11 books startup founders should read before pitching VCs for money

"The Lean Startup," by Eric Ries

Ries' book teaches startups how to succeed in uncertain times, demonstrating how modern innovators must adapt quickly, test their ideas constantly, and focus on the basics.

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"Mastering the VC Game: A Venture Capital Insider Reveals How to Get From Start-up to IPO on Your Terms," by Jeffrey Bussgang

With experience on both sides of the table, Jeffrey Bussgang hones in on one of the most important aspects of pitching a VC — who will not only be the best backer, but best partner?

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"The Most Dangerous Game," by Richard Connell

A non-traditional pick perhaps, but we think that Connell's short story, which tells the tale of when the sport of hunting turns to humans for sport, can shed some light on how venture capitalists may feel. After all, VCs are feverishly pursued by thousands of startups, and it's their job to cultivate the future startup scene. Why not try to better understand such a mindset?

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"The Founder's Dilemmas: Anticipating and Avoiding the Pitfalls That Can Sink a Startup," by Noam Wasserman

Wasserman addresses some of the toughest questions facing a startup, tackling issues such as working with close friends, investing with the help of family, and other potentially sticky situations founders may face.

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"Pitch Anything," by Oren Klaff

With a title that states it all, Klaff's "Pitch Anything" breaks down the formula the man used to craft pitches so successful, he raised over $400 million from venture capitalists.

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"Venture Deals: Be Smarter Than Your Lawyer and Venture Capitalist," by Brad Feld & Jason Mendelson

An exhaustive and definitive guide, Feld and Mendelson's book covers everything you need to know about approaching and achieving successful funding, by delving into the process's gritty details.

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"The Startup Game," by William H. Draper

With over 40 years of VC experience under his belt, Draper's work outlines how venture capitalists actually evaluate startups, giving startup founders examples of what they truly look for.

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"To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others," by Daniel Pink

Pink's book takes a raw look at the art of selling, approaching the basic need and experience of salesmanship with a fine-toothed comb. By detailing how many people's assumptions — such as that extroverts are best at sales — are not necessarily true anymore, Pink gives a fresh look at the what selling really means.

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"Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die," by Chip & Dan Heath

Have you ever marveled how a bogus idea will see more success than a fresh, innovative idea? Chip and Dan Heath take a microscope to this issue, exploring not only what makes up a great idea, but how to cultivate it into a product that will endure.

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"Thinking, Fast and Slow," by Daniel Kahneman

Prepare to travel inside the mind and how it works with Kahneman's book. While not business specific, Kahneman investigates how to successfully understand the "impact of overconfidence on corporate strategies, the difficulties of predicting what will make us happy in the future, the profound effect of cognitive biases on everything from playing the stock market to planning our next vacation."

Read more about Daniel Kahneman's Thinking, Fast and Slow