The reading shelfActive ingredients · in print
For founders who want the sourceCurated · updated regularly
Read what the field actually runs on.
The essays, papers and books behind most good decisions in startup finance and company building. Each one earns its place by being clear, short where possible, and useful for a founder who did not study finance.
No affiliate links, no tracking, just the shelf. Plain language preferred, original sources always. Free founder tools are at the bottom.
Money & runwayShelf one
- Default Alive or Default DeadPaul Graham · essay
The one question every funded founder should be able to answer at any moment. Five minutes that reframe how you look at your bank account.
- Ramen ProfitablePaul Graham · essay
Why covering your basic costs, even barely, changes every negotiation you will ever have.
- The Burn MultipleDavid Sacks · essay
How investors judge what each unit of growth costs you. Worth knowing before they bring it up.
- The Berkshire Hathaway shareholder lettersWarren Buffett · letters
Decades of plain language about money, risk and patience. Start with any year, the lessons repeat on purpose.
Fundraising & ventureShelf two
- How to Raise MoneyPaul Graham · essay
The mechanics and the psychology of a raise, from someone who watched thousands of them.
- The SAFE documentsY Combinator · templates
Read the contract you will probably sign before you sign it. The official versions, with explanations.
- Invest in Lines, Not DotsMark Suster · essay
Why investors want to watch you over time, and why your monthly update is a fundraising tool.
Company building classicsShelf three
- Do Things That Don't ScalePaul Graham · essay
Win your first users by hand. The most quoted startup advice of the last decade, and still underused.
- Startup = GrowthPaul Graham · essay
What makes a startup different from a business, and what that difference demands of you.
- Why Software Is Eating the WorldMarc Andreessen · essay
The thesis behind a decade of venture capital. Useful context for every pitch you will ever give.
- 1,000 True FansKevin Kelly · essay
The arithmetic of a small, devoted audience. Quietly relevant to niche products and niche services alike.
- How to Get Rich, without getting luckyNaval Ravikant · notes
Aphorisms on equity, leverage and judgment. Read slowly, it is denser than it looks.
Free toolsSelf-service · while you build
- Startup Growth Calculator ↗Trevor Blackwell
See what a weekly growth rate really compounds to over a year. The classic.
- Burn Rate & Runway Calculator ↗Kruze Consulting
Enter your last few months of cash and see your burn rate and how many months of runway remain.
- SAFE & Convertible Note Calculator ↗Carta
Model how your SAFEs and notes convert and dilute you in the next priced round.
- OptionPlan: employee equity ↗Index Ventures
How much equity to grant each early hire, with benchmarks from thousands of real grants.
Free tools from people I rate. They open in a new tab, and none of them are mine.