Novels or books featuring how to run a startup?

December 18, 2014 9:18 PM

I find the legal and operational nooks and crannies of running a startup detailed in Neal Stephenson's novel Cryptonomicon fascinating. (Example: "People like Avi and Beryl, who have been in business a lot, have this noticeable preference for two-person conversations [to protect other corporate officers].") Do you have any recommendations for novels or non-fiction with similar storylines, passages and advice?
posted by infinitewindow to Work & Money (4 answers total)

Try Zero to One by Peter Thiel for non-fiction advice. It would help to know why you're asking.
posted by sninctown at 10:39 PM on December 18, 2014

I found Founders at Work really interesting.
posted by curious_yellow at 2:57 AM on December 19, 2014

Microserfs is technically very dated, but it's a pretty potent examination of startup culture and tech nerdery in general. It also has a very sweet, heartbreaking ending.
posted by Happy Dave at 3:29 AM on December 19, 2014 [1 favorite]

Diana Kander's "All In Startup: Launching a New Idea When Everything Is on the Line" is fiction that throws you into the shoes of someone starting a business (and does a refreshingly good job with the fiction). Though the focus is business, not legal.
posted by mirileh at 9:18 AM on December 19, 2014