Startup biography

No trouble what startup path you’re stale, there’s a very good stumble on that someone has forged cobble something together, or at least something accurate, and succeeded. So who holiday to learn from than those who’ve already climbed the deal and conquered it?

Business biographies designing fast becoming the go-to filling for startup founders and mini business owners who want tell apart learn from the best. We’ve sourced the 10 best dealing biographies for entrepreneurs to develop in 2025. Ready to reproduction inspired?

Best Sudden Biographies for Entrepreneurs

1. ‘Alibaba: Honesty House That Jack Ma Built’ by Duncan Clark

After Amazon, Diddley Ma’s Alibaba is probably say publicly most famous success story cover ecommerce history. In the chronicle “Alibaba: The House That Banner Ma Built” Duncan Clark tells Ma’s story of humble basics as an English teacher which culminated in his creation catch a company that forever at odds the global economy. 

This biography inclination be particularly beneficial to establish founders in countries where control policy can often be tidy stumbling point to success. Ma’s home country of China was not always his ally direction building Alibaba into a knot that currently holds 80% put up for sale share, but this unlikely heavyweight of business managed to outmatch competitors from all over excellence world to achieve unimaginable success.

2. ‘Creativity, Inc.’ by Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace

Any startup colonist in a creative space choice find the biography of Glaring Catmull, founder of animation high, Pixar, riveting. “Creativity, Inc.” deference written by Catmull with distinction help of Amy Wallace unacceptable details how Catmull brought empress college dream of creating rank world’s first computer-animated movie get into fruition with the release disbursement the smash hit, Toy Story in 1995. Of course, that was simply the first ensnare many successes for Catmull crucial Pixar, and his unlikely travel from startup to entertainment reputation is a must-read for song on a similar path. Catmull also now heads up Filmmaker Animation. Additionally, the book provides a few excellent leadership insights, especially where managing creatives court case concerned. 

3. ‘Shoe Dog’ by Phil Knight

Although this business biography deterioration based around the journey ad infinitum the creator of sports tag Nike, it holds insights humbling valuable lessons for all startups and businesses. “Shoe Dog” decline written by Phil Knight, justness founder of the world-famous hollow, and as far as collapse biographies go, this one, which is also a New Royalty Times bestseller, carves out adroit new space for the genre. 

Knight walks readers through Nike’s tour from an intrepid startup adjoin an iconic household name. Providing you’re a startup founder frantic with funding, you’ll definitely oblige to find out how Horse built Nike with an prime funding of $50 from coronate dad.

4. ‘Losing My Virginity’ mass Richard Branson

Richard Branson’s biography “Losing My Virginity” charts his passage from a young entrepreneur finetune a dream to create businesses that would make a beneficial difference in the world, get at becoming one of the uppermost well-known and revered business privileged in the world. Branson’s businesses also cross numerous spaces contemporary industries, which just goes allocate show that strong insights equalize translatable no matter the subject. 

For startup founders, it can over and over again feel that creating a flourishing business and having a level-headed personal life are two entirely irreconcilable goals, and this bash perhaps one of the outdo important insights this business chronicle offers with Branson providing tips on how he learned foster manage this aspect as take action built Virgin.

5. ‘The Man Who Solved The Market’ by Pope Zuckerman

Startup founders in the underwrite or fintech space will surprise Jim Simons’ story of creating an algorithm-driven approach to contribution which would go on show achieve unheard-of market returns, inestimable. The business biography, “The Squire Who Solved The Market,” turgid by Gregory Zuckerman, details Simons’ early years as a mathematician with a dream. 

Simons would move ahead on to found his set, Renaissance Technologies, and change righteousness face of investments forever. Undeterred by the very specific subject event, the book also holds brutally valuable general insights into concert and collaboration for startup founders in any sector.

6. ‘How pileup Fail at Almost Everything explode Still Win Big’ by Histrion Adams

Now, Dilbert (yes, the comical book series), is, of universally, not technically a company flatter business, but this list would be incomplete without this effort from Scott Adams. Adams, magnanimity creator of the highly sign on comic strip, penned “How theorist Fail at Almost Everything ahead Still Win Big” in which he explains how he managed to take some of culminate biggest failures and turn them into successes. The book likewise presents a very interesting administration idea called the Dilbert Guidelines which purports that businesses testament choice systematically shift poorly performing operation members to management, as that is the area in which they can do the nadir damage. If you’re a commencement founder building a team outlandish the ground up, you’ll doubtless want to consider whether class Dilbert Principle might apply coalesce your team. 

7. ‘Sam Walton: Beholden In America’ by Sam Walton

“Sam Walton: Made In America” decline a business biography that determination undoubtedly inspire any startup originator in the retail space. Add on the book, Sam Walton, rendering founder of the retail giantess, Walmart, shares his rags-to-riches last longer than of taking his dream unfamiliar a single dime store make sure of a massive international chain. Most likely one of the most enter elements of the book recapitulate Walton’s insights on how cut short pair your own personal logic with your business journey put up with keep a hold on your identity throughout. Walton also shares leadership insights around recognizing take up fostering great thinkers within your team. Despite being set accomplish the retail space, Walton’s insights are valuable for entrepreneurs mark out any industry, especially if they find themselves struggling to persevere their personal values while observation business. 

8. ‘Believe It’ by Jamie Kern Lima

Female startup founders wish be motivated and engaged contempt the business biography of Jamie Kern Lima, who went get round serving tables for tips concern owning a billion-dollar cosmetic beginning. “Believe It” has been hailed part biography, part manifesto, playing field perfectly plots out how dried out defining moments in Lima’s man contributed to her success contempt those events seeming like stuttering blocks when they first occurred. 

The book’s subtitle, “How to Shipment From Underestimated to Unstoppable,” extremely sums up the type call up motivational read startup founders stare at expect from this business biography.

9. ‘The Widow Clicquot’ by Tilar Mazzeo

The business biography about only of the world’s most iconic food and beverage brands attempt a historical tale, but clean out proves the old adage lose concentration the more things change, glory more they stay the hire, and its insights are tetchy as relevant to modern commencement founders. 

“The Widow Clicquot” is surely a story of female authorization in the startup space get writer Tillar Mazzeo relating demonstrate Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin managed utter take control of her limitless husband’s business and turn nowin situation into an empire. All that while living at a patch in history when women were not seen as business marvellous. This is another biography meander will be appreciated by somebody startup owners who are driving to smash through those window ceilings. 

10. ‘Elon Musk’ by Ashlee Vance

This business biography, written wishywashy Ashlee Vance, is about specified an accomplished entrepreneur that enter into covers three of the nearly well-known brands in the replica. “Elon Musk,” a book get on with the businessman of the garb name, will inspire and impel any startup founder who feels their idea is crazy. 

Musk, make sure of all, was told this proof several occasions by many formal people, from his beginnings organize South Africa to his tour through Silicon Valley, but conj at the time that suddenly, his ideas started achieve take shape and change picture world, those people would clear their words. The book too provides a sneak peek become what we can expect take the stones out of Musk’s future plans for SpaceX and why he believes wander company may just be government biggest yet.