Books We Loved in 2024

At the end of each year, we like to take a moment to share a little inspiration from our team. Books have a unique way of shaping our perspectives, sparking creativity, and offering a much-needed escape. So, we asked each team member to share their favorite read from the past year—those stories, ideas, and lessons that resonated most with them.

 

From insightful product-related books to self-help and inspiring reads, here’s a look at the books that left a lasting impact on our team and why they loved them.

 

Eisha Armstrong, Executive Board Member and Co-founder:

Burn Book by Kara Swisher - Kara holds no punches calling out tech billionaires for their bad behavior; she’s so feisty and I love it! 

 

Jason Boldt, Chief Growth Officer: 

Same as Ever: A Guide to What Never Changes by Morgan Housel - I loved Morgan’s book that cuts in the opposite direction of future trend prediction; instead, he focuses on the persistent, evolutionary behaviors and traits that seem to define humanity across time. Business leaders, especially those making product strategy decisions about how to influence human behavior. 



Nicole Merrill, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder:

The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green - A collection of essays giving readers a quick and delightful break from the day, rating facets of human existence, from sunsets to pandemics, on a five-star scale. Its blend of introspection, creativity, and cultural analysis offers insights into human emotions, behaviors, and perspectives—I couldn’t help but relate the essays to product and how we design meaningful, user-centered solutions. 

 

Jaime Drennan, Productization Coach: 

Transformed by Marty Cagan - Reading "Transformed" felt like a validation of the path we've been following at Vecteris over the past five years. Cagan's emphasis on creating empowered product teams and fostering a product-driven culture mirrors many insights from our books, "Productize," "Fearless," and "Commercialize." It was reassuring to see that our beliefs about succeeding in today's competitive landscape are shared. 

 

Molly Connolly, Chief of Staff - Office of the CGO: 

Worthy by Jamie Kern Lima - This book felt like a heart-to-heart with a friend who truly understands. Her honesty about self-doubt and rejection resonated deeply, and her journey to building a billion-dollar business was incredibly inspiring. Her key message stayed with me: your worth isn’t earned — it’s inherent.

This book challenged me to confront the doubts holding me back and embrace authenticity. Jamie’s advice and practical tips gave me the confidence to step out of my comfort zone and believe in myself. If you need a boost of encouragement and a reminder of your potential, Worthy is a must-read.

 

JeiLi Merrill, Customer Success Manager: 

The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick - As an organization that talks to customers about the importance of customer feedback every day, this book took a fun spin on how these types of conversations can be beneficial or misguided depending on your approach with a parent as a great example. 

 

Ben Malone, Director of Growth: 

Atomic Habits by James Clear - I’m a little late to this book as it came out years ago but my brother gifted it to me and I think about the concepts weekly since I read it this year. The idea of habit stacking is a hack that has actually worked for me whether it’s batching activities at work or “stacking” healthy personal habits like drinking two glasses of water every day when I brush my teeth. It’s a creative way to think about triggering productivity by linking new habits to ones that are already established.

 

Sean Gillispie, Productization Coach:

Transformed by Marty Cagan - I would like every one of my clients to read it because it strongly reinforces the approach I take to coaching, and the principles that we at Vecteris believe are essential to moving to what Marty calls the Product Operating model, and we have been calling Productization. A close second is The Pricing Roadmap by  Ulrik Lehrskov-Schmid - which does a fantastic job of articulating the key principles of pricing a productized offering. I have leaned on his work to help bring these topics to our clients and we reference it many times in Commercialize.

 

As we reflect on the stories and insights that shaped us this year, we’re reminded of the power of a good book to inspire growth, spark new ideas, and offer fresh perspectives. We hope our team’s favorites inspire you to pick up a book that resonates with you - happy reading!

 


 

Don't forget to check out our latest book, Commercialize: How to Monetize, Sell, and Market Productized Offerings in B2B Professional Services, written by Eisha Armstrong, Jason Boldt, and Sean Gillispie. 

 

Download the tools and templates that come with Commercialize! These resources are designed to help B2B firms effectively market, sell, and scale their productized offerings. From pricing strategies to go-to-market plans, these tools will guide you in turning your ideas into action.