Two weeks today (or as I prefer to put it – in 13 sleeps) it’s Christmas and I’ve yet to start my Christmas shopping and I assume I’m not alone in being so disorganised. So I thought it would be a good idea to list 5 things I think a tech startup founder would love to get for Christmas.
1. Kindle
I’ve been doing stacks of reading of late and with that I’ve been lugging books about in a bag. Lightweight, no losing pages or getting them dog eared – I hardly need to sell the Kindle (Amazon are doing a pretty good job of that themselves) but do think it would be a welcome addition to many founders collection of hardware.
2. Whiteboard
Nothing high tech or fancy here. Just a simple whiteboard. I find whiteboards so useful for sticking notes and todo’s on and even better for sketching out ideas. Obviously you need a wall to hang it on and a tree big enough to stick it under but would highly recommend one.
3. Eric Ries – The Lean Startup
The Lean Startup (or to give it its full name “The Lean Startup: How Constant Innovation Creates Radically Successful Businesses”) is phenomenal. Really is the best book I’ve read in a long time with excellent advice that’s applicable to so many markets and business types – not just tech. It’s a bargain for about a tenner and the perfect accompaniment to the Kindle Santa might bring.
4. Walter Isaacson – Steve Jobs
Some people really hate Apple, others are fanatical but whatever your opinion on the company you have to admit Steve Jobs had an immense impact on the tech industry (and beyond). Walter Isaacson’s book is weighty at 656 pages but is well worth a read if you’re into tech.
5. Decent Laptop Bag
When it comes to bags its really a subjective thing but one thing I really appreciate is a decent bag for my laptop. The point of a laptop is to be portable but it also contains all my work so I want to make sure its safe. Also it’s also hardly as light as a feather so a decent bag will allow you to carry it about in comfort.
That’s 5 things I would appreciate to find under my tree in a couple of weeks time but what would you like Santa to bring? Let me know in the comments.
