My favorite books of 2016 for Entrepreneurs (reddit)

Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday

A great book that taught me about the dangers of ego, and how it can affect our relationships and our businesses. One of the key lessons was to ignore recognition, and instead to focus on your work because there is always work to be done.

Chaos Monkeys: Obscene Fortune and Random Failure in Silicon Valley by Antonio Garcia Martinez

A tell all about what life was like in Silicon Valley during Facebook’s growth years. The story shows that luck and hustle are sometimes the biggest factors in keeping a startup successful.

Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport

Cool read about productivity and how to actually work efficiently. Set aside a few hours of the day to just do focused, intense work, and avoid all distractions (we have to avoid distractions because of “attention residue”).

The difference between “deep work” from “shallow work”? Shallow work is what keeps you from getting fired. Deep work is what gets you promoted.

Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days by Jake Knapp

Sprint outlines what to do day-by-day with your team and various exercises to get to a working prototype that gets tested by end-users on the last day of the sprint for feedback. The book is filled with different examples and stories from companies that have used Sprints to develop their product, like Slack.

You Can’t be Everywhere by Marie Wiese

Published by Book in a Box, Marie Wiese’s book is a “common sense approach to digital marketing.” While common marketing advice is telling you to focus on SEO, social media and everything else that is the digital marketing landscape, Marie’s advice says to focus on the correct marketing channels instead of spreading your marketing thin.

The Art of Startup Fundraising by Alejandro Cremades

The book is a great introduction for first-time founders into the world of venture capital. Raising money is a 24/7 job for founders, and Alejandro highlights how to build momentum, craft the right pitch, and common mistakes to avoid.

Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss

Tools of Titans just came out, but it’s been really good so far. The book is a large read, but it’s filled with actionable things and habits that Tim has noticed successful people do, like meditating, journaling and prioritizing sleep. It follows a three-part structure, broken down into healthy, wealthy, and wise.

Payoff: The Hidden Logic that Shapes Our Motivations by Dan Ariely

I love Ariely’s Predictably Irrational. His writing is great and easy to understand. The lessons in this book leave a lot to think about in how we motive ourselves, our employees and our colleagues. Ultimately, it’s about human interaction.

The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces that Will Shape Our Future by Kevin Kelly

This isn’t a book about how technology works, it’s a book about how technology is going to impact our lives and the directions and innovations businesses should focus on.

Small Data: The Tiny Clues That Uncover Huge Trends by Martin Lindstrom

A counterintuitive approach to data: instead of focusing on big data, focus on small data like customer habits about where they live, what they like to do and why they do it. These data points will help uncover product/market fit and understand your customers better.

The Third Wave: An Entrepreneur’s Vision of the Future by Steve Case

Another book similar to The Inevitable (similar in that I mean it will help you think strategically about future business ventures). The “first wave” was the building of the internet. The “second wave” is one we are in with apps like Facebook and Google building on top of the internet. The “third wave” is how the internet will integrate into everything in our lives (healthcare, food, etc).

Smarter Faster Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg

Duhigg also wrote The Power of Habit. Lesson learned in this book: Realize that the items on your to-do list are choices, not chores. By realizing that, we stimulate parts of our brain that are responsible for motivation. It’s also important to spin tasks into a meaningful way that aligns with your greater goals.

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson

As an entrepreneur, it’s important to know what to care about, and sometimes, more importantly, what not to care about. By focusing on the right goals and priorities, we forget and don’t stress out about the things outside of our control, and focus on the bigger problems that we can tackle and make our lives better.

