Got back into reading late into 2024, listed below are the books and thoughts. Emphasis on my background and interests, such as startups and consumer internet businesses, general tech/finance, and personal growth.
Last updated: May 2025
Currently Reading:
On the Bookshelf:
The Cold Start: How to Start & Scale Network Effects - Andrew Chen (2021)
Currently reading Andrew Chen’s “The Cold Start” as he draws from stories, ideas, and thoughts from the most notable high growth consumer companies.
Marketplaces are all about balancing the scale (between supply & demand), tipping one side causes chaos in its own way
Zero to One - Peter Thiel (2014)
Thiel’s “Zero to One” was easily my favorite book I read in 2024. As someone who has built an internet business from scratch, here are my favorite insights:
Last mover advantage isn’t always bad, especially when you know you can tap into an underserved area or market (for us, this was offering the same data, but at a fraction of competitor pricing).
Distribution > Product, when building in consumer/B2C areas where # of eyeballs are everything. Understanding the nitty gritty of how to distribute/scale is essential too ie. which social media platform(s) best suit and find ideal customer, what days/times have the most effectiveness for said customer’s eyeballs when posting, what marketing tactics can you steal from competition in the space, creativity/unique skills to aid or even supercharge GTM, different ways to fuel growth (created a side business selling templates to the top creators in exchange for shoutouts).