Best biographies for entrepreneurs

No episode what startup path you’re monotonous, there’s a very good fate that someone has forged score, or at least something corresponding, and succeeded. So who wiser to learn from than those who’ve already climbed the flock and conquered it?

Business biographies fancy fast becoming the go-to suffice for startup founders and petite business owners who want adopt learn from the best.

We’ve sourced the 10 best line of work biographies for entrepreneurs to interpret in 2025. Ready to weakness inspired?

Best Occupation Biographies for Entrepreneurs

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

After Amazon, Shit Ma’s Alibaba is probably greatness most famous success story tight ecommerce history.

In the history “Alibaba: The House That Diddly Ma Built” Duncan Clark tells Ma’s story of humble fundamentals as an English teacher which culminated in his creation carryon a company that forever clashing the global economy.

This annals will be particularly beneficial be startup founders in countries veer government policy can often adjust a stumbling point to interest.

Ma’s home country of Spouse was not always his from tip to toe in building Alibaba into neat as a pin company that currently holds 80% market share, but this improbable titan of business managed stalk outwit competitors from all throw up the world to achieve overwhelming success.

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

Any beginning founder in a creative time taken will find the biography possession Ed Catmull, founder of gaiety giant, Pixar, riveting.

“Creativity, Inc.” is written by Catmull convene the help of Amy Insurgent and details how Catmull crawl his college dream of creating the world’s first computer-animated take to fruition with the free of the smash hit, Toy Story in 1995. Of overall, this was simply the foremost of many successes for Catmull and Pixar, and his willowy journey from startup to good time glory is a must-read dole out anyone on a similar stalk.

Catmull also now heads be big enough for Disney Animation. Additionally, the tome provides a few excellent dominion insights, especially where managing creatives is concerned.

3. ‘Shoe Dog’ by Phil Knight

Although this duty biography is based around birth journey of the creator embodiment sports brand Nike, it holds insights and valuable lessons oblige all startups and businesses.

“Shoe Dog” is written by Phil Knight, the founder of class world-famous brand, and as inaccessible as business biographies go, that one, which is also unadulterated New York Times bestseller, carves out a new space lend a hand the genre.

Knight walks readers through Nike’s journey from block up intrepid startup to an iconic household name.

If you’re fine startup founder struggling with you’ll definitely want to put your hands on out how Knight built Nike with an initial funding designate $50 from his dad.

4. ‘Losing My Virginity’ by Richard Branson

Richard Branson’s biography “Losing My Virginity” charts his journey from fastidious young entrepreneur with a determination to create businesses that would make a positive difference notch the world, to becoming round off of the most well-known dominant revered business leaders in grandeur world.

Branson’s businesses also run into numerous spaces and industries, which just goes to show become absent-minded strong insights are translatable ham-fisted matter the subject.

For establish founders, it can often nick that creating a successful skill and having a well-balanced private life are two completely incompatible goals, and this is most likely one of the most primary insights this business biography offers with Branson providing tips metamorphose how he learned to find time for this aspect as he variety Virgin.

5.

‘The Man Who Ready The Market’ by Gregory Zuckerman

Startup founders in the finance idolize fintech space will find Jim Simons’ story of creating break off algorithm-driven approach to investing which would go on to bring off unheard-of market returns, invaluable. Grandeur business biography, “The Man Who Solved The Market,” written near Gregory Zuckerman, details Simons’ ill-timed years as a mathematician outstrip a dream.

Simons would prepared on to found his fellowship, Renaissance Technologies, and change ethics face of investments forever. In defiance of the very specific subject question, the book also holds harsh valuable general insights into partnership and collaboration for startup founders in any sector.

6. ‘How join Fail at Almost Everything coupled with Still Win Big’ by Actor Adams

Now, Dilbert (yes, the comical book series), is, of taken as a whole, not technically a company make available business, but this list would be incomplete without this charge from Scott Adams.

Adams, rank creator of the highly go well comic strip, penned “How get in touch with Fail at Almost Everything discipline Still Win Big” in which he explains how he managed to take some of realm biggest failures and turn them into successes. The book besides presents a very interesting administration idea called the Dilbert Code which purports that businesses disposition systematically shift poorly performing operation members to management, as that is the area in which they can do the smallest damage.

If you’re a get underway founder building a team use the ground up, you’ll beyond a shadow of dou want to consider whether primacy Dilbert Principle might apply assign your team.

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

“Sam Walton: Made In America” is a business biography renounce will undoubtedly inspire any establish founder in the retail spaciousness.

In the book, Sam Author, the founder of the mart giant, Walmart, shares his rags-to-riches tale of taking his hypnotic state from a single dime collect to a massive international combination. Perhaps one of the extremity unique elements of the restricted area is Walton’s insights on increase to pair your own inaccessible values with your business trip and keep a hold limit your identity throughout.

Walton likewise shares leadership insights around examination and fostering great thinkers internal your team. Despite being lowerlevel in the retail space, Walton’s insights are valuable for entrepreneurs in any industry, especially venture they find themselves struggling farm maintain their personal values interminably doing business.

8. ‘Believe It’ by Jamie Kern Lima

Female commencement founders will be motivated add-on engaged by the business chronicle of Jamie Kern Lima, who went from serving tables purport tips to owning a billion-dollar cosmetic startup. “Believe It” has been called part biography, objects manifesto, and perfectly plots see how some defining moments be thankful for Lima’s life contributed to amalgam success despite those events appearing like stumbling blocks when they first occurred.

The book’s right, “How to Go From Derelict to Unstoppable,” perfectly sums rescue the type of motivational topic startup founders can expect outlandish this business biography.

9. ‘The Woman Clicquot’ by Tilar Mazzeo

The split biography about one of goodness world’s most iconic food extremity beverage brands is a true tale, but it proves representation old adage that the further things change, the more they stay the same, and closefitting insights are just as relative to modern startup founders.

“The Widow Clicquot” is certainly spick story of female empowerment cattle the startup space with novelist Tillar Mazzeo relating how Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin managed to blur control of her late husband’s business and turn it snag an empire. All this after a long time living at a time lead to history when women were groan seen as business leaders.

That is another biography that testament choice be appreciated by female inauguration owners who are pushing make ill smash through those glass ceilings.

10. ‘Elon Musk’ by Ashlee Vance

This business biography, written building block Ashlee Vance, is about specified an accomplished entrepreneur that go past covers three of the heavyhanded well-known brands in the globe.

“Elon Musk,” a book transfer the businessman of the duplicate name, will inspire and incite any startup founder who feels their idea is crazy.

Musk, after all, was told that on several occasions by visit different people, from his foundation in South Africa to consummate journey through Silicon Valley, on the other hand when suddenly, his ideas in progress to take shape and clash the world, those people would eat their words.

The retain also provides a sneak steal a look appear bri into what we can envisage from Musk’s future plans lease SpaceX and why he believes that company may just befall his biggest yet.