Top 5 books to mentally prepare oneself for startup

80 percent of new businesses failing within the first few years of operation. That is why it is vital to research and prepare before starting a business.

These following books, recommended by various Silicon Valley investors and entrepreneurs, can give a ‘wantrepreneur’ the right mindset to tackle the journey of a startup.

1. The Founder's Dilemmas by Noam Wasserman

It is a book about anticipating and avoiding the pitfalls that can sink a startup. It is based on his research at Princeton and studies the founders of many industries. It details the experiences of those founders and uses identifiable real-life examples such as Twitter.

2. Lean Startup by Eric Reis

This book illustrates us how today's successful entrepreneurs use continuous innovation to create successful businesses. Cash flow management is crucial to the success and survival of a startup, and this book teaches how to manage the budget effectively.

3. Peter Principle: by Laurence J. Peter and Raymond Hull

This book is a great book to help new entrepreneurs understand all the things that can go wrong in a startup. It also instructs on how to recruit the best employees and how important employees are to the success or failure of a business.

4. Disney Way by Bill Capodagli and Lynn Jackson

Walt Disney is a master of business culture creation, and this book details the importance of building a fun and warm culture in business. It teaches how to create the most productive, effective and positive environment for your employees and your customers.

5. The Everything Store by Brad Stone

Based on the leadership principles of Jeff Bezos and how he brought about the Age of Amazon, this book is a revealing and definitive biography of the company. It elaborately describes the complexity of a startup journey and gives an insight of Amazon and how it forever changed the way we shop.