14 Entrepreneurs Explain The Best Books on Disruption or Innovation

For a business owner or budding entrepreneur whose keen on innovation and disruption, books can help you get started with the right information. Of course valuable lessons often come from doing. Business lessons can be learned by trial and error and putting yourself out on the line. But the same lessons can also be had from a book. Reading about the errors and triumphs of other business leaders can prevent you from making mistakes and push you in the direction of success. Beyond lessons, a good business book can inspire you to lift your business to an even higher level.

We asked entrepreneurs and business owners about the best books on innovation and disruption and here’s what they had to say;

#1- Inventing the Future: Postcapitalism and a World Without Work By Nick Srnicek

Inventing the Future is a fascinating take on the impact of AI and automation on the labor force. Srnicek and Williams imagine a post-capitalist society and present a roadmap towards it. Raises a lot of questions about technology's impact on society and the world of work. Definitely a must-read for CEOs and entrepreneurs with an eye to the future.

Thanks to Nicolas Deskos, LUMES Eyewear!

#2-The Millionaire Fastlane

The Millionaire Fastlane: Crack the Code to Wealth and Live Rich for a Lifetime! by MJ DeMarco. All our lives we're taught that we need to go to college, get a good job, and make smart choices to retire comfortably. I like that this book disrupts that thought pattern completely. Even though the author graduated from college and was told repeatedly by everyone, especially his mother, he bucked the norm and became an entrepreneur to get wealthy fast. This book shifted my perspective quite a bit. I don't have to work a soul sucking day job to get wealthy. Who wants to get rich slowly anyway? I'm so grateful for the lessons in this book that gave me confidence in my decision to quit working as an accountant, and to take chance on being an innovative entrepreneur myself. Thanks in part to the lessons in this book, I am the co-founder of a company that earns $100,000 or more every single month.

Thanks to Lauren McManus, Create and Go!

#3-Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Innovation and Entrepreneurship by Peter Drucker is a classic. It is filled with timeless insight and practical advice that still is relevant today despite all the new books that have followed. It explains what you need to know and do to be successful, an oldy but a goody well worth the read.

Thanks to Paige Arnof-Fenn, Mavens & Moguls!

#4-The New Growth Model from the Sinister World of Hackers by Josh Linkner

It’s a highly motivating and interesting book about innovation with a lot of examples which pushes readers to unlock their potential and creativity. The book describes tactics of criminal hackers and provides a roadmap of how hacking approaches can be redirected for productive means. The author reveals 5 core mindsets and 10 primary tactics of hackers as the new model for complex problem solving, innovation, and growth. He persuades us to change our attitudes to such hacker techniques as crowdsourcing, rapid experimentation, reverse engineering, and mash-ups and shows how entrepreneurs can use these hackers’ methods to achieve business and social breakthroughs. The author emphasizes that hacking is a systematic approach to overcoming obstacles and discovering new possibilities and can serve a powerful model for growth, innovation, and success.

Thanks to Maksym Podsolonko, Eazyplan!

#5-Monetizing Innovation

Monetizing Innovation – How Smart Companies Design the Product Around the Price Madhavan Ramanujam and Georg Tacke. It’s a well-written, easy-to-read, and actionable book on the complicated topic of pricing with lots of examples from the real world. This book lays out nine rules for monetizing innovations, built on the lessons Simon-Kucher & Partners has learned through conducting more than 10,000 projects on behalf of companies around the world. The main point of the book is that before you start product development, you need to start your “Willingness-To-Pay” conversations with customers and continue WTP analysis as you develop your product to identify new features that your customers will pay for and determine the final price of your product. The authors outline multiple methods to judge WTP, address customer segmentation and picking the right monetization model, and highlight 6 monetization success stories from different companies. This book is a must-read for product marketing and product management teams and for anyone who is planning a newproduct or service.

Thanks to Eckhard Ortwein, Lean Case, the business planning workspace!

#6-Innovation and Its Enemies

Innovation and Its Enemies- Why People Resist New Technologies by Calestous Juma The book is written by Harvard professor Calestous Juma who is an internationally-recognized authority on the role of science, technology, and innovation in economic development. The author shows that innovation is not only a question of technology and economics but a societal challenge as well. He looks at the past 600 years of technology history and explains why people resist new technologies. Juma believes that people resist innovations when the risks seem larger than the benefits and provides spectacular case studies of opposition to innovation that touch on coffee and coffeehouses, the printing press, margarine, farm machinery, electricity, mechanical refrigeration, recorded music, transgenic crops, and genetically engineered salmon. The book is written in a lively style with clear scientific explanations and is fascinating to read because the author uses anecdotes and entertaining stories to illustrate his ideas. I recommend it to anyone who is interested in the study of technological history and innovation policy.

