Productivity Articles | 99signals

21 Movies Every Entrepreneur Should Watch for Inspiration

Sandeep Mallya — Mon, 01 Apr 2024 05:38:01 +0000

Entrepreneurs, like most people, occasionally need a spark of inspiration to light up their path. And what better way to find inspiration than to take a break and watch some thought-provoking movies.

Movies have the power to inspire, challenge, and push us beyond our limits, making them the perfect companion on the entrepreneurial journey.

Regardless of where you currently stand on the entrepreneurial path, you’re sure to find some much-needed inspiration by watching the movies featured in this list.

Here are 21 inspiring movies every entrepreneur should watch.

21 Inspiring Movies for Entrepreneurs

1. The Social Network

Directed by David Fincher, The Social Network tells the story of how Mark Zuckerberg created Facebook while studying at Harvard and how he was later sued by two brothers who claimed he stole their idea, and his best friend who was ousted from the company.

Why watch it? It offers you a glimpse into how Facebook began and reminds you that big companies often have small beginnings. Aside from that, you have Aaron Sorkin’s brilliant script, David Fincher’s perfect direction, and a great ensemble cast.

Best Scene in the Movie: When Mark Zuckerberg meets Sean Parker for the first time.

2. Pirates of Silicon Valley

Based on the book Fire in the Valley: The Making of the Personal Computer, Pirates of Silicon Valley explores the rivalry between Steve Jobs and Bill Gates between 1971 – 1997. This movie came out in 1999, just when Steve Jobs began flourishing in his second innings at Apple. The movie ends with Bill Gates gaining the upper hand in the rivalry, but we all know what transpired next.

Why watch it? It offers a glimpse into the humble beginnings of two of the most iconic technology companies in the world and chronicles the rise of two men who totally transformed the world of technology.

Best Scene in the Movie: Steve Jobs interviews a prospective Apple employee.

3. Startup.com

If you want to learn more about the rise and fall of internet companies during the dotcom bubble, then Startup.com is the perfect movie. Startup.com is a business documentary film that follows the story of GovWorks, a promising startup that failed spectacularly because of mismanagement and internal power struggles.

Why watch it? Aside from showing you the boom and bust of the dotcom bubble era, the documentary also tells you a cautionary tale of how friendships can turn into bitter rivalries because of internal politics. Massively underrated, it’s easily one of the best startup movies of all time.

Best Scene in the Movie: No clip stands out in particular, so I’d suggest you watch the movie to get the full scoop. Luckily, you can watch the whole movie on YouTube.

4. Wall Street

This is the movie with the famous “Greed is good” speech, delivered by the charismatic Gordon Gekko played brilliantly by Michael Douglas, who won an academy award for his performance.

Directed by Oliver Stone, Wall Street tells the story of ambition and greed, portrayed brilliantly by Charlie Sheen and Michael Douglas respectively. The main protagonist, Bud Fox, idolizes Gekko and gets carried away by his glamorous lifestyle, only to get entangled in the vicious web of insider trading.

Why watch it? As young entrepreneurs, it’s often easy to be lured by greed and make morally reprehensible decisions. Wall Street serves as a cautionary tale of how ambition can sometimes lead us down an unethical path.

Word of advice: Skip the 2010 sequel starring Shia LaBeouf.

Best Scene in the Movie: The famous, or rather infamous, Gordon Gekko speech.

5. Glengarry Glenn Ross

A movie that stars Al Pacino, Kevin Spacey, Jack Lemmon, and Alec Baldwin (in a scene stealing cameo) should serve as motivation alone to watch this movie.

Glengarry Glenn Ross is based on an award-winning play which shows the plight of real estate salespeople during a tumultuous sales season.

Why watch it? The movie shows how it’s like to operate in a high pressure sales environment and how you need to use your wits in order to survive and thrive. Since its release, the movie has been used to train real life salesmen on how to sell and how not to sell.

Best Scene in the Movie: This ‘motivational’ speech by Alec Baldwin to the sales team. Enjoy!

6. The Big Short

Based on Michael Lewis’ book of the same title, The Big Short tells three separate but parallel stories of individuals who were able to predict and profit from the American financial crisis of 2007-08.

Directed by Adam McKay (best known for the Anchorman franchise prior to this movie), the movie features Oscar-worthy performances from Christian Bale and Steve Carell.

The film is also noted for employing unconventional techniques to explain complex and supposedly boring financial concepts like subprime mortgages and collateralized debt obligations (CDOs).

Why watch it? If you ever wanted to learn the real reasons behind the financial crisis of 2007-08 and not be bored to death at the same time, then you need to watch The Big Short.

While it serves as a cautionary tale for entrepreneurs, it also highlights the importance of risk-taking and conviction. Very few individuals would bet against the gigantic housing market at the time, but the characters in this movie (based on real people) do just that, despite facing mockery and ridicule from the entire financial community.

Best Scene in the Movie: Mark Baum (Steve Carell’s character) meets a shady CDO manager.

(Side note: The Big Short by Michael Lewis is one of my favorite business books of all time. If you liked the movie, I’d urge you to read the book as well. If you’re looking for more business books, check out this list of my 85+ favorite business books.)

7. The Wolf of Wall Street

The Wolf of Wall Street is based on the true story of Jordan Belfort. It follows his rise and fall as an entrepreneur, and shows how his firm Stratton Oakmont engaged in penny stock trading and securities scam, drawing the attention of the FBI.

Brilliantly directed by Martin Scorsese with stellar performances from Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, and a spectacular cameo by Matthew McConaughey (right at the peak of his “McConaissance.”)

Why watch it? Jordan Belfort is the perfect example of what an entrepreneur shouldn’t be. He was driven by greed, having little to no empathy towards the people he was duping, and lived a life of extreme debauchery which eventually led to his downfall.

