Book recommendations about the business of software

Question

I am evaluating my options of starting my own software company and I am wondering if anybody can recommend any good books about the subject. I am busy reading "Eric Sink on the Business of Software". Any other suggestions very welcome!

Answer 1

It's not a book but I figure someone was going to end up pimping this link:

http://www.joelonsoftware.com

An actual book that immediately comes to mind, however, is The Mythical Man Month.

Answer 2

Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey Moore is an excellent, excellent read for the marketing side of things: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossing_the_Chasm

Answer 3

I recommend reading "Dreaming in Code". It's more about what it was like for one software company and all the associated challenges. http://www.dreamingincode.com/

Answer 4

I highly recommend the Innovator's Dilemma by Clayton Christensen or either of his two followup books: The Innvoator's Solution and Seeing What's Next. These provide an amazing look into why large companies often cannot compete and where value in the system is most likely to lie. Given that information, it is easier to find a niche to participate in.

Answer 5

I recommend Jerry Kaplan's "Startup":

http://www.amazon.com/Startup-Silicon-Adventure-Jerry-Kaplan/dp/0140257314

A pleasure to read, and highly educational about what goes on in starting your own company.

Answer 6

I recommend Guy Kawasaki's The Art of the Start. It's for entrepreneurs starting any kind of company, and is full of practical tips on the startup process.

You can get a pretty good feel for the content from this 40 minute talk on the book by Guy himself.

Answer 7

get an account on http://startups.com and participate. I see plenty of ads here. it is a stackoverflow clone. so if you enjoy stackoverflow, you will find yourself at home there too.