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If You Loved the Nike Story: 15 Founder Books to Read After Shoe Dog
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items If you loved the story of how Nike started in Shoe Dog, this list is for you. I put together 15 founder stories and business memoirs with the same mix of risk, hustle and close calls, starting with Shoe Dog itself. Some links are affiliate links, so ...
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Founder memoirs closest to Shoe Dog
Big company origin stories
Bold lives and cautionary tales
Founder memoirs closest to Shoe Dog
Stories told by the people who built the company from nothing. Start here.
The one that started this list. Nike's founder tells how it all began with a small shoe business and very little money.
Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike
Netflix's co-founder on how it started, mistakes included. Great if you liked the honest, messy parts of Shoe Dog.
That Will Never Work: Birth of Netflix
The Home Depot founders tell their own story. A straight-talking read about taking a big risk on a new idea.
Built from Scratch: How The Home Depot Grew
Ray Kroc's story of building McDonald's. A classic for readers who like to see how a business really got built.
GRINDING IT OUT
Short and quick to read. The CD Baby founder is upfront about what he got wrong.
Anything You Want
Big company origin stories
How some of the biggest brands got their start, and what it took to run them.
Walter Isaacson's biography of Apple's co-founder. A close look at a genius with a hard personality.
Steve Jobs
Brad Stone's story of Jeff Bezos and the early years of Amazon. Good if you like to see how a huge company began.
The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos & Amazon
Robert Iger on his years running Disney. A look at leading a famous company through big decisions.
The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons from Disney CEO
The story of building Pixar, from one of the people who ran it. A good pick for creative types.
Creativity, Inc.: Harnessing Creativity for Business Success by Pixar Founder
Ashlee Vance on the early years of Tesla and SpaceX, when a lot of it could have gone wrong.
Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX & Tech Biography
Bold lives and cautionary tales
Risk takers, rule breakers, and one story of what happens when it goes wrong.
Patagonia's founder on building a company his own way. Good for readers who want a different kind of business book.
Let My People Go Surfing: Education of a Businessman
Richard Branson's business memoir, full of risks and close calls. Despite the title, it's about building companies.
Losing My Virginity: How I Survived & Made a Fortune
Arnold Schwarzenegger's memoir about reinventing himself again and again. Works for anyone who likes a big life story.
Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story
Dave Grohl's memoir. Not a business book, but the same underdog energy and hard work as Shoe Dog.
The Storyteller: Foo Fighters Memoir by Dave Grohl
The true story of Theranos, a Silicon Valley startup that fooled investors. It reads like a thriller and shows what happens when a founder lies.
Bad Blood: Secrets & Lies in Silicon Valley