Best Scene in the Movie: Matthew McConaughey describes what it takes to be a stock broker.

(Interesting Trivia – The chest thumping and humming performed by McConaughey was improvised and actually a warm-up rite that he performs before shooting a scene.)

8. Boiler Room

If you can ignore the fact that Vin Diesel plays a smooth-talking stockbroker in the movie, you’re going to enjoy this. And if you enjoyed The Wolf of Wall Street, you’re going to enjoy Boiler Room even more as it is loosely based on Stratton Oakmont, the fraudulent stock trading company founded by Jordan Belfort.

The characters in the movie worship Gordon Gekko from Wall Street and make their living manipulating gullible people into buying penny stocks. You know exactly where this is headed!

Why watch it? Aside from exposing you to interesting cold-calling tactics, Boiler Room is ultimately a cautionary tale for young entrepreneurs to not be swayed by the lifestyle of the rich and famous to make morally questionable decisions.

Best Scene in the Movie: The Group Interview!

9. Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened

Fyre festival was supposed to be the greatest music festival ever. Organized by Billy McFarland and rapper Ja Rule, the “luxury music festival” was promoted on Instagram by celebrities and social media influencers, including Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid, and Emily Ratajkowski. The only problem? It was all a scam, devised by MacFarland who had a history of starting up fraudulent business ventures.

Netflix’s documentary Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened gives us an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the ill-fated music festival.

To grasp the scale of this fraud, you have to watch the documentary as it includes some shocking revelations from Billy’s unfortunate team members, the festival goers who were stranded on the island, and the heartbreaking tale of a Bahamian restaurateur who had to spend $50,000 of her own life savings to pay her staff who were preparing and serving meals to the stranded festival goers. Luckily, she created a GoFundMe page after the release of the documentary where she was able to recuperate the lost amount, thanks to the sympathy and generosity of people who were moved by her tale in the documentary.

Why watch it? Aside from being hilariously entertaining, it’s a cautionary tale for young entrepreneurs about making promises and not delivering a good product. Billy MacFarland was a dubious character who made misleading promises and misrepresented facts just to sell expensive tickets to an affluent audience. He had no experience, skills, or even the attitude to manage a music festival of this scale and magnitude.

The documentary also serves as a reminder for entrepreneurs who invest a huge amount of money in marketing and advertising without making any investment in improving the product. Fyre had great marketing, thanks to the enormous fan-base of the social media influencers, but the event itself was so mismanaged that it’s amazing MacFarland and Ja Rule thought they could get away duping their customers like this.

Best Scene in the Movie: That would be event producer Andy King’s shocking confession. King became a viral meme on Reddit and Twitter after the documentary. A clip of this on YouTube will probably be taken down because of copyright issues, so I’m not linking to it here. You’d need to watch the full movie on Netflix. In the meantime, watch the trailer below:

Side note: Around the same time this documentary was released on Netflix, Hulu released its own documentary on Fyre festival called Fyre Fraud. Although the Netflix documentary is better, Hulu’s Fyre Fraud features an interview with Billy MacFarland who does his best to dodge difficult questions in a totally cringeworthy manner.

10. The Aviator

Yet another Scorsese-DiCaprio collaboration in the list. The Aviator is a biopic of Howard Hughes, the eccentric billionaire who overcame all the odds to become a famous businessman and successful film director, while coping with his gradually worsening OCD. DiCaprio is brilliant in the movie and his performance earned him his second Oscar nomination. It’s also one of the best biography movies of all time.

Why watch it? Howard Hughes didn’t just compete with rival companies with deep pockets and movie moguls with powerful connections, but fought his own internal battle with a debilitating mental illness like OCD. Despite so many obstacles, he remained passionate about aviation and built a powerful legacy. He is the perfect role model for fledgling entrepreneurs who have to overcome numerous obstacles in life to achieve great things.

Best Scene in the Movie: The Senate Hearings!

11. Moneyball

A fan of baseball? No? Never mind! Moneyball has less to do with baseball and more to do with Oakland A’s GM Billy Beane’s unique tactics to overcome the odds stacked against his team.

Faced with limited budget, Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) decides to take the untested sabermetric approach towards building his team to achieve incredible results in the Major Baseball League (MLB).

Why watch it? Billy Beane had to adapt to survive. He knew Oakland A’s couldn’t compete with the big guns in the league because they didn’t have deep pockets. As such, he had to take risks and make tough decisions to achieve good results. Most startups face a similar scenario when they go up against stiff competition from established businesses in the market. Billy Beane’s success story at Oakland A’s shows that success can be achieved through risk-taking and inventiveness.

Best Scene in the Movie: Billy Beane describes the problem at Oakland A’s.

12. The Founder

The Founder is a biopic of the American fast-food tycoon Ray Kroc. Starring Michael Keaton as Ray Kroc, the movie tells the story of his creation of McDonald’s fast-food restaurant chain, which became the biggest restaurant business in the world. It also stars Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch who play the McDonald brothers, the original founders of McDonald’s.

Why watch it? Despite being a controversial figure, Ray Kroc’s story is an inspiring one for entrepreneurs. He was a travelling milkshake mixer salesman who eventually transformed McDonald’s into a global franchise, making it the most successful fast food company in the world. It’s the biopic that narrates the rise of one of America’s most influential businessmen and perhaps the most recoginizable fast food brands in the world. At the same time, you feel for the original founders of McDonald’s, the McDonald brothers, who were dealt a bad hand and eventually forced out of business.

Best Scene in the Movie: Ray Kroc orders a meal at McDonald’s for the first time.

