Every startup has competition. Whether it be direct or indirect, your business has a competitor. I have seen industry leaders get out paced by smaller companies. On the other end, I have witnessed huge corporations squash new startups like a bug for not moving fast enough. How do you deal with competition? I listed 5 books below that will help you tool up for a fight to the finish. I think the biggest lesson I learned and others should as well, is not to defeat yourself. If you dont have a team that can execute or if your hearts not in it, your biggest competitor is not another company, its you.
Killing Giants: 10 Strategies to Topple the Goliath in Your Industry
By Stephen Denny | Buy at Amazon.com
This book is filled with stories of small guys beating the big guys. It brings together concepts and techniques I personally have never read anywhere else. What I like about this book is it goes beyond just plain story telling. Every chapter gives you something you can take away and apply to your business. My favorite lesson from this book is taking your enemy on grounds where it can’t compete. The “Thin Ice” strategy.
33 Strategies of War
By Robert Greene | Buy at Amazon.com
I bought this book shortly after I dropped out of college. Something I rarely talk about, but I used to be a independent rapper. I thought I was pretty decent at it, If you ask me. But, I had “beef” with a rival rapper and I actually used the book to overcome him. I then started my gaming site and used it to dominate our competition early on at least. Its another book filled with stories and I used others experiences and mistakes to advance. This book can teach you more of what not to do.
48 Laws of Power
By Robert Greene | Buy at Amazon.com
I read this book is studied by 50 Cent and Jay-Z religiously. After reading this I can most certainly understand and see why. I still follow a bit of these laws, but some I ignore because they are so ruthless. This book was inspired by a ruthless film industry, I feel startup life can be just as ruthless. It’s also one of the reasons Robert Greene is my favorite author.
Law 15 – Crush your Enemy Totally
All great leaders since Moses have known that a feared enemy must be crushed completely. (Sometimes they have learned this the hard way.) If one ember is left alight, no matter how dimly it smolders, a fire will eventually break out. More is lost through stopping halfway than through total annihilation: The enemy will recover, and will seek revenge. Crush him, not only in body but in spirit.
Do More Faster: TechStars Lessons to Accelerate Your Startup
By Brad Feld | Buy at Amazon.com
Most startups fail because they don’t move fast enough. This book is based on the TechStars accelerator and breaks down everything from vision to legal issues. What if you can accelerate your startup outside of an actual accelerator? The use of mentors and advisors are very important, gather a strong team of advisors. No general goes to war without them.
Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors
By Michael E. Porter | Buy at Amazon.com
How do you find your startup competitors? This book can help you find and study your business competitors. It’s a bit older and less cooler than the previously mentioned books. But what sets this text apart is how technical it is.
