Top Venture Capital books recommended by experts

At MentorCruise, we are all about making the most out of the experience of others. As part of that, we've connected and asked dozens of experts and professionals about their favourite Venture Capital books – and here are the answers.

Table of Contents

Fundamentals of Venture Capital

Understanding the concepts of Venture Capital starts with understanding the fundamentals. On your way to mastery, it's crucial for you to understand how certain concepts were derived, and why things work like they do. Starting with these resources is the best way to do so.

Raising Venture Capital for the Serious Entrepreneur

Have the negotiating edge when getting your new business off the ground Written by Dermot Berkery, an internationally known venture capitalist with Delta Partners, this complete toolbook thoroughly ...

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

#BreakIntoVC: How to Break Into Venture Capital

If you are interested in habits to develop the investor mindset then grab a copy today before the price goes up. ...

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Zero to One: Notes on Startups, Or How to Build the Future

Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future is a 2014 book by the American entrepreneur and investor Peter Thiel co-written with Blake Masters.

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Secrets of Sand Hill Road: Venture Capital and How to Get It

A Wall Street Journal Bestseller!What are venture capitalists saying about your startup behind closed doors? And what can you do to influence that conversation?If Silicon Valley is the greatest wealth-generating machine in the world, Sand Hill Road is its humming engine. ...

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The SaaS Playbook: Build a Multimillion-Dollar Startup Without Venture Capital

Do you want to build a software product that people want and are willing to pay for? Do you dream of growing the kind of company that employs smart, creative people? Are you tired of waiting for investors to fund your startup?
You don’t need venture funding, and you don’t need permission.
With nearly two decades of experience as a serial entrepreneur, author, and investor, Rob Walling is…

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The Business of Venture Capital: Insights from Leading Practitioners on the Art of Raising a Fund, Deal Structuring, Value Creation, and Exit Strategies

The definitive guide demystifying the venture capital business The Business of Venture Capital covers the entire spectrum of a venture capital business, from raising venture funds to structuring investments, value creation as board member and assessing exit pathways. ...

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Additional Venture Capital Reading

These books are not required for you to learn Venture Capital, but they are highly recommended for you to deepen your knowledge.

The Hard Thing About Hard Things

Ben Horowitz, cofounder of Andreessen Horowitz and one of Silicon Valley's most respected and experienced entrepreneurs, offers essential advice on building and running a startup—practical wisdom for ...

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Venture Deals: Be Smarter Than Your Lawyer and Venture Capitalist

A full revised edition of the Wall Street Journal bestselling book on startups and entrepreneurship As each new generation of entrepreneurs emerges, there is a renewed interest in how venture capital deals come together. Yet there is little reliable information focused on venture capital deals. ...

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eBoys: The True Story of the Six Tall Men Who Backed eBay, Webvan, and Other Billion Dollar Start-ups

Randall Stross takes us behind the scenes and inside the heads of the gutsy entrepreneurs who financed the hottest businesses on the Web. This is an inside account of the venture capitalists at work, detailing the drama, risk-taking and excitement which characterized the glory days of a great business adventure. For two years, Randall Stross gained unprecedented access to the venture capitalis…

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The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses

The Lean Startup is a new approach to business that's being adopted around the world. It is changing the way companies are built and new products are launched.
Essential reading for any ambitious entrepreneur, The Lean Startup will teach you to identify what your customers really want. You'll learn how to test your vision continuously, adapting and adjusting before it's too late.

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THE ENTREPRENEURIAL BIBLE TO VENTURE CAPITAL: Inside Secrets from the Leaders in the Startup Game

40 leading venture capitalists come together to teach entrepreneurs how to succeed with their startup The Entrepreneurial Bible to Venture Capital is packed with invaluable advice about how to raise ...

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The Power Law: Venture Capital and the Making of the New Future

Shortlisted for the Financial Times Business Book of the Year Named a Best Book of 2022 by The Economist“A gripping fly-on-the-wall story of the rise of this unique and important industry based on extensive interviews with some of the most successful venture capitalists.” ...

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Specializations and Deeper Venture Capital Knowledge

You've got your basics in order – time to move on to some advanced and specialized concepts. Venture Capital is evolving every day, these books can help you master it.

Mastering the VC Game: A Venture Capital Insider Reveals How to Get from Start-up to IPO on Your Terms

Entrepreneurs who dream of building the next Amazon, Facebook, or Google have the opportunity to take advantage of one of the most powerful economic engines the world has ever known: venture capital. To do that, you need to woo, impress, and persuade venture capitalists to back your endeavor. ...

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

This list is curated by MentorCruise and can include Amazon affiliate links. Have any other suggestions? Add here.

Augment your Venture Capital books

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With 10+ years of experience in private equity, investment banking, and equity research, I help finance professionals and aspiring leaders advance their careers. Currently a Vice President at a fintech-focused private equity firm, I specialize in early-stage and growth investing, particularly in financial services like lending, insurance, payments, and asset …

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15+ yrs exp, 10+ as CEO/Exec, leading teams, raising capital, building tech, scaling, investing and advising companies. Hey there! I'm Aly, a Canadian-based entrepreneur, investor and advisor who has spent over a decade building, investing and advising companies. I've had the opportunity to build both bootstrapped and venture-backed companies, learning …

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Diverse corporate, startup and VC experience: - Venture Partner at Republic and Republic Capital - Mentor at Techstars, Startupbootcamp - VC scout at Flashpoint VC, First Momentum Ventures, Outlander VC, etc. - BCG alumni (2014-2019); - Launched food startup, increased the team from 2 people to 12+, entered online marketplaces, …

$210 / month

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Vijay Rajendran is a certifed executive coach and fractional leader based in Silicon Valley. After 20 years as an entrepreneur, investor, and advisor, he has supported hundreds of founders and helped them on their journey to becoming CEOs.​ He believes that through leadership coaching and similar approaches, we can impact …

$350 / month

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Scientist, entrepreneur, writer, and technologist. I am currently a Senior Machine Learning Engineer at Planet Labs PBC, where I am part of the Applied Machine Learning team. I also have a PhD in computational astrophysics, and a BSc in applied physics & applied mathematics. After my PhD, I cofounded an …

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Entrepreneur, founder, pitcher, mentor and healthtech innovator. As a biomedical engineer with a keen business mindset, I bring a dynamic blend of technical expertise and entrepreneurial vision to the world of startups. My journey includes a pivotal role in successfully co-founding Clynx Health, where we have developed a Medical Device …

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