13. Margin Call

Yet another movie about the 2007-08 financial crisis, but this time it’s from the perspective of an investment bank deep in the crisis. The plot of Margin Call revolves around key people in a large investment bank and the actions they take over a 24-hour period during the initial stages of the financial crisis.

Although the fictional investment bank has no name in the movie, many believe the actions taken by the firm are too similar to the ones taken by Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch during the crisis.

Why watch it? Greed is never good, despite what Gordon Gekko says. Entrepreneurs must remember this at all times. Margin Call tells the story of a corporation that is steeped in greed and dishonesty. Like Wall Street and The Big Short, this movie is also a cautionary tale about the corruptive power of greed.

Best Scene in the Movie: Emergency meeting with the senior partners at the bank.

14. Steve Jobs

Not the one starring Ashton Kutcher, but the one with Michael Fassbender playing the iconic Apple co-founder. Directed by Danny Boyle and written by Aaron Sorkin (who also wrote The Social Network), Steve Jobs is a different sort of a biopic. It contains just 3 sequences, all depicting a pivotal point in Jobs’ life. The movie includes brilliant performances by Fassbender and Kate Winslet.

Why watch it? Though it was not as critically acclaimed as the studio hoped it would be, it’s still the best Steve Jobs biopic there is. If you don’t have the time to read Walter Isaacson brilliant Steve Jobs’ biography, watch this movie.

Best Scene in the Movie: Steve Jobs confronts John Sculley, the person responsible for getting him fired from the company he co-founded.

15. Thank You for Smoking

Want to master the art of marketing or selling just about any product? Then Thank You for Smoking is the movie you need to watch. The plot of the movie revolves around the machinations of Big Tobacco’s chief spokesman, Nick Naylor, who defends the cigarette industry in challenging situations.

Why watch it? Selling is an essential aspect of entrepreneurship and this movie teaches you that it’s possible to sell anything as long as you have data and persuasiveness to woo your audience.

Best Scene in the Movie: Nick Naylor (Aaron Eckhart) shows off his spin skills on Joan Lunden’s talk show.

16. The Pursuit of Happyness

The Pursuit of Happyness is a true story based on the life of entrepreneur Chris Gardner’s nearly one-year struggle of being homeless with his son while going through a gruelling 6-month unpaid internship as a stockbroker. Will Smith’s portrayal of Gardner earned him an Oscar nomination.

Why watch it? Chris Gardner overcame unbelievable circumstances to achieve his dreams. Circumstances that are not much different from what early-stage entrepreneurs face.

Best Scene in the Movie: After months of struggle, Chris Gardner is finally hired by Dean Witter Reynolds.

17. Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room

Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room is a documentary based on the best-selling book of the same name by Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind (the book is featured in my list of 85+ best books for entrepreneurs.)

The documentary examines the fall of Enron Corporation in 2001 and all the key players who were responsible for what came to be known as the Enron scandal. The film features interviews with the authors McLean and Elkind, as well as former Enron executives and employees, stock analysts, reporters, and the former Governor of California Gray Davis.

Why watch it? The story of Enron is the ultimate tale of greed and corruption. As such, it can provide key lessons to entrepreneurs and business leaders of the consequences of greed. From using faulty accounting practices to hiring unscrupulous characters in key roles, the top executives at Enron were driven solely by greed and profits, and as a result, did everything in their power to deceive the stakeholders and the general public until it all collapsed like a house of cards.

Best Scene in the Movie: No particular scene stands out, so I’d urge you to check out the documentary. You can watch the full movie on YouTube.

18. Any Given Sunday

Directed by Oliver Stone and featuring a great ensemble cast, including Al Pacino, Jamie Foxx, Cameron Diaz, Dennis Quaid, and LL Cool J, Any Given Sunday offers a behind-the-scenes look at the struggles of a fictional professional American football team.

Al Pacino plays a veteran coach who is facing the heat after having fallen out of favor with the team owner Christina Pagniacci (Cameron Diaz). This movie is a must-watch not just for Pacino fans, but also for budding entrepreneurs and sports enthusiasts.

Why watch it? I’d recommend this movie to entrepreneurs for the sheer grit and intensity shown by Al Pacino’s character in the face of adversity. He’s not just having a face-off with the unrelenting owners, but also trying to subvert a revolt from an emerging star within his team. But in the end, he overcomes all these challenges because of his inner strength and willpower to succeed.

Best Scene in the Movie: This epic speech by Al Pacino (Tony D’Amato) to his team before the start of a crucial playoff game.

19. The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley

Ever since I read Bad Blood by John Carreyrou, I have been fascinated with Theranos and its enigmatic founder Elizabeth Holmes.

The Inventor examines the rise and fall of Theranos, a multibillion dollar biotech company that was set to transform the healthcare industry. The documentary mainly revolves around Elizabeth Holmes, the founder of Theranos, and to some extent, the company’s COO Sunny Balwani.

The film chronicles how Holmes and Balwani engaged in fraudulent practices to mislead investors and business partners, and how both of them were more interested in marketing, promotion, and fame than in getting the actual mechanics of their technology working. They also spent most of their time intimidating and threatening former employees who had quit the company because of the deceptive practices followed by Theranos.

Why watch it? Theranos’ meteoric rise and catastrophic fall exemplifies the Silicon Valley attitude towards valuation. This should serve as a reminder to all of us to never get carried away by promises that sound too good to be true.

To tell the truth, I was a bit underwhelmed by the documentary as it’s not as compelling as Carreyrou’s book Bad Blood, which goes into greater detail into what transpired at Theranos. That said, the documentary presents a good overview of the Theranos scandal. But if you’d like to learn more about the scandal, I’d highly recommend you read Carreyrou’s book Bad Blood.

