The 5 Best Books for Successful Founders: How to Build a Competitive Edge {Reading Tip}

Especially in today's, themselves fast Changing times are long-term competitive advantages – big and best for sure like a moat - of very high value. You can find out what else entrepreneurs need to watch out for in these books.

Why Apple is successful and Blackberry does not

Every company wants it: the competitive advantage. Because that is the best prerequisite for above-average profitability and a strong Health of Company. The Problem with the stable competitive advantage is only:

It's not that easy to create and defend. And that's why this question (“How do we manage that?”) regularly causes a lot of smoking heads in the company's strategy meetings. Tim Rödiger shows how companies develop these competitive advantages in “Die Burggraben-Strategy".

Firms need broad castles

Just as the wide moat protected the castle from enemy attacks in earlier times, the stable competitive advantage also served to protect the company from the attacks of the competition.

Using the example of Apple and Blackberry, Rödiger explains the difference between a moat strategy and the competitive position, profitability, profitability and future viability of a company - and what the consequences are if the moat strategy is lacking.

Challenge Digital Transformation

In the last part of his book, Rödiger addresses a widespread Opinions many critic one:

That in today's digital age with its enormous speed of change and its disruptive business models there can no longer be stable competitive advantages, but that every company today has to constantly reinvent itself.

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Digitization increases competitive pressure

Rödiger rejects this opinion. Also the currently taking place digital Transformation of the corporate world does not change the need to build and maintain stable competitive advantages.

Digitization also increases the competitive pressure and therefore the need for a broad moat because the entry barriers are reduced in particular and the entry for new competitors is facilitated.

The scissors keep widening

The gap between successful and unsuccessful companies is becoming increasingly divergent. The successful companies have one thing in common: they all have a stable competitive advantage, a broad moat.

In this book, managing directors and board members of companies learn which strategy they use to turn their companies into winners. But what is the most important rule for building a company? Forget networking, niche markets and selling. In his book, James Watt shows how this can nevertheless - or precisely because of it - become a successful one Company is.

Forget mainstream tips

Instead of sticking to the conventional Regulate to successfully build up the business, James Watt and Martin Dickie made their own rules from the start and thus founded the successful craft beer brewery BrewDog.

The main rule: break all the rules. In his book, James Watt shows how they managed to become the UK's fastest growing brewery within a few years. Very interesting suggestions beyond the "mainstream" advice!

A business punk provokes the establishment

Because they did not find the beer that tasted of them, the two Scotch James Watt and Martin Dickie founded their own brewery in 2007, called it BrewDog and soon joined the British beer market.

Because it quickly turned out that the beer produced by Watt and Dickie was not only to the liking of the company founders themselves. Today, her company, BrewDog, is a brewery that is successful far beyond the British borders and has its own bars in many of the city's major cities Welt.

Hunt motivation speakers to the devil

One of the founders, James Watt, has now published a book describing the principles by which he and his friend James Watt founded and established the company. The book is titled “Business for punks” and is just as unusual and unconventional as the beer they brew.

A glance at the table of contents confirms this impression and the text continues. Watt writes about motivational speakers: “These are all useless, money-hungry charlatans. You should burn them like witches. ”

Networks is for idiots

Gaps in the market are also something that Watt doesn't like: “If someone tells you to look for a gap in the market, then chase him to hell. I have no idea why anyone should do such a stupid thing. This imaginary gap (…) is the quickest way out. ”

networks he also considers it totally superfluous. O-Ton Watt: “Networking is really something for idiots, intoxicated by the illusion of their own importance. They feed their fragile egos with lukewarm canapés, cheap champagne, and slaps on the back from their fellow idiots.” So it goes on merrily over a total of around 250 pages. stop punk

Create a first-class product!

Watts's book is distinguished not only by his pithy language from the usual guidebooks. Also in terms of content he throws some rule on the dunghill. Selling, for example, he considers superfluous. At least at the beginning.

First, he writes, it comes down to creating a truly top-notch, unique product or service: "You have to focus on making something really significant, something great, something that people are desperate to have." Then they come customers already by itself.

A brutal book

Or the thing with mistakes to learn from. Nonsense with sauce, says Watt: “Learning from mistakes is something for losers! Finding comfort in the fact that mistakes sometimes teach you something is the stupid logic used by lesser mortals to justify their own shortcomings. ” Peng that sits.

A brutally strong book! Linguistic as well as content a counterpoint to the usual advisory literature for founders. You do not have to share every opinion to enjoy this book. And one thing is also clear: you will not be stupid by reading. On the contrary. Therefore: Full score.

Start-up seen without pink glasses #

Do you finally want to do your own thing? No longer constantly disregarding yours Executive be told what to do? You might even have one Idea, with which you can become self-employed? - Just! Now think carefully. – Robert T. Kiyosaki will help you with this with his excellent book “Before You Quit Your Job”.

A MUST for anyone thinking of starting a business. Because unlike many other books in this genre, Robert T. Kiyosaki has no rose-colored glasses to hand out. But on the contrary. Most People, he writes, are unsuitable for founding a company. You're better off as an employee.

The main reason for this is the completely different mindset of the entrepreneur and the employee. Entrepreneurs and employees, he writes, live in two completely different worlds. Most people who try to gain a foothold in the world of the other fail.

Jump out of the plane without a parachute - do you dare?

