Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart. It takes grit, creativity, and an unwavering commitment to problem-solving—qualities that the trailblazers of Newark's thriving tech ecosystem know all too well. In Audible's global headquarters city, we’re dedicated to growing Newark's innovation community through a range of initiatives, including our Business Attraction Program that brings promising startups to the area.
As part of Newark Tech Week 2024, we had the privilege of cohosting the city’s Demo Day event, where we sat down with some of these visionary leaders. When asked to share their top Audible recommendations for fellow entrepreneurs, they delivered a diverse and insightful list that reflects the multifaceted nature of building a successful business. From practical advice on navigating the startup world to self-development titles that build resilience, these must-listen audiobooks are sure to inspire and empower the next generation of founders.
Michael Recce, CEO of AlphaROC
“I’ve been an Audible listener for 12 years. I download about 30 books a year. I’m an avid reader, and my suggestion is The Most Human Human, about a human trying to not be a computer. So, judges are asked if you’re a human or if you’re a computer. And this linguistics professor wanted to be able to answer the question in such a way that no human judge who couldn’t see them would ever think he was a computer.”
Susan Schofer, Partner at SOSV & Chief Science Officer at HAX
“A title I would really recommend to early-stage entrepreneurs is called The Mom Test. All too often we go to people that give us positive feedback. Hence why it’s called The Mom Test, right? But what you really need is practical advice on how you should get feedback on your startup idea or the technology that you're developing for your startup.”
Amos Winbush III, Co-Founder and CEO of bckers
“The one book that I would give an entrepreneur is Healing the Masculine Soul. I’m a strong believer that how you create is also how you live, and how you process difficult times in your everyday life is generally how you're going to do it in your business life. So Healing the Masculine Soul is a great book that I typically try to read every year or every other year.”
Citi Medina, Founder of EqualSpace
“Anything in the Audible Originals. I mean, I love all the Audible catalog, but the Audible Originals really do hit for me, because when I saw our mayor, Ras J. Baraka, do The Book of Baraka, the voices are voices that I've either been in those atmospheres with, or who are very similar to me. And I think the intention on it really hits home.”
Ari Fox, Head of Economic Impact at Audible
“I just finished listening to this really great book on Audible called The Obstacle Is the Way and I highly recommend it for any entrepreneur, particularly those that are underrepresented. This book is really about grit and resiliency and leveraging the challenges you face to be successful.”
