Question of the week: What book have you read recently that helps you at work?

5yr ago

37 replies

I read "The One Thing" by Gary Keller after it was recommended by someone I follow on social media. While it can get a bit repetitive the overall message to narrow down your focus and put your resources towards a single thing that brings progress has been really helpful to me. It's like a Pareto Efficiency model for the digital age. What book have you read recently that helps you at work?

Replies

Dan Edwards @de

Product Hunt

I really need to read more books 🙈but... the book(s) I read that really helped me in my work most recently were 'Design is a Job' by Mike Monteiro and 'Sprint' by Jake Knapp!

Alex Devero @alexdevero

@de Have you implemented the framework Jake introduces in Sprint?

Marcel Hagedoorn @marcelhagedoorn

Reveall

@abadesi I just finished Atomic habits and it's one of the best. Highly recommended! A real game-changer in learning a skills and adopting new habits, or get rid of bad ones. Atomic Habits helps me improve myself, and improve my product. I made a summary if you quickly want to see what it's about. https://mindwave.app/stories/ato...

Abadesi @abadesi

Hustle Crew Academy

@marcelhagedoorn I’ve heard great things about it- any particular advice standout to you? Thanks for the link, will check it out.

Marcel Hagedoorn @marcelhagedoorn

Reveall

@abadesi My biggest personal insight is to think in Identity, not in goals. To be a reader, not to read 10 books. To adopt habits to improve, and prove, your identity. So, to journal and meditate daily as methods to be the calm and mindful person I want to be(come). Process over outcome.

Alex Devero @alexdevero

@abadesi @marcelhagedoorn Great insight and advice! Making the switch from thinking in terms of goals to thinking in terms of mindset was a game changer for me. James Clear has a lot to say about this topic and Atomic Habits is definitely a very good choice.

Muhil Venkat @muhil_venkat

I liked Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products by Eyal, Nir which gave me formative perspective to product development. Hooked

Abadesi @abadesi

Hustle Crew Academy

@muhil_venkat I have this on Audible, I'm going to listen to it.

Colbys Dovi @colbys_dovi1

Handbook of Usability Testing - Jeffrey Rubin and Dana Chisnell As the title says, if User Testing is what you do, you might want to keep that book around. Pretty well written and actionable (even for people with some experience).

Peyton Goen @peyton

I am reading "This is Marketing" by Seth Godin. Anything that he says or writes is gold.

Abadesi @abadesi

Hustle Crew Academy

@peyton that's helpful, I'll definitely check it out then. Thanks, Peyton!

Abadesi @abadesi

Hustle Crew Academy

@peyton I had not heard of that - is it helpful for all levels of professionals?

Peyton Goen @peyton

@abadesi Seth Godin's work is very conceptual and looks at the big picture of how to market a product. This makes it great for all levels of professionals, even if "marketing isn't in your job title!

Ale Urrutia @alectro

Adminimal

I've been reading "My Dad" by Anthony Browne once and again for at least 20 times in the last week so my daughter can sleep and I can go back to work. I need to read more books for grown ups... Next one will be "How to create a mind" by Ray Kurzweil

Abadesi @abadesi

Hustle Crew Academy

@alectro ooh I find him so fascinating I will put it on my list!

Niko Wallner @niko_wallner

@abadesi Thanks for your question and the recommendation. I'll tell you about 3 books that changed my professional and personal life this year. 1. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience (by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi) It changed my view of creativity and self-management approach. An insightful and helpful book for our generation. 2. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (by Carol S. Dweck) I first saw the author on TED, and then realized his experience worth attention. Actionable tips of improving life by changing mindset. 3. Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? (by Seth Godin) The most career-related book in my list motivates and gives energy for making the right decisions. Truly recommend it for professional growth. Have you heard about any of them?

Alex Devero @alexdevero

@abadesi @niko_wallner Flow and Mindset are very good books. As "sequels" I would recommend Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth (to Mindset) and The Rise of Superman: Decoding the Science of Ultimate Human Performance by Steven Kotler (to Flow).

Abadesi @abadesi

Hustle Crew Academy

@niko_wallner Are you in my head? I *love* Mindset, that book changed my life. And I'm reading Flow right now -- its so good! It feels so relevant for today even though the research is some years old. I love the way he writes and explains the world in a simple way. So motivating. I will put Linchpin on my list.

Abadesi @abadesi

Hustle Crew Academy

@niko_wallner @alexdevero Thanks Alex! I have heard Angela Duckworth on lots of podcasts, I must read Grit. Its the first I'm hearing about The Rise of Superman, definitely going to check it out.

Amrita S @amrita_sukumar

Currently, I am reading lean analytics by Alistair Croll and Benjamin Yoskovitz

Abadesi @abadesi

Hustle Crew Academy

@amrita_sukumar what do you think so far?

Amrita S @amrita_sukumar

@abadesi A useful book to begin and learn the analytical mindset and how things work with other factors of the business.

Abadesi @abadesi

Hustle Crew Academy

@amrita_sukumar Nice! I will add it to my list.

Paolo Pacchiana @paolopacchiana

I'm reading "Hit Makers" by Derek Thompson. Really interesting if you want to know why a product has been successful

Artem Galenko @unrealartemg

Atlassian

@paolopacchiana and what is the central argument of this book?

Abadesi @abadesi

Hustle Crew Academy

@paolopacchiana I always love learning success stories -- thanks!

Paolo Pacchiana @paolopacchiana

@realartemg Stories about how successful iconic products has made it. Concrete tip for marketers: the MAYA -> Most advanced yet acceptable

I read the Checklist Manifesto again. It's an easy read on getting things right

XDGuru @xd_guru

Rework by Jason Fried. Amazing book!

Alex Devero @alexdevero

@xd_guru Rework is very good book. Have you read Shape up, by Fried and Basecamp team?

Abadesi @abadesi

Hustle Crew Academy

@xd_guru I keep hearing great things about this, must check it out.

Alex Devero @alexdevero

@realartemg Agree. One of the best thing on these books is that they are based on real experience, written by people who actually did that stuff.

XDGuru @xd_guru

@alexdevero not yet but it's in my list :)

Artem Galenko @unrealartemg

Atlassian

@alexdevero basecamp books are awesome)

Artem Galenko @unrealartemg

Atlassian

@Abadesi Thinking, Fast and Slow by D. Kahneman! This book is awesome and for sure will be useful for all of you guys! For me, book number one in decision making)

Abadesi @abadesi

Hustle Crew Academy

@unrealartemg I haven't read this in years, perhaps I'll pick it up again. I recently got Blinkist too so may re-read it there.