📚 Influential Reads to Help You Build Smarter, More Person-Centered Products

During my nearly ten years working at startups—ranging from seed to Series B—I hardly made time to read career books. After long hours at my computer or talking with colleagues in conference rooms, I usually chose to unwind with a good Pandora station or Spotify playlist. Eventually, I got into podcasts during my San Francisco commutes. But in hindsight, I wish I had spent more time with the books written by the people who shaped our industry.

There’s no better way to reset your mindset, unlock powerful insights, and find inspiration than by reading. Whether you're launching your first MVP, scaling a team, or trying to crack Product-Market Fit, the right advice at the right time can change everything.

As a product advisor and fractional CPO, here’s a stack of books I return to again and again—for myself, for my clients, and for anyone trying to build meaningful, successful digital products.

1. The Lean Startup by Eric Ries

I had the fortune and honor of having Eric’s team come to LendingClub and run workshops during my time as a Director of Product for platform services. The lean startup methodologies are timeless. This is the modern classic that introduced validated learning, the Build-Measure-Learn loop, and lean experimentation to a generation of founders and a massive generation of enterprises undergoing digital transformation. Still one of the best frameworks for reducing waste and building something people actually want—especially when resources are tight.

Great for: Founders, first-time builders, and anyone iterating on an MVP—even inside a Fortune 500.

2. Product is Hard by Marty Cagan

Silicon Valley Product Group hosted workshops for our leadership team at LendingClub in 2017, and I still refer back to those notebooks. This book is a no-fluff, candid set of essays from the legendary product thinker behind Inspired and Empowered.

Great for: Product leaders, startup execs, and founders scaling product teams.

3. Continuous Discovery Habits by Teresa Torres

Teresa Torres is a national treasure. Her book is a must-read for embedding discovery into your organizations. Torres makes a strong case for weekly touch-points with customers and shows us how to turn insights into actionable outcomes through one of my favorite topics to teach on:, the OST: Opportunity Solution Trees. I referenced many of Teresa Torres’ principles and teachings in my own lectures and workshops at Product School.

Great for: PMs, researchers, and cross-functional teams focused on learning and iterating.

4. Pattern Breakers by Mike Maples Jr. and Peter Ziebelman

I learned about this book at a Floodgate Ventures event. It’s a deep dive into how “thunder lizard” startups—those that fundamentally reshape industries—are built. My favorite takeaway? The concept of finding your co-conspirators who share your mission to reshape the future.

Great for: Visionary founders, early-stage investors, and product leaders building category-defining companies.

5. The Elements of User Experience by Jesse James Garrett

I often use this book in coaching sessions and UX workshops. It introduces the five planes of UX—from strategy to surface—and remains relevant across web, mobile, and AI-based experiences.

Great for: Product professionals collaborating with design or anyone needing a strong UX foundation.

6. The Field Guide to Human-Centered Design by IDEO.org

My introduction to IDEO's approach began back in 2009 at Tellme Networks. Their book and workshop materials were everywhere in the office and many of their principles guided the building and deployment of cutting-edge IVR technology that we were developing at the time for Microsoft. More than a book—it’s a hands-on, step-by-step toolkit for applying human-centered design in the field. It’s especially useful for teams doing discovery in complex systems, underserved markets, or social impact spaces.

Great for: Teams doing discovery in complex systems or building for social impact.

7. Fire: Inexpensive, Restrained, and Elegant Methods Ignite Innovation by Dan Ward

This is a favorite among scrappy product builders. Ward’s FIRE method—Fast, Inexpensive, Restrained, Elegant—challenges the idea that more time and money always lead to better products.

Great for: Lean startup teams, innovation leads, and anyone operating under tight constraints.

8. Bonus: Listen While You Work

If you're like me, juggling meetings, workshops, and long walks with the dog—consider grabbing the audiobook or Kindle versions. Many of these titles are available in both formats, so you can absorb wisdom while you're on the move.

💬 Let’s Swap Book Recs

Have a favorite product or tech book that changed how you build or lead? I’d love to hear it. Drop me a note—or reach out if you'd like a curated reading list for your product team.