Thanks to Illia Termeno, Extrabrains marketing agency!

#7-A Manager’s Guide to Disruptive Innovation by Philippe Silberzahn.

This book highlights the mechanisms of disruption, give detail insight into why great companies fail and offer reliable solutions to turn disruptions into opportunities. The key message of the books is: Failure is not because of limited resources, or due to a lack of creativity, or a resistance to change. Failure is the consequences of bad management skills. If you are looking for practical suggestions to transform your company’s management practices to become more innovative, then this is the book for you. This book will describe you lots of ways how to be successful in your business in a challenging world.

Thanks to David Mitroff, Ph.D., Piedmont Avenue Consulting, Inc.!

#8-Boom! Deciphering Innovation

I would like to recommend this book ‘Boom! Deciphering Innovation: How Disruption Drives Companies to Transform or Die’ authored by Lisa Henrickson and Jim Colwickm It is an excellent guide that talks about today’s business landscapes and helps entrepreneurs to prepare themselves to thrive in this digital world. In this 21st century, we all are fighting against mega forces like globalization, market disorganization, technology, business trends, social distortion, adverse climatic conditions, etc. that are affecting our business. The book outlines the current scenario using facts and references and gives an insight into creating strategies that can foster innovation in organizations. It is a super easy, provocative and must-have book for every businessman!

Thanks to Jitesh Keswani, e intelligence!

#9-Professional Services Leadership Handbook

Professional Services Leadership Handbook: How to Lead a Professional Services Firm in a New Age of Competitive Disruption. This book has some great information for any leader in a wide variety of industries. It covers how client and consumer expectations evolve, market trends, the rapid advancement of technology that changes how we do business, and much more. I found that this forecast for the future and analysis of the past and present offer a clear picture of the long-term effects of changes and disruptions that are happening right under our noses. As someone who likes to be prepared for anything, it’s helped me stay agile and ready.

Thanks to Lance J. Robinson, The Law Office of Lance J. Robinson!

#10- The Startup Owners Manual

The Startup Owner's Manual is a must-read for CEOs that want to achieve rapid growth while building a strong company. Steve Blank and Bob Dorf focus on how disruption and innovation can power a startup's success while presenting specific best practices, lessons, and tips for anyone in the startup world. This holistic view of entrepreneurship allowed me to think about my business in a new way and helped me connect the dots that would eventually lead to our success. The authors pedigree as a thought leader on innovation also drew me to the book combined the fact that he didn't let a publishing company water down his real-world advice.

Thanks to William Griggs, Virtual Reality Rental.co.!

#11-Beyond Disruption

Whilst many would potentially consider Jean-Marie Dru's 2002 book Beyond Disruption: Changing the Rules in the Marketplace out of date, this remains one of the best books out there on the core principles of disruption, which retains its relevance even today in the digital age. Many modern books within the niche focus too narrowly on specific cause and effect and the macro applications of disruption, whilst for those seeking a big-picture grounding in the principles and how to apply them regardless of niche or medium, Beyond Disruption remains a bookshelf staple.

Thanks to John Moss, English Blinds!

#12-In the Company of Women

As a woman entrepreneur, the book that truly motivates my work is In the Company of Women by Grace Bonney. The book showcases professional women who own or run businesses in creative fields. These women are innovators and disruptors in the way that they are changing the face and conversation about inclusivity in their work. It's a narrative that we need to see more of in founders and business leaders.

Thanks to Mignon A. Gould, Art of Preneur!

#13- Surge by Matt Kane, Steve Garguilo and Sergiy Skoryk

Many of us are extremely passionate about specific ideas but we do not act on them. We tend to wait for the perfect timing or opportunity. This book delves into strategies helping people bring ideas to life instead of waiting for an idyllic moment that will never happen. It covers issues such as dealing with anxiety, fears and the feeling of being overwhelmed.

Thanks to David Cruz-e-Silva, Hack & Hustle!

#14-Reinventing Organisations

Reinventing Organisations' by Frederic Laloux is a powerful read which takes a look at how innovation can be applied in different types of organisations, and in particular the rise of a more enlightened and collaborative leadership style. This excellent thought-provoking publication describes in detail how organizations, both large and small, can adapt to and operate in this new paradigm.

Thanks to Ollie Smith, Energy Seek!

What are some of the best books on innovation or disruption? Tell us in the comments below. Don’t forget to join our #IamCEO Community.