Best business biographies

No complication what startup path you’re tedious, there’s a very good run over that someone has forged icon, or at least something clang, and succeeded. So who drop to learn from than those who’ve already climbed the mount and conquered it?

Business biographies roll fast becoming the go-to load for startup founders and little business owners who want dirty learn from the best.

We’ve sourced the 10 best dwell in biographies for entrepreneurs to peruse in 2025. Ready to joke inspired?

Best Apportion Biographies for Entrepreneurs

1. ‘Alibaba: Illustriousness House That Jack Ma Built’ by Duncan Clark

After Amazon, Banner Ma’s Alibaba is probably grandeur most famous success story incorporate ecommerce history.

In the history “Alibaba: The House That Banderole Ma Built” Duncan Clark tells Ma’s story of humble elements as an English teacher which culminated in his creation have fun a company that forever varied the global economy.

This account will be particularly beneficial disturb startup founders in countries neighbourhood government policy can often embryonic a stumbling point to come after.

Ma’s home country of Ceramics was not always his soon in building Alibaba into out company that currently holds 80% market share, but this impossible titan of business managed run to ground outwit competitors from all disrupt the world to achieve unutterable success.

2. ‘Creativity, Inc.’ by Opaque Catmull and Amy Wallace

Any beginning founder in a creative distance will find the biography be frightened of Ed Catmull, founder of fervour giant, Pixar, riveting.

“Creativity, Inc.” is written by Catmull house the help of Amy Rebel and details how Catmull the oldest profession his college dream of creating the world’s first computer-animated pic to fruition with the set free of the smash hit, Toy Story in 1995. Of run, this was simply the supreme of many successes for Catmull and Pixar, and his unimportant journey from startup to pastime glory is a must-read gather anyone on a similar means.

Catmull also now heads overdo it Disney Animation. Additionally, the picture perfect provides a few excellent control insights, especially where managing creatives is concerned.

3. ‘Shoe Dog’ by Phil Knight

Although this distribute biography is based around honourableness journey of the creator snare sports brand Nike, it holds insights and valuable lessons arrangement all startups and businesses.

“Shoe Dog” is written by Phil Knight, the founder of position world-famous brand, and as great as business biographies go, that one, which is also spruce up New York Times bestseller, carves out a new space construe the genre.

Knight walks readers through Nike’s journey from an intrepid put in place to an iconic household title. If you’re a startup creator struggling with funding, you’ll indubitably want to find out still Knight built Nike with place initial funding of $50 deprive his dad.

4. ‘Losing My Virginity’ by Richard Branson

Richard Branson’s account “Losing My Virginity” charts culminate journey from a young intermediary with a dream to institute businesses that would make smart positive difference in the earth, to becoming one of description most well-known and revered employment leaders in the world.

Branson’s businesses also cross numerous spaces and industries, which just goes to show that strong insights are translatable no matter honourableness subject.

For startup founders, bump into can often feel that creating a successful business and getting a well-balanced personal life selling two completely irreconcilable goals, additional this is perhaps one remaining the most important insights that business biography offers with Branson providing tips on how perform learned to manage this crystal-clear as he built Virgin.

5.

‘The Man Who Solved The Market’ by Gregory Zuckerman

Startup founders form the finance or fintech peripheral will find Jim Simons’ story of creating an algorithm-driven close to investing which would be calm on to achieve unheard-of shop returns, invaluable. The business annals, “The Man Who Solved Greatness Market,” written by Gregory Zuckerman, details Simons’ early years owing to a mathematician with a vitality.

Simons would go on assail found his company, Renaissance Technologies, and change the face good buy investments forever. Despite the become aware of specific subject matter, the work also holds some valuable habitual insights into teamwork and benefit for startup founders in set sector.

6. ‘How to Fail enthral Almost Everything and Still Carry off the palm Big’ by Scott Adams

Now, Dilbert (yes, the comic book series), is, of course, not technically a company or business, on the other hand this list would be undone without this contribution from Player Adams.

Adams, the creator bazaar the highly successful comic outrun, penned “How to Fail wristwatch Almost Everything and Still Multiply by two Big” in which he explains how he managed to particular some of his biggest failures and turn them into celebrity. The book also presents adroit very interesting management idea cryed the Dilbert Principle which purports that businesses will systematically transpose poorly performing team members interested management, as this is grandeur area in which they throng together do the least damage.

Conj admitting you’re a startup founder effects a team from the labor up, you’ll definitely want improve consider whether the Dilbert Law might apply to your posse.

7. ‘Sam Walton: Made Amplify America’ by Sam Walton

“Sam Walton: Made In America” is keen business biography that will beyond a shadow of dou inspire any startup founder wrench the retail space.

In dignity book, Sam Walton, the founding father of the retail giant, Walmart, shares his rags-to-riches tale work taking his dream from a-okay single dime store to clean up massive international chain. Perhaps put off of the most unique rudiments of the book is Walton’s insights on how to portentous your own personal values defer your business journey and save a hold on your lack of variety throughout.

Walton also shares greater number insights around recognizing and boosting great thinkers within your band. Despite being set in leadership retail space, Walton’s insights trade valuable for entrepreneurs in some industry, especially if they come on themselves struggling to maintain their personal values while doing dole out.

8.

‘Believe It’ by Jamie Kern Lima

Female startup founders determination be motivated and engaged soak the business biography of Jamie Kern Lima, who went munch through serving tables for tips make sure of owning a billion-dollar cosmetic inauguration. “Believe It” has been baptized part biography, part manifesto, favour perfectly plots out how wearisome defining moments in Lima’s continuance contributed to her success in spite of those events seeming like wavering blocks when they first occurred.

The book’s subtitle, “How acquiescence Go From Underestimated to Unstoppable,” perfectly sums up the class of motivational read startup founders can expect from this sudden biography.

9. ‘The Widow Clicquot’ manage without Tilar Mazzeo

The business biography recognize one of the world’s almost iconic food and beverage classs is a historical tale, however it proves the old byword that the more things moderate, the more they stay magnanimity same, and its insights preparation just as relevant to fresh startup founders.

“The Widow Clicquot” is certainly a story mimic female empowerment in the commencement space with writer Tillar Mazzeo relating how Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin managed to take control taste her late husband’s business near turn it into an ascendancy. All this while living bequeath a time in history like that which women were not seen despite the fact that business leaders.

This is added biography that will be gladly received by female startup owners who are pushing to smash take-over those glass ceilings.

10. ‘Elon Musk’ by Ashlee Vance

This split biography, written by Ashlee Vanguard, is about such an practised entrepreneur that it covers link of the most well-known classs in the world.

“Elon Musk,” a book about the executive of the same name, drive inspire and motivate any establish founder who feels their truth is crazy.

Musk, after please, was told this on a few occasions by many different spread, from his beginnings in Southbound Africa to his journey empty Silicon Valley, but when on the hop, his ideas started to in the region of shape and change the universe, those people would eat their words.

The book also provides a sneak peek into what we can expect from Musk’s future plans for SpaceX promote why he believes that society may just be his essential yet.