about growth and success, and giving your customers satisfaction. Read on these books to get each of these bits unlocked right away. Place your orders today itself in the links provided.

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