Best Scene in the Movie: Nothing stands out in particular. You’ll need to watch the documentary on HBO, and if you live in India, you can watch it on Hotstar. In the meantime, you can watch the trailer below:

20. The Great Hack

One of the most shocking scandals in 2018 was the Facebook–Cambridge Analytica data scandal, where it was revealed that Cambridge Analytica, a British political consulting firm, had harvested the personal data of millions of Facebook users without their consent and used it for political advertising purpose, including Brexit and Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.

The Great Hack is a documentary film that examines the Cambridge Analytica scandal through the eyes of people who were involved in it.

Why watch it? It reveals the extent to which our personal data is harvested by Facebook for advertising purposes. We all knew Facebook was mining our private data, but The Great Hack reveals the extent to which our privacy is violated by Facebook. And the sad part is this: Facebook got away doing this with just a slap on the wrist. As Scott Galloway writes in his book The Four, “Facebook has been weaponized; our faux outrage hasn’t translated to any tangible action, and it’s going to get worse.”

Best Scene in the Movie: No clips on YouTube that I can link to, so you’ll need to watch the movie on Netflix. In the meantime, you can watch the trailer below:

21. Becoming Warren Buffett

Becoming Warren Buffett is a documentary film about Warren Buffett and his life. The documentary examines the contrast between Warren Buffett’s expertise in investing and his personal relationship skills.

Why watch it? If young entrepreneurs can look up to just one role model for inspiration, it would have to be Warren Buffet. Warren Buffet is known for his business and investing acumen. But more importantly, his down-to-earth nature makes him one of the most admirable people to look up to. If you wanted to learn the secrets behind Buffet’s success, this is a must-watch documentary.

Best Scene in the Movie: Once again, I’d urge you to check out the full documentary, which you can watch on YouTube below:

Final Thoughts

If you’re ever in need of inspiration or would just like to take a break from your hectic work schedule, watch or rewatch these movies. You’ll not be disappointed.

Did I miss any of the best entrepreneur movies that you consider must-watch? Let me know in the comments section below.

If you liked this article, please share it on Twitter using the link below:

21 Movies Every Entrepreneur Should Watch for Inspiration Click to Tweet

Editor’s Note: This article was first published on July 26, 2017 and has been updated regularly since then for relevance and comprehensiveness.

Related Articles

The post 21 Movies Every Entrepreneur Should Watch for Inspiration appeared first on 99signals.

12 Best Productivity Books for Entrepreneurs

Sandeep Mallya — Wed, 26 Jul 2023 06:58:25 +0000

As an entrepreneur, you know that time is your most valuable asset. You’re constantly juggling tasks, projects, and deadlines, and it can be tough to stay on top of everything.

That’s where productivity books come in.

The right productivity book can help you:

Set clear goals and priorities
Break down large tasks into smaller, more manageable ones
Eliminate distractions and focus on what’s important
Develop better habits and routines
Optimize your time and energy

If you’re looking for a productivity boost, here are 12 of the best productivity books for entrepreneurs.

Top 12 Productivity Books for Entrepreneurs

1. Atomic Habits by James Clear

“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”

James Clear’s Atomic Habits dives into the incredible impact of small, incremental changes on our habits. It’s all about those little habits that pack a punch!

Clear emphasizes the concept of atomic habits, which are small, consistent actions that may seem insignificant at first, but over time, they accumulate and create remarkable results.

In the book, Clear offers practical strategies and actionable advice that are easy to implement. He shares effective methods to break bad habits and establish positive ones.

What’s great about Atomic Habits is that it presents a realistic approach to personal and professional growth. Clear provides real-life examples and vivid anecdotes to make his ideas come to life.

With over half a million reviews on Goodreads, Atomic Habits is perhaps the most popular productivity book on this list, and you may wonder if it lives up to the hype. Rest assured, this book surpasses expectations and delivers on its promises.

If you’re looking for a roadmap to make continuous improvement a natural part of your life, this book has got you covered.

Order Atomic Habits on Amazon

2. Indistractable by Nir Eyal

“Most people don’t want to acknowledge the uncomfortable truth that distraction is always an unhealthy escape from reality.”

From the best-selling author of Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products comes a book that unravels the science of attention and presents a groundbreaking approach to combating distraction in our information-saturated world.

Nir Eyal’s Indistractable addresses the prevalent issue of distraction in our modern, tech-driven society. In a casual and relatable tone, Eyal explores the root causes of distraction and provides practical strategies to reclaim our focus and regain control over our time and attention.

The book delves into internal triggers and provides tips for managing external distractions, setting goals, creating time-boxed schedules, and practicing focused work to enhance productivity and accomplish meaningful tasks.

Throughout the book, Eyal offers actionable advice, insightful anecdotes, and helpful exercises to guide readers on their journey to becoming “indistractable.” By applying the principles outlined in this book, you can cultivate a deep sense of focus, boost your productivity, and lead a more fulfilling life.

Order Indistractable on Amazon

3. The One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan

“Work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. The other four balls — family, health, friends, integrity — are made of glass. If you drop one of these, it will be irrevocably scuffed, nicked, perhaps even shattered.”

A must-read for entrepreneurs who want to maximize their productivity, The One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan provides a simple roadmap to cut through the clutter and focus on what truly matters.

The book challenges the notion of multitasking and instead advocates for identifying the one thing that, when accomplished, makes everything else easier or unnecessary. Keller and Papasan provide practical strategies for identifying and prioritizing this crucial task, leading you to sharpen your focus and remove any distractions standing in your way.

Packed with compelling examples, stories, and insights from successful individuals across various fields, the authors showcase how focusing on the one thing can lead to remarkable achievements.

Order The One Thing on Amazon

4. Eat That Frog! by Brian Tracy

“One of the very worst uses of time is to do something very well that need not to be done at all.”

With millions of copies sold worldwide, Eat That Frog! Is Brian Tracy’s most popular book.

