Bookshelf
I love reading, and sometimes I get asked for books I recommend. Here is a list of a few books I have read and really liked, with short notes on why they matter to me:
- Principles: Ray Dalio — Taught me about radical transparency (a MUST in OrderEAT) and the importance of explicitly writing down the core principles that guide your decisions and actions.
- The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Ben Horowitz — Great for understanding how to navigate unsolvable problems when you’re the one in charge. Brutally honest about many things like layoffs, pivots, crises, and the mental cost of being a founder. A must-read.
- Venture Deals: Brad Feld & Jason Mendelson — A clear and practical guide to the world of venture capital. Crucial reading for any first-time founder raise from VCs from a position of understanding.
- Capital in the Twenty-First Century: Thomas Piketty — Helped me understand how wealth and income inequality evolve over time, why capital tends to concentrate, and how this shapes modern democracies.
- The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari: Robin Sharma — Inspired me to start meditating (didn’t stick, but still). Really liked its approach to slowing down, finding purpose, and reframing life’s priorities.
- The Ballerina of Auschwitz: Edith Eger — Great read. A reminder that no matter what happens, you can always choose how you respond, even in hard circumstances.
- The Entrepreneurial State: Mariana Mazzucato — Changed how I see the role of the state in innovation, taking the biggest risks before startups or VCs in the past. It made me wonder how we can get that state back.
- The Prosperity Paradox: Clayton M. Christensen, Efosa Ojomo & Karen Dillon — Made me realize that innovation isn’t just helpful but necessary for nations to overcome poverty. Inspired me to think how can we improve LATAM being a founder.
- Zero to One: Peter Thiel - First book I read on how to build a company. challenged me to ask: what do I know to be true that almost everyone else disagrees with?.
- Leading: Alex Ferguson & Michael Moritz — Stuck with me: his obsession with discipline, culture, and long-term thinking. A well, as how to lead by example.
- Steve Jobs: Walter Isaacson — With this book I understood the power of relentless vision, obsession with detail, even if people call you delusional.
- Elon Musk: Walter Isaacson — Obsession + execution. How to build not one, but several life-changing companies. It will be interesting to see how things evolve in the coming years for Elon and his companies.
- Shoe Dog: Phil Knight — The power of grit. A very different story on how to build a company, told from 60 years ago.
- Eragon Series: Christopher Paolini — Four books. One of my favorite fantasy series, and the first book that ever made me cry.
- The Name of the Wind: Patrick Rothfuss — Great storytelling. Even if the promised third book never comes out, I’d still strongly recommend this story.
- The Lord of the Rings: J.R.R. Tolkien — A classic. A must-read.