5 Binge-Worthy Business Memoirs to Read Right Now

Ever notice how many women are starting businesses in their 40s and 50s? We've spent decades building careers, raising families, and now we're ready to create something of our own. 

But starting a business in midlife comes with its own unique challenges. And sometimes, what you need most is proof that others have walked this path before you.

That's where these business memoirs come in. They give us intimate looks at the messy middle, doubts, setbacks, and the triumphs that come with building something from scratch. 

These five memoirs (plus one cautionary tale) will give you the practical insights and emotional boost you need as you build your business. 

Each has a different perspective on entrepreneurship, but they all share one common thread—they remind us that every successful business started with someone who dared to try.

Shoe Dog By Phil Knight

Ever wonder how Nike became one of the world's most iconic brands? Shoe Dog is a raw, honest look at what it takes to build something from nothing.

Phil Knight's memoir takes you behind the scenes of Nike's early days as a small company called Blue Ribbon Sports. Knight shares the messy reality of building a business—the cash flow crises, conflicts with suppliers, personal sacrifices, and the countless moments when everything could have fallen apart.

Knight writes with surprising vulnerability. It’s like listening to a mentor telling an authentic story, not the sanitized version. You see how even the biggest businesses start with a single step—with a lot of stumbling along the way.

Riding High By Ruth Zukerman

If you think successful entrepreneurs have everything figured out, Ruth Zukerman's memoir, Riding High, will set you straight. As the co-founder of both SoulCycle and Flywheel, Zukerman revolutionized the fitness industry twice—though her path was anything but smooth.

What makes this memoir different is its raw honesty. Zukerman openly shares her failures and missteps, both personal and professional. She details the painful dissolution of her first business partnership at SoulCycle and how she found the courage to start again with Flywheel. She doesn’t sugarcoat things. You get real insight into what it takes to build, lose, and rebuild in business.

The most powerful part of Riding High is watching someone pick themselves up after setbacks and create something even better. 

For anyone who's ever wondered if they could start over after a failure, this book proves that sometimes your biggest setbacks can lead to your greatest comebacks.

The Third Door By Alex Banayan

The Third Door will change your thoughts about making your dreams happen. 

The title comes from Banayan's clever metaphor. In life, like at a nightclub, there are always three doors. The first door is the main entrance, where most people wait in line. 

The second is the VIP entrance for those with connections. 

But there's always a third door—the one you find by hustling, being creative, and refusing to give up.

What makes this book impossible to put down is Banayan's storytelling. He shares his wild quest to interview some of the world's most successful people, often using hilariously unconventional methods to reach them. 

The genius of this book is watching someone figure out, in real time, how to make the impossible possible. Along the way, Banayan shares the moments of doubt and failure that make his successes feel inspiring and achievable.

That Will Never Work By Marc Randolph

Want to know what building Netflix really looked like? That Will Never Work is a candid account from Netflix's founder that feels as binge-worthy as the streaming service itself.

Marc Randolph takes us back to Netflix's beginnings in 1997, telling the story through 2002 when the company went public. 

The fascinating part isn't just seeing how Netflix evolved from a DVD-by-mail service to a streaming giant. It's getting an intimate look at all the ideas that failed. (Did you know they once accidentally sent adult DVDs to customers who definitely hadn't ordered them?!)

The book shines when Randolph shares the countless moments of doubt, the creative problem-solving, and the constant pushback from people who insisted their idea would never work. 

It's both a business education and an adventure story, complete with near-disasters, unlikely triumphs, and plenty of "I can't believe they pulled that off" moments.

My Story By Jo Malone

Before she became synonymous with luxury fragrances, Jo Malone was a high school dropout with severe dyslexia, who lived in government housing. Her journey from making creams in her kitchen to building a global luxury brand is a masterclass in following your instincts and staying true to your vision.

What makes My Story stand out is Malone's warm, conversational style. She shares details about product development, marketing strategies, and the art of building a luxury brand. 

But she also goes deeper, revealing how success isn't always what it seems. Even after selling her company for millions, she had to figure out what mattered to her.

The most powerful parts of the book deal with protecting your brand, your name, and your creative vision. Malone's story reminds us that success isn't about the products you create. Success is staying authentic to who you are.

Bonus Read: Bad Blood By John Carreyrou

Think all Silicon Valley success stories are worth emulating? Here's one that isn't. While not technically a memoir, Bad Blood is a gripping cautionary tale every entrepreneur should read.

This is the story of Theranos, a biotech startup founded by Elizabeth Holmes. On paper, it looked perfect—a revolutionary technology that would make blood testing faster, cheaper, and more accurate than traditional methods. 

Holmes became Silicon Valley's golden child, with investors practically breaking down doors to fund her vision.

There was just one problem—the technology didn't work. At all.

What makes this book impossible to put down is how it reads like a thriller, complete with intimidation tactics, threats against whistleblowers, and a web of deception that affected vulnerable patients who trusted the company's faulty blood tests. 

Carreyrou's detailed reporting reveals how ambition and greed can blind even the most intelligent people to obvious red flags.

Bad Blood isn't just a fascinating read. It's a crucial reminder about honesty and ethics in business. It shows what happens when the "fake it till you make it" mentality goes too far and why cutting corners never leads to lasting success.

Final Thoughts

Starting a business can feel overwhelming, frustrating, and sometimes painfully lonely. When you're building something new, there's nothing quite like hearing from someone who's been there before you.

These books share what it takes to build something meaningful. 

Whether you're just starting out or already deep in the trenches of building your business, these memoirs remind us of something essential—behind every successful company are real people who faced doubts, made mistakes, and kept going anyway. 

They prove that success isn't about having everything figured out from the start. You just need to take that first step and be resilient enough to keep walking.