If you find yourself constantly struggling with procrastination and yearning for a solution, Tracy’s book is like a divine intervention.

The “frog” in the title symbolizes the most difficult and important task on your to-do list. Brian Tracy emphasizes that by prioritizing and completing this task early in the day, you can eliminate procrastination, increase productivity, and achieve greater success in both personal and professional endeavors.

Packed with twenty-one rules and principles, Eat That Frog! provides a comprehensive roadmap to conquer difficult tasks, overcome the perils of procrastination, and elevate your performance and productivity to new heights.

Order Eat That Frog! on Amazon

5. Do the Work by Steven Pressfield

“A child has no trouble believing the unbelievable, nor does the genius or the madman. It’s only you and I, with our big brains and our tiny hearts, who doubt and overthink and hesitate.”

Steven Pressfield is a prominent figure in the realms of historical fiction, screenplays, and self-help literature. His most popular book, The War of Art, explores the different forms of resistance faced by artists and entrepreneurs, and offers practical strategies to overcome these obstacles and thrive creatively.

Do the Work picks up where The War of Art left off and serves as a concise and motivational guide that focuses on overcoming resistance and embracing the creative process.

Pressfield encourages readers to take action, face challenges, and remain persistent in their creative endeavors. The book provides practical advice and serves as a powerful tool to help individuals bring their ideas to life and achieve their goals.

Drawing from his own experiences as an author and screenwriter, Pressfield delves into the challenges and obstacles that often hinder progress and offers actionable advice to break through them.

This book is a perfect companion to other works by Pressfield, particularly The War of Art and Turning Pro.

Order Do the Work on Amazon

6. Smarter Faster Better by Charles Duhigg

“Every choice we make in life is an experiment.”

Though I considered adding The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg to this list, I must admit that his follow-up work, Smarter Faster Better, is even better and takes productivity insights to greater heights.

This book explores the science of productivity and provides valuable insights into achieving better results in all aspects of life. Drawing from cutting-edge research, it explores the key factors that set highly successful individuals and organizations apart from others.

Duhigg presents a compelling framework that emphasizes the importance of motivation, goal-setting, decision-making, focus, innovation, and teamwork in attaining peak performance.

Smarter Faster Better offers a wealth of interesting ideas and mental models, but the one that resonated with me the most was that of “cognitive tunneling.” Duhigg highlights how this mental glitch that occurs when our brains are forced to transition abruptly from relaxed automation to panicked attention can result in catastrophic events, as evidenced by the Air France Flight 447 tragedy.

Order Smarter Faster Better on Amazon

7. Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

“People who learn to control inner experience will be able to determine the quality of their lives, which is as close as any of us can come to being happy.”

In his seminal book Flow, renowned psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi presents an in-depth exploration of the concept of flow, where individuals experience optimal engagement and enjoyment in their activities. Like a skilled surfer riding the crest of a wave, those in flow become fully absorbed and energized by their pursuits, achieving peak performance and profound satisfaction.

The book provides valuable techniques, backed by thorough research and real-life illustrations, to cultivate the state of flow and reach peak performance in different areas of life. In fact, Csikszentmihalyi’s groundbreaking work on the flow state has been a key reference in several of the books on productivity featured on this list.

Order Flow on Amazon

8. Getting Things Done by David Allen

“If you don’t pay appropriate attention to what has your attention, it will take more of your attention than it deserves.”

No list of the best productivity books would be complete without featuring the works of productivity guru David Allen. While any of his books offer a wealth of productivity hacks, Getting Things Done stands out as the most influential and valuable resource.

Allen’s book offers a comprehensive framework for organizing tasks, reducing stress, and achieving greater efficiency. Allen’s methodology, known as GTD, provides a step-by-step approach to managing workflow, capturing ideas, and maintaining a clear and stress-free mind.

If you’d like to boost your productivity, improve time management, and excel in your business endeavors, make sure to grab a copy of Getting Things Done today.

Order Getting Things Done on Amazon

9. Mini Habits by Stephen Guise

“Be the person with embarrassing goals and impressive results instead of one of the many people with impressive goals and embarrassing results.”

Stephen Guise’s Mini Habits is a productivity book that introduces a simple yet powerful strategy for creating positive changes in one’s life. The core concept revolves around the idea of setting extremely small, manageable habits, or “mini habits,” to overcome resistance and build momentum towards bigger goals.

Guise argues that traditional approaches to forming habits often fail because they require significant willpower and can be overwhelming. Instead, he proposes setting mini habits that are so easy to do that they almost feel effortless. By committing to these mini habits consistently, they become ingrained in our routines, leading to lasting behavioral changes.

With relatable examples and practical advice, Mini Habits is one of the best books on productivity for entrepreneurs and content creators.

If you enjoyed Atomic Habits (see #1), you’ll find Stephen Guise’s Mini Habits to be a fantastic addition to your reading list of business books.

10. Deep Work by Cal Newport

“If you don’t produce, you won’t thrive—no matter how skilled or talented you are.”

Deep Work is easily one of the best productivity books for entrepreneurs and business owners to improve focus, productivity, and business success.

In the book, bestselling author and productivity expert Cal Newport advocates for the importance of focused, undistracted work in today’s hyper-connected world. Newport argues that deep work, which refers to the ability to concentrate without interruption on cognitively demanding tasks, is becoming increasingly rare but is essential for producing high-quality work and achieving professional success.

Throughout the book, Newport provides actionable strategies for cultivating deep work habits. He also shares real-life examples of individuals and organizations that have embraced deep work principles and achieved remarkable success as a result.

In simple terms, Deep Work encourages entrepreneurs and creators to reevaluate their work habits, prioritize depth over shallowness, and unlock their full potential in an increasingly distracted world.

