Fintech books? Are they really a thing? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Modern financial technology is inextricably linked with the Digital Era. Mobile payment, personal finance management, and cryptocurrency trading are major application fields of fintech startups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thus it’s only fitting that the fintech community relies on the internet for exchanging views on the topic, too. There are fintech news platforms like Finextra<\/strong><\/a> or Financial News<\/strong>.<\/a> Networking communities like Holland Fintech<\/a><\/strong> and meetups like Finfinity<\/a><\/strong> invite people to share their insights. Blogs centered around experts like Chris Skinner<\/strong><\/a> react on developments on short notice. It’s obvious: In-depth knowledge of financial technology is readily available and easily found online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n But then again: How much justice can those thousand words on a blog page complex topics like regulation and compliance, startup founding or growth strategies? And after a hard day of staring on cryptocurrency indexes and javascript, real paper can feel much easier on the eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The good news is, that while there are not that many fintech books, there are some who are recommendable. And there are books, fintech entrepreneurs can benefit from reading, even though they are not directly related to the tech itself. So, here you find our reading list for fintech startups\u2026 and other startups, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Vintage Books, 1995, 272 pages<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Written by a former chairman and CEO of Intel, this management guide classic has it all: Valuable advice on teamwork, middle management problem-solving and analogies to everyone\u2019s favorite meal\u200a\u2014\u200aGrove doesn\u2019t mind to have a whole factory for it. But beware of the eggs, they are the limiting step.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n HarperBusiness, 2014, 304 pages<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Raising a startup from the bottom up, one cannot expect everything to fall in line effortlessly. Most of the time there are no easy answers. So Silicon Valley veteran Ben Horowitz rather concentrates on giving good answers instead: On how to deal with company politics, on how to lead with blurred vision and how to fire a friend\u200a\u2014\u200ajust to name some of the delicate circumstances this guide makes manageable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wiley, 2014, 288 pages<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Disruption is at the heart of every fintech startup, at least when compared to the monoliths that traditional financial institutions are. Brett King is prominent in the industry for addressing the topic as a conference speaker, but also in his radio show \u201cBREAKING BANK$\u201d<\/em>. The book of the same name is a collection of learnings and interviews with movers and shakers from all over the industry, dealing with various topics like brand advocacy in banking, neo banks and the cryptocurrency\/cash rivalry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Currency, 2017, 336 pages<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Based on his popular blog \u201cStartup Lessons Learned\u201d, Eric Ries breaks down what a startup really is: An institution \u201ccreating a new product or service under conditions of extreme uncertainty\u201d. To make most of this unique character of startups, Ries recommends a framework of strategies not unlike scientific experimentation. Thus, a business can weed out what doesn\u2019t work in favor of innovation, the most important asset a startup possesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Julian Hosp Coaching LTD, 2017, 154 pages<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Well, the title says it all: A comprehensive roundup about everything cryptocurrency-related by Dr. Julian Hosp, TenX co-founder and Singaporean by choice (great choice by the way, Singapore is a true fintech forerunner<\/a><\/strong>). While not every aspect of cryptocurrencies is discussed in minute detail here, it\u2019s simply one of the best introduction for non-techies. Everyone with a tech or software background should go with Andreas Antonopoulos free downloadable book \u201cMastering Bitcoin\u201d<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wiley, 2016, 180 pages<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n From robo-advisory to gamification: Paolo Sironi covers a lot of ground in his guide to fintech innovation\u200a\u2014\u200aon no more than 171 pages. A good read to catch up on the exceedingly diverse field of financial technology. If you want to know what digital advisory can already do or why investors will be in control of the prices on future markets\u200a\u2014\u200ait\u2019s all in here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Virgin Books, 2015, 224 pages<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Zeros and ones: That\u2019s the software developers\u2019 homeground, so you can\u2019t blame us for having added Peter Thiel\u2019s startup book in this list. But it\u2019s really more about the content, than the title. In his notes on startups, the Palantir remains firmly on the ground when it of the ups and downs of everyday business, while also convincing us of the importance of novelty in business. Or to talk in terms we software developers understand: Doing what we already know how to do takes the world only from 1 to n.<\/p>\n\n\n\n1. Andrew S Grove\u200a\u2014\u200aHigh Output Management<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. Ben Horowitz\u200a\u2014\u200aThe Hard Thing About Hard Things<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. Brett King\u200a\u2014\u200aBreaking Banks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4. Eric Ries\u200a\u2014\u200aThe Lean Startup<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
5. Dr. Julian Hosp\u200a\u2014\u200aCryptocurrencies Simply Explained<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
6. Paolo Sironi\u200a\u2014\u200aFintech Innovation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
7. Peter Thiel\u200a\u2014\u200aZero to One<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
8. Simon Sinek\u200a\u2014\u200aStart with Why<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n