Our Essential Books

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Jan 16, 2025

Dive into the world of essential reads that tackle uncertainty and sharpen focus. Discover how 'Getting Real' emphasizes building meaningful products and avoiding mediocrity. Explore strategic insights from 'Good Strategy, Bad Strategy' to gain a competitive edge. Uncover the necessity of deep focus with Cal Newport’s 'Deep Work' in our distraction-filled culture. Learn why every business should have an enemy and hear fascinating stories from the early days of successful startups. Join a lively discussion filled with literary insights and practical lessons!

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ADVICE

Focus on the Essential

Focus on what matters to your customer and what you believe is important.
Build that and cut out everything else you consider to be nonsense.

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INSIGHT

Define the Enemy

Knowing what your app shouldn't be can clarify what it should be.
Defining your app's enemy helps you focus and innovate.

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ANECDOTE

Survival Mode Insights

Jake Knapp finds insights from companies in "survival mode" more relatable.
Early-stage advice is often more valuable than advice from established, successful companies.

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A Deep Dive into Influential Books

03:20 • 3min

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The Evolution of a Design Agency to Software Innovator

06:04 • 2min

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Building to Innovate: Insights from 'Getting Real'

08:01 • 3min

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Embracing Realness in Software Development

11:29 • 2min

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Exploring Real-World Testing and Contrarian Narratives

13:13 • 2min

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Strategic Insights from 'Getting Real' and Beyond

14:50 • 16min

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The Power of Deep Focus

30:42 • 13min

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The City and Its Uncertain Walls

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Haruki Murakami

Haruki Murakami's "The City and Its Uncertain Walls" is a captivating novel that seamlessly blends reality and fantasy. The story unfolds in a mysterious city, where the protagonist encounters surreal events and enigmatic characters. Murakami's signature blend of magical realism and introspective prose creates a deeply immersive reading experience. The novel explores themes of memory, identity, and the passage of time, leaving a lasting impression on the reader. Its exploration of the human condition within a fantastical setting makes it a hallmark of Murakami's unique style.

Deep Work

Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World

Cal Newport

In 'Deep Work', Cal Newport argues that the ability to perform deep work—professional activities in a state of distraction-free concentration—is becoming increasingly valuable in our economy. The book is divided into two parts: the first part explains why deep work is valuable, rare, and meaningful, while the second part presents four rules to transform your mind and habits to support this skill. These rules include 'Work Deeply', 'Embrace Boredom', 'Quit Social Media', and 'Drain the Shallows'. Newport provides actionable advice and examples from various successful individuals to help readers master the skill of deep work and achieve groundbreaking results.

Against the Gods

The Remarkable Story of Risk

Peter L. Bernstein

Against the Gods: The Remarkable Story of Risk chronicles the intellectual journey that has led humanity from relying on oracles and soothsayers to using sophisticated tools of risk management. The book delves into the history of probability, starting from ancient civilizations and their limitations in understanding chance, to the modern era where risk is quantified and managed. Bernstein discusses how the development of probability theory and risk management has been a key factor in distinguishing modern times from the past.

Good Strategy/Bad Strategy

The Difference and Why It Matters

Richard Rumelt

In *Good Strategy/Bad Strategy*, Richard Rumelt clarifies the distinction between effective and ineffective strategies. He argues that a good strategy is a specific and coherent response to overcoming obstacles, harnessing power where it will have the greatest effect. Rumelt debunks elements of 'bad strategy' such as equating goals, motivational slogans, and financial targets with actual strategy. He introduces the 'kernel' of strategy, which includes a diagnosis of the challenge, a guiding policy, and coherent action. The book uses diverse examples from business, nonprofit, and military contexts to illustrate these concepts and emphasizes the importance of analytical rigor and focused effort in strategy development.

Getting Real

The smarter, faster, easier way to build a successful web application

37signals

Getting Real outlines the philosophy and practices of 37signals, emphasizing simplicity, speed, and efficiency in software development. The book is packed with insights on keeping things simple, avoiding unnecessary complexity, and focusing on core problems. It covers topics such as self-funding, flexible scope, lean operations, and the importance of real, running software. The book is not a technical manual but a collection of big-picture ideas applicable to various aspects of web application development and beyond.

A Kid's Guide to Graphic Design

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Chip Kidd

Chip Kidd's "A Kid's Guide to Graphic Design" is a visually engaging exploration of design principles. The book uses a playful and accessible approach to introduce fundamental concepts such as typography, layout, and color theory. Kidd's distinctive style is evident throughout the book, making it both informative and entertaining. The book is suitable for readers of all ages, offering insights into the creative process and the power of visual communication. It's a great resource for aspiring designers and anyone interested in learning more about the art of graphic design.

We discuss three essential books that help us break through uncertainty and focus on the most important work. If you want to get better at designing products and building companies, we think you should read:

Getting Real by 37signals, for how to get real about what matters
Good Strategy Bad Strategy by Richard Rumelt, for how to give your business an unfair advantage
Deep Work by Cal Newport, for staying focused and actually doing the work

On episode 11 of Jake & JZ, we also talked about:

Why your business needs an enemy
Insights from the “survival days” of successful companies (like the Startup Wayback Machine)
Crafting strategy based on your unique advantages
Why strategy is a hypothesis
How to summarize an entire book in 25 words
More lessons from journalism
Bad graphic design

Have a question for us? Send it to hey@jakeandjz.com and we’ll answer it on the show.

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