Hot Seat

Dan Shapiro, a four-time founder and CEO, organizes his guidebook around five phases of running a startup, illustrated with stories of dozens of companies that lived or died by the advice. Founding deals with shaping the idea and splitting equity. Funding weighs venture capital, angel investors and crowdfunding, and when to choose each. Leadership covers building a strategy and a culture that hold up in good times and bad. Management turns to handling the board, arguing with the team and knowing when to play the CEO card. Endgame looks at closing out a company with grace, wealth and as little litigation as possible. Billion-dollar payouts sit beside impostor syndrome and bankruptcy.

Koru co-founder Kristen Hamilton called it solid, realistic advice from an author who clearly knows his subject. SupportNinja CEO Cody McLain listed it among books he recommends for anyone running a startup.