What are the best SaaS books?
I'm putting together a document outlining all the main aspects of SaaS for developers, a sort of "SaaS wiki" so to speak.
Over time I have collected a ton of links of useful online resources on the topic, but I'd like to add some actual books to deepen my knowledge.
So what are the best books about SaaS that have useful insight for solo-founders and indie hackers?
Thanks :)
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I’m a huge reader. My top three:
I have a running collections of my favorites here:
https://www.kevinconti.com/the-ultimate-business-book-list-updated-feb-2020/
Thanks! I already know the Mom test but I’ve never heard of Obviously Awesome. Will check it out :)
I’ll add your suggestions to the Wiki!
EDIT: The author has put it on sale at 1$ on Amazon https://twitter.com/aprildunford/status/1265628610343448576
Oh, Obviously Awesome! is a must-read, definitely check it out and let me know what you think :)
I was just coming here to say Obviously Awesome. I even wrote a review of it https://pulseblueprint.com/careers/entrepreneurship/product-positioning-obviously-awesome/
How to Get Rich by Felix Dennis is a great and fun read, but I find that it's hardly helpful when you're trying to start a SaaS business. Did you find any actionable tips there?
That was the first "business" book that I read, I'm very sentimental about it.
And wow, you sell Obviously Awesome well! It's next in my queue.
I’d argue that business is a competitive game, and the fundamentals are timeless. Even if Felix doesn’t offer advice on “growth hacks”, most if not all of the book is still relevant.
Just looking at the table of contents to remind myself of some of the content:
Also, the book itself is a phenomenal read. It’s really written as if the author is speaking directly to you, telling stories and offering advice. Unlike a traditional business book, which simply offers opinions dressed as facts (not that I don’t love those as well!)
Zero to Sold: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/zero-to-sold/
It's amazing. It outlines a bootstrapped founder's journey through it all.
Totally agree. Arvid Kahl is a real king of micro-SaaS!
I'm focused on product design of things so my two recommendations are:
Don't Make Me Think by Steve Krug
(my highlights and notes)
Product Design for the Web by Randy J. Hunt
(my highlights and notes)
You’re not the first recommending “Don’t make me think”, I’ll definitively check it out.
By the way your notes are very well done, congrats on that!
I am looking for books to read and this seems like THE thread. I would be interested in your wiki!
Cool! Message me on twitter @NicolasRacchi, I'll send you the link (it's not complete tho 😅)
Hey, I followed you on twitter and messaged you. My twitter is - @vaibhavthevedi.
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
Deep Work by Cal Newport
Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
This Is Marketing by Seth Godin
Badass: Making Users Awesome by Kathy Sierra
Don’t Make Me Think by Steve Krug
The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick
On Writing Well by William Zinsser
(see my full reviews here: https://jasminek.net/blog/post/books-on-entrepreneurship/)
The problem with such lists though, is that the value you get from those books depends on where you are in your life. None of those are original toughts, so if you're reading your third book about habits then The Power of Habit will be boring for you, even though it's been life changing for many.
Off-topic, but I had to say it. Just clicked into your site and the first thing I see is your critique of Lean Startup that I don't really understand. The "extreme uncertainity" part is correct about every venture started, even the "steady business that has yet to make a sale" example that you gave. It is not clear that this "steady business" is actually a steady business or not when you haven't made a sale. Even then, it takes a lot to learn enough to steer your way towards this goal. Lean Startup is written to guide this learning, not to help people that want extreme uncertainity in their businesses. (Nobody wants that.) I believe Lean Startup is THE book everyone here needs to read.
Thanks, Micheal! That's very true. Choose the books that best guide you through your learning path. Cheers! (ps. Just messaged you on Reddit)
In the middle of Growth Hacking: Silicon Valley's Best Kept Secret and I'm loving it so far. Straightforward and simple to apply.
Other books include Competing Against Luck and the classic The Hard Thing About Hard Things.
Cool! I’m reading The hard things about Hard things right now and enjoying it :)
I’ll definitively check out Growth Hacking, thanks!!
A book I read recently, was Starting and Sustaining by Garrett Dimon. I found it very helpful, he goes into details so specific such as how to decide your Email Sending Provider ,etc. I found it throughly helpful , as a founder who is trying to learn the ropes technically. I discovered him as he was on the podcast with Courtland, if you want to have a listen to get an idea of what to expect.
https://www.indiehackers.com/forum/episode-004-garrett-dimon-of-sifter--KdbBRHEnfYpShSu_nnj
I am also looking forward to Aarvid's book, Zero to Sold, his newsletters and podcast have been amazing so I expect it to be full of great practical advice.
I’ll check it out, thanks 😊
Hands down Basecamp's Getting Real. You immediately start thinking differently about how to build a web app.
I've read parts of it, now I remembered that I need to finish it. Totally agree, it's one of the best for solo founders. Thanks for the suggestion!
@Nicolas_ one book I came across recently that has all the basics covered to bootstrap a company to $10K MRR is - Value SaaS Basecamp Guide - https://www.amazon.in/Value-SaaS-Basecamp-Guide-founders-ebook/dp/B07WD57WVF
Thanks! Just bought it on Amazon! ;)