The Two Resources I Recommend to Every Founder

When early-stage founders ask me for advice, I don’t give them a long list of books or a stack of motivational quotes.

I point them to just two things:

  • Zero to One

  • My First Million podcast

These aren’t just random picks — they’re opposites that complete each other.

Strategy Meets Street Smarts

Think of them as two sides of the same coin:

  • Zero to One helps you think in frameworks and see the world like a venture capitalist.

  • My First Million bombards you with creative, real-world business ideas — the kind that actually get traction.

One is vision.
The other is velocity.

Why You Need Both

If there’s one thing I’ve learned as a founder, it’s this:

You can’t succeed on ideas alone.
And you can’t win on strategy without action.

You need:

  • Big-picture thinking

  • Tactical execution

  • Imagination and iteration

  • Vision and hustle

Ambition + Practicality = Real Traction

On their own, each resource offers a partial blueprint.

  • Zero to One pushes you to think bigger than competition — to find and create new markets.

  • My First Million shows you the scrappy paths that real founders have taken to get there.

Together?
They form a complete startup playbook.