Order Deep Work on Amazon

11. Drive by Daniel Pink

“Human beings have an innate inner drive to be autonomous, self-determined, and connected to one another. And when that drive is liberated, people achieve more and live richer lives.”

For entrepreneurs in pursuit of motivation, Daniel Pink’s bestseller Drive offers all the necessary answers.

Drawing and expanding on insights revealed by two scientists, Harry F. Harlow and Edward Deci, Pink offers us a fresh perspective on human motivation.

Throughout the book, Pink intertwines scientific research, engaging stories, and practical examples to emphasize his points. From innovative companies that have successfully implemented these principles to individuals who have found fulfilment by embracing intrinsic motivation, Drive offers a compelling case for adopting a new approach to motivation in both our personal and professional lives.

Order Drive on Amazon

12. The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy

“You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.”

In The Compound Effect, bestselling author and entrepreneur Darren Hardy highlights how making small, positive changes and maintaining consistent habits can create a profound impact on one’s life.

The core concept of the compound effect is that small actions, when consistently applied, will compound and build momentum, ultimately resulting in substantial improvements in various aspects of life, including personal growth, relationships, health, and finances.

The book contains practical examples and relatable stories that demonstrate how the compound effect works and how it can lead to exponential growth and success in all areas of life.

Order The Compound Effect on Amazon

Final Thoughts

There you have it — the 12 best productivity books for entrepreneurs. These aforementioned books offer a treasure trove of lessons and insights that can change the way you approach work.

From mastering time management to harnessing the power of habits and unlocking your creative potential, these books provide valuable tools and strategies to elevate your productivity and achieve greater success.

Did I leave out any of your favorite productivity books? Please share your favorite productivity book in the comments section below. I’d love to hear your recommendations.

Related Articles

The post 12 Best Productivity Books for Entrepreneurs appeared first on 99signals.

Top 9 Productivity Extensions for Chrome [Infographic]

Sam Zaman — Tue, 29 Aug 2017 14:21:31 +0000

This September Google Chrome completes 9 years since it was originally launched, back in 2008.

In July 2017, StatCounter reported 63.47 % browser market share for Chrome which is staggering by any means.

The number is only for desktop, though late last year, for the first time, users across the globe accessed internet on mobile devices more than they did on desktop.

The story isn’t any different for mobile. Chrome continues to dominate the space with over 1 billion application downloads on Playstore alone.

While the journey ahead, is tough for Firefox, Safari and others in the list, Chrome too needs to keep up with the momentum and not lax in the popularity of Google’s other channels.

As much as the end users are enjoying Chrome, independent developers too, are reaping in the opportunity by releasing tens of thousands of Chrome extensions every day.

Usually built using a strong framework, extensions involve less intricacy and delivers seamlessly on the user side, since limited functionality is to be achieved.

Catering to a diverse collection of internet users, the category is huge with something for everyone. Sales, support, marketing, privacy, social side, security, lifestyle, learning, education, aestheticism – the list is infinite.

While it’s good to know the top ones in each category, today we talk about some wonderful productivity extensions for Chrome. Take a look at this infographic –

Related Articles

The post Top 9 Productivity Extensions for Chrome [Infographic] appeared first on 99signals.

5 Ways to Increase Productivity in a Startup

Rachel McPherson — Mon, 24 Apr 2017 14:19:44 +0000

Running a successful startup proved to be a bigger of a challenge than you had expected it to be?

Clients are still few, and you need to make sure that each and every single one of them is happy with the final result they receive. However, your team is unmotivated and unorganized, there is a lot of miscommunication, and as a result, deadlines might be breached. Something is amiss, and you need to get on top of it – ASAP!

After a quick analysis, it became apparent that your small company has productivity issues – issues that can transform into serious problems if nothing is done about them. But where to start, and which moves can you make to improve the overall productivity of your startup? Well here are five methods to consider that have proven to be helpful in the past.

#1 Keep Track of Time

In the eight working hours during which you need to get things done, some obstacles are bound to appear – not just in front of you, but in front of your team as well. In these cases, time management is of the utmost importance:

Start the timer – Break complex projects into smaller, well-defined tasks and focus on completing just one of them at the time. Not only will you be able to stay on top of your game, but you will be able to bill your clients more precisely.
Use time tracking tools – use to-do list or a time chart that will indicate the approximate time spent on each task and give you a better insight on your team’s performance and productivity.
Avoid unnecessary meetings – according to this colorful infographic, office employee spends around 31 hours per month attending unproductive meetings. Plan your day carefully and insist on holding the standing meetings if possible – it’ll be a timesaver.

#2 Rely on Proper Tools to Increase Productivity

There is an app for everything nowadays: accounting, analytics, social networking, writing or project and customer relation management. But choosing which one to use is the predicament.

For example, many scale-ups have opted for a sort of an alternative for an Email.

Also, when it comes to project planning, task delegating, client correspondence or billing, there are many solutions, but not all of them come in one comprehensive package. There are certain project management tools for startups out there that can improve freshly gathered team’s productivity through collaboration and better internal communications as well as better insight into project progress.

#3 Try to Make Work Fun!

If possible, let your company culture be built by your employees – if not, try to adopt the existing one to their needs. The positive working environment will make them happy, and having happy employees will result in:

Reduced employee turnover – maintaining a fun work culture is imperative for employee retention. Workers who feel welcome and valued on daily bases are more loyal to their company, thus less likely to leave.
Better efficiency and productivity – The effectiveness of a startup can be measured by the productivity of each person employed there. An unhappy and stressed employee will be distracted at the best (negligent at the worst) when it comes to performing their daily duties. Fun equals happiness, and a happy employee is a productive employee.
Reputation among potential employees – fun environment can attract talented workers which will provide a better quality of the final product. After that, the math is simple: better product is sold at higher prices, and better turnover will result in the overall growth of company’s value in the financial market.

