Can you recommend some books on business startup and venture capital? (Novel related ones are also welcomed.)

Well, 'The Hard Thing About Hard Things' by Ben Horowitz is a top pick. It tells about the real challenges in running a startup. For venture capital, 'Secrets of Sand Hill Road' by Scott Kupor is great. And a novel - like book that's relevant is 'The Innovator's Dilemma' by Clayton Christensen. It presents business concepts in an almost story - like way.

One great book is 'The Lean Startup' by Eric Ries. It provides valuable insights on how to build a startup in a more efficient and effective way. It's a must - read for entrepreneurs.

Another great example is Airbnb. In the early days, Airbnb faced many challenges as it was a new concept in the travel and accommodation industry. However, venture capitalists saw the disruptive potential. They funded Airbnb's growth, which allowed the company to scale up operations, improve its platform, and gain global recognition. Now, Airbnb has changed the way people travel and has a huge market share in the short - term rental space.

Sure. One horror story is about a startup that got a large VC investment. The VCs then took over the decision - making process completely. They forced the founders to pivot in a direction that the founders knew was wrong. Eventually, the company went bankrupt.

Well, 'Liar's Poker' by Michael Lewis is a must - read. It offers an insider's view of the bond market in the 1980s. It's filled with interesting characters and wild stories. Also, 'The Bonfire of the Vanities' by Tom Wolfe. It delves into the excesses and social hierarchies in the business and upper - class worlds in New York City.

Some excellent books on startup stories include 'Outliers' by Malcolm Gladwell. Although not strictly about startups, it has many lessons about success that can be applied. 'The Startup Owner's Manual' by Steve Blank and Bob Dorf is a comprehensive guide. It covers everything from idea generation to scaling. Then there's 'The $100 Startup' by Chris Guillebeau, which is inspiring for those looking to start small and grow big, with real - life examples of successful micro - startups.

One well - known venture capital success story is that of Google. In its early days, Google received venture capital funding. This capital allowed them to develop their search technology, expand their infrastructure, and hire top talent. Eventually, Google became one of the most dominant companies in the world, revolutionizing the way we access information and making its early investors very wealthy.

" Ventures " was an ancient novel that told the story of a young lady who met a poor scholar. After the young lady discovered that the scholar was very talented, she gave him some silver and promised him her body. The scholar left after swearing. The young lady asked the maid to record the scholar's name. This novel was named one of the best short novels in 2018. I'm not sure about the CEO's novel recommendation.

There was a story about a venture capital firm that launched a new fund specifically for female - led startups. This is a significant top story as it addresses the gender gap in entrepreneurship and shows the increasing focus on diversity in the venture capital space.

Yes. Amazon's corporate venture capital arm has had some great success stories. They invested in Ring, a smart doorbell company. Ring was able to grow rapidly with Amazon's support and resources. Eventually, Amazon acquired Ring, which has been a great success in terms of expanding Amazon's smart home offerings. Also, Salesforce Ventures has seen success. Their investment in Slack, for instance, was a smart move. Slack became very popular in the workplace communication space, and Salesforce Ventures benefited both financially and strategically from this investment.