From Staff Platform Engineer to a16z Founder

Everything mentioned in the talk, plus extras.

📚 Essential Books

Customer Validation

• The Mom Test — Rob Fitzpatrick
  • Why read: Learn to ask questions that extract truth, not polite lies
  • Key insight: Talk about their life, not your idea
• Lean Customer Development — Cindy Alvarez
  • Why read: Step-by-step process for customer conversations
  • Key insight: Get out of the building and talk to customers

Growth & Network Effects

• The Cold Start Problem — Andrew Chen
  • Why read: Understand how products get sticky through networks
  • Key insight: Solving the “cold start” is the hardest part of network effects
• Traction — Gabriel Weinberg & Justin Mares
  • Why read: Systematic approach to finding your acquisition channel
  • Key insight: Test widely, then double down on what works

Product Management

• Inspired — Marty Cagan
  • Why read: Product management fundamentals
  • Key insight: Fall in love with the problem, not your solution

Startup Operations

• The Lean Startup — Eric Ries
  • Why read: Build–measure–learn foundation
  • Key insight: Validated learning > opinions
• Zero to One — Peter Thiel
  • Why read: Contrarian thinking about startups
  • Key insight: Go from 0→1 (create new), not 1→N (copy)

Hiring & Culture

• Who — Geoff Smart & Randy Street
  • Why read: Systematic approach to hiring A-players
  • Key insight: Chronology-based interviews reveal patterns
• The Alliance — Reid Hoffman
  • Why read: Tours-of-duty approach to employment
  • Key insight: 2–4 year tours align incentives
• Radical Candor — Kim Scott
  • Why read: Give direct feedback with empathy
  • Key insight: Care personally and challenge directly
• Powerful — Patty McCord
  • Why read: Netflix culture principles
  • Key insight: Treat people like adults