The Reading List
Books that have shaped how we think about technology, privacy, markets, and the human condition.
The written word embodies our extraordinary human instinct for language. Books perform the incredible act of disseminating and replicating knowledge and stories, transcending the barriers of time and space. This is a living list — updated as we read.
"Books are a uniquely portable magic."
— Stephen King
- 01
The Innovator's Dilemma
1997The definitive text on why great companies fail when disruptive technologies emerge. Essential reading for understanding why incumbents rarely lead the transitions that reshape their own industries.
- 02
Zero to One
2014Thiel's contrarian case for building monopolies rather than competing in crowded markets. His framing of secrets — things you believe that most don't — is a useful lens for identifying investment theses.
- 03
Thinking, Fast and Slow
2011Kahneman's masterwork on cognitive bias and dual-process thinking. Indispensable for anyone making decisions under uncertainty — which is to say, everyone in our business.
- 04
The Art of Invisibility
2017A practical and sobering look at how privacy is eroded in the digital age. More relevant than ever for product designers who want to understand the real-world impact of their data decisions.
- 05
The Mom Test
2013The best book on customer discovery ever written. Fitzpatrick's simple framework for avoiding confirmation bias in user research has saved countless founders from building the wrong thing.
- 06
Sapiens
2011A sweeping reinterpretation of human history that puts technology and narrative at the centre. A reminder that the most powerful human technologies have always been cognitive and social.
- 07
High Output Management
1983Grove's Intel-era playbook for building and managing high-performing teams. Decades old and completely timeless — still the most practical management text in circulation.
- 08
The Network State
2022A provocative and densely argued vision for how online communities might evolve into new forms of political organisation. Whether you agree or not, it stretches the frame of what's possible.