#4 Invest in Training

Now that you made your team happy, it is time to ensure their satisfaction for the years to come. In the beginning, startups rely on a small number of selected employees to perform a wide array of duties. But later on, as the business grows and evolves, you will be forced to take on some new faces. At this point you should tread lightly: don’t hire too many – the right person for the job may already be at your disposal.

For example: Instead of hiring a Python developer whom you don’t know too much about, why not allow your trusted Php developer to learn Python? He will be grateful for the opportunity, he’ll have his skill-set improved, and on top of that, your company will benefit in the long run. Employees are more likely to stay and dedicate themselves to company’s goals if they feel they can further develop their careers within the organization.

#5 Adapt Workspace to Your Team’s Needs

According to research conducted by Sheffield Hallam University, there is enough evidence to claim that comfort can affect productivity. And while ‘comfort’ is nearly impossible to measure or quantify, some tips can help you make company’s workspace more “engaging” for your employees:

Color all the walls – Depending on your company’s structure, you may have to paint different rooms in various colors: blue for mind work, yellow for creativity, red for manual labor, green for focus – so says the color psychologist Angela Wright. And if there is any truth to Mrs. Wright’s claims, it is actually a rather small investment for an increased productivity.
Provide natural light – according to study titled “Impact of Workplace Daylight Exposure on Sleep, Physical Activity, and Quality of Life”, artificial light can harm office workers’ sleep, activity, and quality of life. Big windows, a lot of daylight and blue sky can go a long way when one is looking for an inspiration.
Playrooms are the way to go – working for a startup IS stressful, and your team WILL need a place to blow off some steam. Whether is the by the foosball table or any gaming console, short breaks filled with entertainment can prove to be just like power naps – a perfect solution for charging the batteries up and soldering on for another hour or two.

There are many ways to improve productivity at startups, and they all originate from the same premise: an organized and happy employee is a productive employee. Since most startups are digital technology based, it is the people and their skill sets that hold the value. Therefore, make time for your team and analyze their needs – in the future, it will reward you tenfold.

Related Articles

The post 5 Ways to Increase Productivity in a Startup appeared first on 99signals.

FreshBooks vs QuickBooks Online: Which Accounting Software is the Best?

Sandeep Mallya — Sun, 24 Jul 2016 20:07:55 +0000

FreshBooks and QuickBooks are two of the most popular web-based accounting tools on the market.

QuickBooks has been around since 1980s, but its latest web-based iteration QuickBooks Online provides the same accounting services as a modern cloud-based accounting system. FreshBooks, founded in 2003, is relatively new when compared with QuickBooks. It’s tailored more towards small businesses and solopreneurs or freelancers.

In this article, we will be comparing these two accounting tools on these factors: pricing, product features, ease of use, customer service, and customer feedback & reviews.

Let’s deep dive into each of the factors and see how these tools measure up.

FreshBooks vs QuickBooks Online: Which is the Best Accounting Software?

Pricing

Both FreshBooks and QuickBooks have a three-tiered pricing system, but QuickBooks is relatively cheaper. Furthermore, both services offer a free 30-day plan which is a great way to familiarize yourself with the product and test some of the product features.

The basic plan for FreshBooks (called Lite) starts at $12.95/month, and it allows you to create unlimited invoices, track expenses and time. However, you can only bill up to 5 clients.

QuickBooks has recently introduced the Self-Employed plan which you can sign up for $10/month and $5 per month if you are willing to pay for six months in advance.

From the price perspective, QuickBooks has an edge over FreshBooks, but it may be lacking some of the features that the latter provides which we’ll explain next.

FreshBooks Pricing

QuickBooks Online Pricing

Winner: QuickBooks

Product Features

Both FreshBooks and QuickBooks have some really good features. The size of your business will probably determine which accounting software you like more.

Here are some features which FreshBooks provides better than QuickBooks:

Features a late payment reminder which QuickBooks doesn’t have
Has a payment history feature that allows both you and your clients to view your past transactions and payments.
Gives you access to a downloadable copy of your expenses
Has forecasting and budgeting features to secure the future of your business
Has built-in time-tracking and project tracking features
Excellent customer support, far better than QuickBooks (more on this later)

And here are some features which QuickBooks provides better than FreshBooks:

Can handle complex inventory situations unlike FreshBooks
Has a multiple user feature which you can give permission level individually
Has more integrations than FreshBooks (240 add-ons compared to FreshBooks’ 70 add-ons)

QuickBooks has more advanced accounting features such as double-entry bookkeeping, bank reconciliation, etc. making it perfect for accountants and businesses which have complex accounting requirements. For small business owners and freelancers, FreshBooks has a slight edge as their whole solution is tailored towards small businesses and entrepreneurs with little to no knowledge of accounting.

Winner: Tie

Ease of Use

Both FreshBooks and QuickBooks are easy to set up and have a clean, smooth interface. But QuickBooks has a more extensive suite of features than FreshBooks and learning all these features certainly takes time. The navigation is a little complicated and frankly, the first time you use QuickBooks, you may get lost and a little frustrated.

FreshBooks, on the other hand, offers a free 45-minute webinar where you can learn all the FreshBooks fundamentals. It is an accounting software meant for non-accountants and their ad which you can watch below clearly elucidates the buyer persona for their service.

Winner: FreshBooks

Customer Support

FreshBooks is the clear winner here. Many customers have complained about their poor experience with the QuickBooks’ customer support team. There is no email support and the support team usually takes a long time to resolve any issue.