In which world do you live or in which world would you like to live? And do you have what it takes? That is the question Kiyosaki confronts the reader with. That's very helpful. Because it might save us from making a big mistake. It's about the question: How do you have to tick in order to have a chance as an entrepreneur and permanently successfully to be?

Kiyosaki gives the following plastic example:

“Starting a business is like jumping out of a plane without a parachute. In the midst of free fall, the entrepreneur begins to assemble a parachute and hopes that it will open before it hits the earth. "

Be clear about how you tick!

Without a parachute jump from the plane? Do you dare? If this is not the case, let this be done with the start-up of the enterprise. Most of us are simply better and more successful employees. This is not very bad and no flaw.

As a rule, you just can't get so rich and buy a Ferrari. But find out about it clear Getting how to tick is a big step towards avoiding bad luck setting up a business. The book title “Before you quit your job…” can therefore best be completed as follows: “… you should think twice about it”.

Get rid of the pink glasses, into the practice

"Before You Quit Your Job ..." by Robert T. Kiyosaki is one of the best books you can buy on starting a business. A must for anyone who is thinking about embarking on the adventure and jumping out of the plane without a parachute.

After all, many want to do their own thing and set up their own business immediately after graduating from university. But how exactly does that work? What should I put attention on? And are there typical pitfalls? Sound answers to such Ask gives very useful guide “Business start for college graduates”.

From the university to the startup scene

Being your own boss, making a difference, creating something, and of course getting rich – many people dream of that Boy people during their studies. It doesn't have to stay with the dream. The prerequisites for founding your own company and getting started are probably not as good for the rest of your life as they were in your mid-20s or early 30s.

Why? Because the young company founders do not have any great demands on their own lifestyle (luxury), the level of risk is high, and the professional know-how is up to date

So that the young entrepreneurs do not experience a stomach landing

As I said, the conditions are good. On the one hand. On the other hand, there are also a few stones in the way that have to be cleared away. For example, the one about the subject-specific is still missing Background necessary know-how in commercial, legal and tax terms, one's own mental resilience is often overestimated and there is a lack of Money.

You should be aware of this before you take the plunge into setting up a company and becoming self-employed. The two economicprofessoren Michael Gehrer and Bernhard Plum help with “Business start-ups for university graduates” that one does not suffer a painful belly landing. Based on the current status in the areas of entrepreneurship, business administration and law, the two authors explain how young entrepreneurs can cope with all relevant aspects of starting a business.

Orientation to practice with many illustrative examples

There are nine in total steps on self-employment, which are dealt with in chronological order. And of course all with the required professoralen accuracy and seriousness. Among other things, there are questions like: How do I create a business plan? How do I get money for corporate finance? And how do I market my product / service?

Hardly a question with which the entrepreneur is inevitably confronted, which is not addressed in this book. Sure, this is not a novel, but a rather dry reading.

As from the textbook

The diction is more like a textbook. But that's what the freshly baked students are used to. What I like a lot: There are examples for almost every topic. Because as it says in Goethe's “Faust”: “Gray, my friend, is all theory and the golden tree of life is green.” In this sense: good luck!

A very useful book not only for freshly graduated university graduates who are considering starting their own business. We particularly like the comprehensive and at the same time detailed treatment of all relevant topics.

Anyone who dreams of starting their own business, having an idea and then just getting started should definitely take a look at Matthew Mockridge's book Your Next Big Thing. Looks very trendy, does a lot Fun, but it is absolutely serious!

A business book undercover

The book "Your next big thing" is a business book, you just don't recognize it immediately. Because it is quite different from the usual business books. This is mainly due to the author himself. Because Matthew Mockridge is also different from the usual business book writers.

He is the scion of an artistFamily and has business success with projects that feel pretty weird to the average person. Or would you have thought that one with the Organization of parties where the guests are covered in paint from head to toe can thrive?

A book like a wonderful lucky bag

The book by Mockridge (born 1986) is essentially a plea for realizing your own dream. The book could also be titled "Do something with your life and I'll give you a few tips that could be useful to you".

Mockridge is about the big picture, about (supposed) little things like what you should eat, how often you should go to the gym, how to approach people at a party, which car you should drive (Smart) and why, how one eMails should end (“kAn” = no answer needed to save time) and stuff.

A book full of surprises

The book is full of surprises. A completely untypical business book. It is in terms of content absolutely reputable. Many of the tips and hints can be found in other books. What Mockridge's book is all about is the construction - as I said, surprisingly unsystematic and therefore exciting and surprising - the design (colorful and refreshing) and first and foremost the language.

It is young, scene-like, full of terms that over 40-year-olds first have to google. Even the graduated precision analyst with a summa-cum-laude doctorate and pre-defined career path at a DAX company will hardly find himself in this book.

Funky in shape, but without discipline does not work

As you read this book, you get the impression that the big brother is giving his little brother a few pieces of advice and life wisdom. But never from above, but respectfully and up eye level. What I particularly like, despite all the funky nature of the form, is the seriousness of the matter:

Mockridge leaves no doubt that achieving the dream is not a walk in the park, it is essentially hard work. Just like the athlete who dreams of taking part in the Olympic Games or even making it to the final there, day after day and with an iron fist Discipline exercise, even if it hurts. Note: A dream does not come true while you sleep.

Mockridge's book "Your next big thing" is an overflowing surprise bag, packed to the brim with surprises. 100 percent serious and practical. Absolute reading tip for everyone who wants more than a 9-to-5 job in an employee relationship.

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