Founder Development Program — Required Reading

Selected Reading List

These books will be referenced throughout the program. Purchase any you don't already own before our first session.

11 books — ordered by theme, not priority
Principles
Ray Dalio

Principles: Life and Work

Ray Dalio
The founder of Bridgewater Associates — the world's largest hedge fund — shares the unconventional principles he's developed over 40 years. A framework for systemizing decision-making in life and business through radical truth and radical transparency.
Shoe Dog
Phil Knight

Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike

Phil Knight
The candid, raw memoir of how Phil Knight built Nike from a $50 loan into one of the most iconic brands on earth. A masterclass in grit, persistence, and the messy reality of building something from nothing — no glamour, just relentless forward motion.
Do The Work
Steven Pressfield

Do The Work

Steven Pressfield
A short, blunt manifesto on overcoming Resistance — the invisible force that stops you from shipping your work. Pressfield lays out a battle plan for starting, sustaining, and finishing any creative or entrepreneurial project. Read it in one sitting.
Only The Paranoid Survive
Andy Grove

Only The Paranoid Survive

Andrew S. Grove
The legendary Intel CEO's guide to navigating "strategic inflection points" — the moments when the fundamentals of a business shift beneath your feet. Grove argues that the ability to recognize and adapt to massive change is the single most important skill a leader can develop.
The Wisdom of Insecurity
Alan Watts

The Wisdom of Insecurity

Alan Watts
Watts argues that our anxiety comes from trying to secure a future that doesn't exist yet. The antidote isn't more planning — it's learning to live fully in the present. A philosophical foundation for approaching business and life without the paralysis of needing certainty.
The Psychology of Money
Morgan Housel

The Psychology of Money

Morgan Housel
Nineteen short stories exploring the strange ways people think about money. Housel shows that financial success isn't about what you know — it's about how you behave. Essential for rewiring your relationship with money, risk, and long-term thinking.
The True Artifact
Coach's Pick

The True Artifact

Daniel DiPiazza
Thirty-three timeless transmissions of wisdom on creativity, purpose, life, and love. No formulas or step-by-step instructions — only reflections and questions to help you learn about your deepest nature. Written by your coach. This one's personal.
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
Malcolm X

The Autobiography of Malcolm X

Malcolm X, as told to Alex Haley
One of the most important autobiographies of the 20th century. Malcolm X's journey from street hustler to spiritual leader is a masterclass in personal transformation, conviction, and the power of self-education. A book about becoming who you were meant to be.
Reality Transurfing

Reality Transurfing

Vadim Zeland
A cult-classic work from a Russian quantum physicist on how consciousness shapes reality. Zeland introduces the concept of "the space of variations" — the idea that infinite life paths exist and your attention determines which one you walk. Unconventional, dense, and paradigm-shifting.
Healing Our Deepest Wounds

Healing Our Deepest Wounds

Stanislav Grof
The pioneer of transpersonal psychology explores how our deepest traumas — including birth trauma and ancestral patterns — shape our behavior, relationships, and sense of self. Grof's framework connects inner healing to outer transformation in ways traditional psychology doesn't touch.
Memories, Dreams, Reflections
Carl Jung

Memories, Dreams, Reflections

Carl Jung
Jung's autobiography, recorded in the last years of his life. Not a conventional memoir — it's a map of the inner life of one of the most important minds of the 20th century. His explorations of the unconscious, archetypes, and individuation are the foundation of modern depth psychology.