Yum

This recipe is from Apartment Therapy’s The Kitchn.

http://www.treehugger.com/easy-vegetarian-recipes/braised-coconut-spinach-chickpeas-lemon.html

Braised Coconut Spinach and Chickpeas with Lemon
2 teaspoons oil or ghee
1 small yellow onion
4 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon grated ginger, from a 3-inch piece
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 large lemon, zested and juiced (about 2 tablespoons juice)
1 dried hot red pepper or dash of red pepper flakes (optional)
15-ounce can chickpeas, drained
1 pound baby spinach
14-ounce can coconut milk
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground ginger

1. Heat the oil or ghee in a large, deep Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is beginning to brown. Add the garlic, ginger, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon zest and red pepper, if using. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

2. Add the chickpeas and cook over high heat for a few minutes or until the chickpeas are beginning to turn golden and they are coated with the onion and garlic mixture.

3. Toss in the spinach, one handful at a time. This will take about 5 minutes; stir in a handful or two and wait for it to wilt down and make room in the pot before adding the next handful.

4. When all the spinach has been stirred in, pour in the coconut milk and stir in the salt, ground ginger, and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer then turn down the heat and cook for 10 minutes or until the chickpeas are warm through. Taste and add more salt and lemon juice, if necessary.

Chocolate Pumpkin Protein Bars

High-protein desserts can be hard to come by, so Kristi invented her own!
– 1¼ cup oats
– 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
– 1 tablespoon cinnamon
– ½ cup agave nectar
– 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
– 2/3 cup natural canned pumpkin
– 1 cup sun butter
– 1 cup chocolate protein powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Scatter oats on a baking sheet and toast for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown. While oats are toasting, combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add toasted oats and stir. Transfer batter to a 10×10 cake pan, and bake 15-20 minutes. Serves 4.

The more I give the less I want back.

ouch

So I may or may not have fractured my hand Sunday night during soccer. Hoping it’s just a bone bruise. Finally I get back into the gym and training and.. this! Well, maybe it’s a sign I should concentrate on book work and reading and what not until this semester is finished, and then it’s time for the dreaded GRE studying. Perhaps it’s never a good time for anything unless it’s a bad time for what you want to do. Boo.

Quinoa Mango Spinach Salad

Quinoa Mango Spinach Salad

Makes 2-3 full dinner servings or 6 side dish servings

• 3 cups cooked red quinoa
• 2 cups chopped baby spinach
• 1 mango chopped
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds
• 1/4 cup pepitas
• 1/4 cup chopped dried cherries
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• juice of half a lime
• juice of 1 small orange
• 1 tsp sugar
• salt & pepper

Directions:

Rinse quinoa and toast with coconut oil before adding water and cooking normally (optional, but recommended). Combine next 6 ingredients in a large bowl. When quinoa is finished cooking, add to bowl and mix to combine. Whisk together last 5 ingredients and pour over salad. Toss. Chill in refrigerator for at least an hour before serving.

Vegetable Barley Chili

Yield: 6 servings

• 1 cup uncooked barley
• 1 14 oz. can vegetable broth
• 1 cup water
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3 small/medium (or 2 large) zucchini, chopped
• 1 chipotle chili in adobo sauce, chopped (screw this)
• 1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
• 1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
• 1 14 oz. can  kidney beans, rinsed
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• salt & pepper

Directions:

In a small sauce pot combine water, vegetable broth and barley and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower to a simmer, cover and cook for approximately 30 minutes. While barley is cooking, in a dutch oven or other large pot, add olive oil, onion, carrot, garlic and thyme over a medium-high heat. Sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Next, add zucchini and sauté for another 5 minutes or so until softened. Once vegetables are softened, add chipotle chili, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, kidney beans and spices including salt & pepper to the pot. By this time barley should have almost absorbed all the liquid. Add barley and remaining liquid to the pot with the vegetables. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Let cook for at least another 15 minutes to fully cook barley and meld flavors. Can be served at this point or continue cooking on low heat for another 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally. The longer you cook it, the less liquid there will be as the barley will continue to absorb the liquid. Can also be made ahead of time and warmed up on the stove before serving. Like any chili, the flavors get better with time. Serve with grated cheddar cheese, avocado & plain yogurt as topping, if desired.

Caturday = Highlight of my Saturdays

Cooking class was in session last night.

I get these mags free at my job, and I hoard them like cats.