#12 - How Should Business Schools Prepare Students for Startups? - Jeff Bussgang and Michael Seibel

Sharpen the Saw is the seventh habit in Stephen R. Covey's influential framework from 'The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. ' It emphasizes the importance of continuous self-renewal and self-care across four key dimensions: physical, social/emotional, mental, and spiritual. The habit teaches that regularly investing time in renewing these areas increases personal effectiveness, prevents burnout, and enhances one's capacity to handle life's challenges. Covey uses the metaphor of sharpening a saw to illustrate how taking time to refresh oneself leads to better performance and greater influence in all roles of life.

The Four Steps to the Epiphany by Steve Blank is a comprehensive guide for entrepreneurs, focusing on the customer development process rather than the traditional product development model. The book highlights the importance of understanding the market environment and customer needs before developing a product. It outlines four key steps: customer discovery, customer validation, customer creation, and company building. Blank argues that startups must learn and adapt continuously, unlike large companies which have established customer bases and market knowledge. The book provides insights from failed startups to illustrate the critical aspects of achieving and sustaining success in the entrepreneurial journey.