Private Equity Leaders' Best Business Books of 2025

Sean Mooney curates the 2025 reading list recommended by private equity investors, operating partners, and portfolio company CEOs featured on Karma School of Business this year. The episode spans business strategy, capital allocation, leadership, happiness, mindset, and life design—through the lens of people actively building and scaling companies. From The Outsiders to Traction to unexpected personal favorites, the list reflects what serious operators are actually reading and rereading. If you're building for the long term, this one earns a spot in your queue.

Episode Highlights

• 1:12 – Casey Myers on shifting from achievement to fulfillment with From Strength to Strength
• 2:53 – Steve Hunter reframes money, time, and health through Die With Zero
• 4:04 – Jonathan Metrick on compounding time, skills, and careers via The Algebra of Wealth
• 7:35 – Ran Ding explains why great CEOs are elite capital allocators in The Outsiders
• 11:11 – Chris Scullin on dynamic competition and adaptation from The Innovator's Dilemma
• 14:01 – Micah Dawson on focus, ambition, and escaping the hedonic treadmill with The One Thing
• 18:20 – Dan Gaspar on operational discipline and change using Traction and Who Moved My Cheese?