11 thinkers, books, and ideas connected to this field.
Michael Dell's 1999 autobiography describing how he built Dell Computer from his University of Texas dorm room into the world's largest PC manufacturer — through the direct-to-customer model that eliminated retailers and allowed mass customization.
Richard Snow's 2019 account of Walt Disney's creation of Disneyland — the story of how Disney ignored all expert advice, personally funded the park's development, and created an entirely new form of entertainment from scratch.
American journalist and author specializing in business biography, best known for his books on Jamie Dimon and McKinsey & Company.
James Wallace and Jim Erickson's 1992 biography of Bill Gates — covering his early life, the founding of Microsoft, the IBM deal, and his competitive business practices — one of the first serious accounts of Gates before Microsoft's full dominance.
American technology journalist and author who has covered Silicon Valley since the early 1980s — writing The Intel Trinity, Bill and Dave (HP biography), and dozens of other Silicon Valley histories — making him one of the most comprehensive chroniclers of the Valley's history.
Jimmy Soni's 2022 definitive account of PayPal's founding — covering Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, Max Levchin, Reid Hoffman, David Sacks, Roelof Botha, and others — tracking the company from its founding through the eBay acquisition and the subsequent careers of the PayPal Mafia.
Michael Malone's 2014 biography of Intel covering Robert Noyce, Gordon Moore, and Andy Grove — the three leaders who built Intel from a startup to the dominant semiconductor company.
Jerry Shields's 1982 biography of Daniel Ludwig — the most complete account of the secretive shipping magnate who was once the richest person in America — tracing his rise from Michigan farm boy to global shipping empire builder.
Frank Partnoy's 2009 biography of Ivar Kreuger — tracing his rise from Swedish match factory to global monopolist to the world's most sophisticated fraudster — and his role in inspiring New Deal securities regulation.
Ashlee Vance's 2024 biography of Jensen Huang and Nvidia — covering the company's founding, near-death experiences, strategic pivots, and ultimate triumph as the dominant AI computing company — documenting what Jensen calls the Nvidia way of working.
David Senra's companion newsletter to the Founders podcast — curated highlights and notes from the entrepreneur biographies he reads.