Published on: 01.03.2018

Number of pages: 272
Written by: Paul Graham
Publish by: O’Reilly Media

Conclusion
One of the classics book for hackers (software developers).

If you are just in the business of software, I recommend that you read it.

Review
The book is composed of 15 essays:

Why Nerds Are Unpopular
Hackers and Painters
What You Can’t Say
Good Bad Attitude
The Other Road Ahead
How to Make Wealth
Mind the Gap
A Plan for Spam
Taste for Makers
Programming Languages Explained
The Hundred-Year Language
Beating the Averages
Revenge of the Nerds
The Dream Language
Design and Research

Most of them are available on Paul Graham blog.

My personal favorites are Mind the Gap and How to Make Wealth.

Published on: 01.03.2016

Number of pages: 504
Written by: John Z. Sonmez
Publish by: Manning

Conclusion
If you are software developer, and you plan just to read one book, that read this book.

Review
This book is really software developer life manual.

It has 7 chapters: career, marketing yourself, learning, productivity, financial, fitness and spirit.

I am using lot of ideas from this book, and they are really working.
For example, his quota system was eye opener for me.

If I had this book 10 years ago, life would be much easier for me.

Published on: 01.02.2016

Number of pages: 296
Written by: Eric Ries
Publish by: Self published

Conclusion
If you are interested for solid/scientific way to test your software business ideas, than read this book.

Review
I have found about this book from a friend.
He recommended it that I should read it.

Book is almost 300 pager so it is not a quick read.

Idea of this book is that you should first test your idea/assumption with some measuring and after that, according from result from measurement, either pivot or persevere.
You have test with measure so that you can always objectively learn something.

This is called Build Measure Learn feedback loop in book:

Pivot mean to change, or abandon original idea, and persevere to continue with it.
But you should first test and measure, before implementing final solution, so that you do not waste time on something that will not be useful in the end.

So far, when I have used this approach in practice it always worked.
At least, you learn something from it 🙂

Published on: 02.01.2016

Number of pages: 258
Written by: Gabriel Weinberg & Justin Mares
Publish by: Self published

Conclusion
I recommend this book.

Review
This book is like cook book, because it gives step by step process how to get customers.

It explains 19 traction channels (ideas) for business to get costumes.

It also give framework, how to priorities those traction channels.

Published on: 13.12.2015

Number of pages: 62
Written by: Stephen O’Grady
Publish by: O’Reilly Media

Conclusion
This is very interesting book regarding software business, read it.

Review
I read this book because it is very short, around 60 pages. I can read it fast, and if book is not good at least I did not spend much time on it.
But the book is great.

Software paradox means that even as software is more used everywhere and is more strategically important than ever before, but making money from software is getting harder and less profitable.
This is basic idea of book that is explained in first chapter.

Chapter 1 describes what is software paradox.
Chapter 2 present evidence for software paradox and present four generations of software valuation.
Chapter 3 explained what have influenced decline in revenue from software, examining competing with free, available, customer and developer empowerment.
Chapter 4 is describing how few companies are coping with software paradox.
Chapter 5 has some advice on what to do.
Chapter 6 is just final thoughts.

Point of this book is that businesses should shift from making money from software, to making money with software.
Because profits from making money from software are declining and will got to zero (in most case).