In contrast, FreshBooks prides itself on its excellent customer support. Here are a few customer testimonials featured on their website:

They also have a very resourceful support page and organize weekly webinars to cover the fundamentals of the product. They have both phone and email support, and the customer representatives are friendly and helpful.

Winner: FreshBooks

Customer Feedback and Reviews

The overall sentiment around QuickBooks is fairly positive. On G2 Crowd, QuickBooks has a rating of 4 out of 5 with 2700+ ratings.

Here are some of the biggest customer gripes about QuickBooks:

Poor customer support
Unfriendly interface
Frequent service outages
Data conversion issues

FreshBooks, in contrast, is a popular product among its user base and has very few online complaints. People usually complain about the lack of basic accounting features, such as double-entry bookkeeping, bank reconciliation, etc. However, these are minor gripes compared to the customer grievances attributed to QuickBooks.

The overall sentiment around FreshBooks is overwhelmingly positive. On G2 Crowd, FreshBooks has a decent rating of 4.5 out of 5 with 600+ ratings.

Winner: FreshBooks

FreshBooks vs QuickBooks: Final Verdict

If you’re a small business owner or an entrepreneur who’s looking for a reliable accounting software, then you should probably go with FreshBooks. As you can clearly see from this comparison article, FreshBooks has a slight edge over QuickBooks in almost all factors. QuickBooks is meant for complex accounting and is usually the preferred choice for accountants and business owners who have complex accounting requirements.

The decision to buy an accounting software will purely depend on your preference, your knowledge of accounting, and the size of your business. If you check the reviews online, you’ll find a lot of complaints regarding QuickBooks and most of them highlight their poor customer service which is a huge factor. When you’re setting up and trying to master the accounting software for your business, customer service plays such a crucial role in developing a favorable opinion of the product. In my opinion, good customer service is a hygiene factor and the fact that a company of QuickBooks’ reputation doesn’t seem to care about it much speaks volumes.

However, the choice is yours. If you’ve used QuickBooks in the past and are quite familiar with the interface, features and can stand their customer support, then I see no reason for you to switch. On the other hand, if this is the first time you’re considering investing in an accounting software and need a top-notch customer service team to guide you with the whole process, then I strongly recommend FreshBooks.

You can try both these tools for FREE for 30 days. Below are the links:

Try FreshBooks for FREE for 30 days

Try QuickBooks for FREE for 30 days

Excel Shortcuts for Mac to Make Your Life Easy

99signals Editorial — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 14:08:17 +0000

Many marketers who own a MacBook use Microsoft Excel every day, whether it’s to analyze data, create a pricing table, or to make a presentation to the client.

Creating reports in Excel is a laborious, time-consuming task. Wouldn’t it be better if you could spend a little less time navigating, formatting, and entering formulas for the data? Hence we’ve put together a list of keyboard shortcuts for Microsoft Excel.

[Exclusive Deals] 25 Best AppSumo Deals for Entrepreneurs & Bloggers

Although you can perform these manually, knowing these shortcuts will help you save some time and let you focus on things that matter.

Side note: Want to master Google advanced search operators to uncover a goldmine of marketing opportunities? We’ve got you covered! Check out our list of 38 essential Google search operators for SEOs and marketers.

Excel Shortcuts for Mac to Help You Save Time

(Note: To access the F keys (F1–F12), you’ll have to hold the Fn key before pressing any F key — unless you’ve enabled those keys as standard function keys)

Navigation Shortcuts

These simple shortcuts can help you navigate between workbooks, sheets, rows and columns.

Shift + Enter = Move up through a selection
Command + ↑ = Jump to the top of a column
Command + ↓ = Jump to the bottom of a column
CTRL + . = Jump to the corner of a selection
Command + W = Close the active workbook window
Command + Shift + F6 = Switch to previous workbook window
CTRL + Tab = Switch to the next open worksheet
CTRL + Shift + Tab = Switch to the previous open worksheet (Mac)
F11 = Start a new chart sheet
Shift + F11 = Insert a new sheet
Command + Y = Repeat the last action
CTRL + d = Fill selected cell with the content in the cell above selected cell
CTRL + r = Fill selected cell with the content in the cell to the left of selected cell

Formatting Shortcuts

Command + F = Find and replace values
CTRL + Shift + % = Show all values as percentages
CTRL + Shift + $ = Show all values as currency
CTRL + Shift + ~ = Show all values in general number format
Command + Option + 0 = Apply an outline border to selected cells
Command + b = Apply or remove bold formatting to selected cells
Command + i = Apply or remove italic formatting to selected cells
CTRL + 9 = Hide selected rows
CTRL + Shift + ( = Unhide selected rows
CTRL + 0 = Hide selected columns
CTRL + Shift + ) = Unhide selected columns
CTRL + ; = Insert current date
Command + ; = Insert current time
Command + k = Insert a hyperlink

Recommended reading: 21 Movies Every Entrepreneur Should Watch for Inspiration

Selecting Rows & Columns

Shift + ↑ [or] Shift + ↓ = Expand the selection by one cell either upward (↑) or downward (↓)
Command + Shift + Arrow Key = Expand the selection to the last non-empty cell
CTRL + [spacebar] = Select entire column
Shift + [spacebar] = Select entire row
Command + a = Select entire sheet
Command + Shift + z = Select only the visible cells in the current selection

Formulas

= (the ‘equals sign) = Start a formula
Command + Shift + t = Insert AutoSum formula
CTRL + u = Edit active cell
CTRL + a = Display the Formula Builder after you type a valid function name in a formula

Others

F7 = Open spelling & grammar check
Shift + F2 = Insert a comment
Command + Shift + s = Save your work as

Do you think we missed any useful shortcuts? Let us know in the comments section.

Related Articles

The post Excel Shortcuts for Mac to Make Your Life Easy appeared first on 99signals.