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Garry Tan

Recommendations

Garry Tan is the co-founder of Initialized Capital

15 books they recommend

Books they recommend 15

Tan's recommendations appear in his essays (e.g., "I'm an engineer, how do I learn design?"), his YouTube channel for founders, and tweets. His picks blend design fundamentals, founder psychology and self-help that he says personally helped him, and ideas like Girard's mimetic desire and Soros's reflexivity that he applies to startups. He often frames books in terms of practical use for founders.

Superbook reading list 8

Art and Design 2

Don't Make Me Think
Don't Make Me Think
Steve Krug · not in an entry yet
source
“In his essay for engineers learning design, he names this the simplest place to start on usability.”
The Design of Everyday Things
The Design of Everyday Things
Donald Norman · not in an entry yet
source
“He highly recommends it for new designers as the foundational text on how design shapes behavior.”

Psychology and Behaviour 2

The Body Keeps the Score
The Body Keeps the Score
Bessel van der Kolk · not in an entry yet
source
“He highlights it as a groundbreaking book for anyone studying psychology and behavior.”
Wanting
Wanting
Luke Burgis · not in an entry yet
source
“He has championed René Girard's theory of mimetic desire "and how we can use it in our lives as founders."”

Philosophy 1

Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends On It
Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends On It
Kamal Ravikant · not in an entry yet
source
“He says this book "helped me massively," a personal favorite on founder mental health.”

Politics and Government 1

The Prince
The Prince
Niccolò Machiavelli · not in an entry yet
source
“He recommends it noting the "methods [are] still valuable and can be used for good" by founders.”

Investing 1

The Alchemy of Finance
The Alchemy of Finance
George Soros
source
“He recommends it to understand reflexivity, a concept he applies to markets and startups.”

Entrepreneurship and Startups 1

Without Their Permission
Without Their Permission
Alexis Ohanian · not in an entry yet
source
“A startup recommendation aligned with his YC/founder ethos.”

Book recommendations listed on their Good Books profile 7

Entrepreneurship and Startups 2

Without Their Permission
Without Their Permission
Alexis Ohanian · not in an entry yet aggregator only
source
The Launch Pad
The Launch Pad
Randall Stross aggregator only
source

Health and Fitness 1

Emergency
Emergency
Neil Strauss · not in an entry yet aggregator only
source

Philosophy 1

Status Anxiety
Status Anxiety
Alain de Botton · not in an entry yet aggregator only
source

Technology and Computing 1

Programming Perl
Programming Perl
Tom Christiansen et al. · not in an entry yet aggregator only
source

Sociology and Culture 1

Everything Is Bullshit
Everything Is Bullshit
Priceonomics · not in an entry yet aggregator only
source

Food 1

Sous Vide at Home
Sous Vide at Home
Lisa Q. Fetterman · not in an entry yet aggregator only
source

Where they publish 3