The Intelligent Reads: 3 Book Recommendations by Abhishek Goyal of Tracxn The now-listed company hosts extensive data, including 3.1M+ companies, 477K+ funding rounds, 205K+ investor profiles, 197K+ acquisitions, and 3000+ sectors across 26+ geographies

By Paromita Gupta

You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

Abhishek Goyal, co-founder, Tracxn

With a bachelor's degree in technology from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, co-founding the market intelligence firm Tracxn seemed like a natural extension for Abhishek Goyal. Having started his career with Yahoo and Amazon and later worked with Accel, Goyal began his entrepreneurial journey with UrbanTouch (acquired by FashionAndYou) and later co-founded Tracxn with Neha Singh. During their first meeting, the two discussed how difficult it was to get information on private companies.

The now-listed company hosts extensive data, including 3.1M+ companies, 477K+ funding rounds, 205K+ investor profiles, 197K+ acquisitions, and 3000+ sectors across 26+ geographies.

Here are three book recommendations by Goyal:

The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Let's face it, building a startup isn't all sunshine and rainbows. This book is a harsh reality check, but it's the kind of honest advice every entrepreneur needs. Horowitz's brutal honesty and keen insights into the challenges faced by entrepreneurs, from fundraising struggles to difficult personnel decisions, offer valuable advice on tackling the 'hard things' with grit and resilience.

Trillion Dollar Coach: 'Trillion Dollar Coach' has invaluable insights on leadership and coaching. The most important learning was the importance of 'radical candor' - caring personally and challenging directly - in building strong relationships and driving growth. This book is a must-read for anyone looking to elevate their leadership and coaching skills.

What you do is who you are: This is a transformative guide for founders and CEOs seeking to build a high-performing culture. The book's key insight - that small, intentional habits can shape a company's identity and drive success - is a revelation. By applying these principles, leaders can create a culture that attracts top talent, drives results and endures.

Paromita Gupta

Entrepreneur Staff

Former Features Writer

Covered news and trends in AI and Metaverse segments. An avid book reader running her personal blog on the side. 
Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Branding

Creating a Brand: How To Build a Brand From Scratch

Every business needs good branding to succeed. Discover the basics and key tips to building a successful brand in this detailed guide.

Innovation

It's Time to Rethink Research and Development. Here's What Must Change.

R&D can't live in a lab anymore. Today's leaders fuse science, strategy, sustainability and people to turn discovery into real-world value.

Marketing

How to Better Manage Your Sales Process

Get your priorities in order, and watch sales roll in.

Business News

AI Agents Can Help Businesses Be '10 Times More Productive,' According to a Nvidia VP. Here's What They Are and How Much They Cost.

In a new interview with Entrepreneur, Nvidia's Vice President of AI Software, Kari Briski, explains how AI agents will "transform" the way we work — and sooner than you think.

Starting a Business

Passion-Driven vs. Purpose-Driven Businesses — What's the Difference, and Why Does It Matter?

Passion and purpose are both powerful forces in entrepreneurship, but they are not the same.