5 Practical Books to Expand Your Knowledge as an Inventor

1. Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone Else to Take Action by Simon Sinek

From Simon Sinek, the speaker behind “Start with Why,” the third most popular TED Talk of all time with over 28 million views, comes his book of the same name. Sinek seeks to answer the question: why are certain people and organizations more influential than others?

Every organization and influential figure knows what they do and most know how they do it. But how many know why? Famous leaders like Steve Jobs and Martin Luther King Jr. may seem like they have little in common on the surface, but they both achieved their dreams by starting with the “Why.”

“Start with Why” demonstrates that great leaders all think, act, and communicate in the same way, and it offers a framework that organizations, movements, and people can use to inspire others.

2. Inventor Confidential: The Honest Guide to Profitable Inventing by Warren Tuttle

According to Inventor’s Digest, 78% of new inventors believe that they’ll make over $1 million dollars from their inventions but less than 1% do. The process of licensing an invention is complicated and difficult to navigate for beginners, but “Inventor Confidential: The Honest Guide to Profitable Inventing,” gives inventors tangible tips for how to succeed in innovation.

In his bestselling book, Warren Tuttle, President of United Inventors Association, explains:

• The challenges inventors face in the modern world
• How inventors can improve their odds of licensing success
• What to look out for when companies charge for their invention assistance services
• How companies determine if they want to work with a product or invention
• The 30 steps to market if you’d like to pursue the process without help

To hear even more from Warren Tuttle, check him out on Enventy’s Partner’s podcast, Art of the Kickstart, where he discusses these topics and more.

3. Contagious: Why Things Catch On by Jonah Berger

It may appear as if there is no rhyme or reason for why certain things become popular: from the feta pasta popularized by TikTok, to songs like Call Me By Your Name (Montero), to the resurgence in Y2K fashion.

While in traditional marketing, quality, price, and advertising are deemed as the most important factors in determining a product’s popularity, Jonah Berger, Professor of Marketing at Wharton Business School, suggests that social influence and word-of-mouth marketing are far more important. This is because word-of-mouth marketing is more persuasive and targeted than traditional marketing.

In “Contagious: Why Things Catch On,” Berger shares the six key “STEPPS” that determine virality: Social Currency; Triggers; Emotion; Public; Practical Value; Stories. To learn more about these steps that can ultimately help your product go viral, check out the full book!

4. Influence, New and Expanded: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini

Ever wonder how charismatic people get what they want? Robert Cialdini, an expert in persuasion and author of the best-selling book “Influence, The Psychology of Persuasion,” explains the psychology behind why people agree to effective communicators and how to become more persuasive in your life.

Some of Cialdini’s principles of persuasion include:

• Reciprocation
• Commitment and Consistency
• Social Proof
• Liking
• Authority
• Scarcity
• Unity

To learn more about what these principles are and how to apply them in business, check out “Influence, New and Expanded“.

5. Adweek Copywriting Handbook by Joseph Sugarman

In this practical guide, renowned copywriter Joe Sugarman shares expert tips and guidelines on how to write copy that will entice, motivate and move customers to buy. Not only is Sugarman known for his humorous writing style and his out-of-the-box thinking, his company, Joseph Sugarman & Associates, sold some of America’s favorite products like Swiss Army Watches. He was also known for offering anyone $10 to find errors in his copy, which sent people searching for hours for the chance to win.

In the AdWeek Copywriting Handbook, Sugarman shares tips such as:

• Become an expert
• Know your product
• Get someone to read the first line—after all, that’s the line that matters most
• Target emotions
• Frame effectively

For more insights on how to knock out some great copy, give “AdWeek Copywriting Handbook” a read.

Let Enventys Partners Help You Build Your Knowledge Base

Do you need help developing your product or bringing it to market? Would you like to expand your knowledge about innovation by working with an experienced team who can help you navigate this complex process? Reach out to Enventys Partners. We work with a wide variety of projects in every category and would love to partner with you to bring your idea to life.