Jeff Hunt
“Reading List” is an occasional series where we ask ecommerce professionals to name some of their favorite books and blogs and tell us why they read them.
For this installment, we corresponded with Jeff Hunt. He is the CEO and founder of Snap36, a provider of interactive 360-degree product images.
5 Favorite Books
“To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others“ by Daniel H. Pink
To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others
The term “sales” can have a negative connotation in many people’s minds. This book is a great read for everyone, as it softens the fact that life is full of selling — at work and home — and we don’t even realize it. It’s an excellent life-lesson and customer-success book for all.
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“Contagious: Why Things Catch On“ by Jonah Berger
Contagious: Why Things Catch On
I’ve always been interested in the science behind what makes people curious about certain products over others. This book, written by a Wharton marketing professor, delves into these principles and provides actionable insights to boost brand awareness.
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“Tribal Leadership: Leveraging to Build a Thriving Organization“ by Dave Logan, John King, and Halee Fischer-Wright
Tribal Leadership: Leveraging to Build a Thriving Organization
I’ve probably read this book five times. It provides a roadmap for building a company culture while dealing with multiple personalities, attitudes, and skill sets. It also helps to understand your friends and how best to engage with them. I require all managers in our company to read the book, too.
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“The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses“ by Eric Ries
The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses
This book is helpful for entrepreneurs at any stage. It offers methodical advice to execute a startup’s plans to reach its goals. I started my business much later in life than most, after nearly 30 years of working in tech. I still benefitted from Ries’s advice.
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“Above the Line: Lessons in Leadership and Life from a Championship Program“ by Urban Meyer and Wayne Coffey
Above the Line: Lessons in Leadership and Life from a Championship Program
I’m biased toward Ohio State University, my alma mater. But I found this book to be tremendously helpful for motivating younger employees and focusing on how to build a championship caliber company. The biggest takeaway for me was the “10/80/10 rule.” Cut the bottom 10 percent of employees, as they have to help themselves first. Don’t spend all of your time on the 80 percent, as they don’t listen to you anyway. Focus 100 percent of your efforts on your superstars, the top 10 percent. Motivate them to bring the 80 percent to an elite level.
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5 Favorite Blogs
Internet Retailer
Internet Retailer keeps me up to date on the ecommerce space — from daily ecommerce news to trend analysis. It’s a great place to understand what people in our industry are doing.
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Seller Labs
The Seller Labs blog is a resource for companies looking for advice and information about selling products on Amazon. Many of our clients are Amazon sellers. So I visit this blog often to browse the latest Amazon news and updates.
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Small Biz Daily
Small Biz Daily is a blog for entrepreneurs of small to midsize businesses. It’s helpful for ideas and inspiration for running a business.
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Technori
This is a Chicago-based tech podcast that features new startups in the area. It’s an excellent way to gather inspiration and advice from fellow tech leaders.
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Multichannel Merchant
This blog is another way I stay on top of ecommerce trends. Many contributors are top ecommerce and marketing professionals. It’s a great way to learn.