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Creative Tim
Creative Tim

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💼 From Dev to Founder: 6 Books Every Developer-Turned-Entrepreneur Should Read

Let’s be real: as developers, we’re not just writing code, we’re building things.

We ship side projects. We launch SaaS tools. We hack together MVPs on weekends. And somewhere along the way, we start wondering...

“What if this project could actually be a business?”

If that sounds like you, a developer with a maker’s mindset, this article is for you. Because writing solid code is one thing, but turning your code into a sustainable business? That’s a whole different game.

Creative Tim recently released a collection of books aimed specifically at entrepreneurs, indie hackers, product builders, and creators. These six books are written to help you bridge the gap between dev and founder.

Here’s a breakdown of all six titles, with direct links and why they’re especially relevant for developers.


1. 🧱 How to Set Up Your Business

setup

You’ve built the MVP. Now what?

This book is for devs who’ve validated an idea (or just shipped a passion project) and want to turn it into a real business. It helps you go from “I built this thing” to “I’m building a company.”

What you’ll get:

  • How to write a business plan that doesn’t suck
  • How to create an MVP
  • Extra Resources: Video, Audio, Checklist, AI Prompts, Toolstack

👉 Read Preview: How to Set Up Your Business


2. 🛒 How to Develop Your eCommerce Business

develop

Shipping a product is just the start, now you need to sell it.

If you're building physical or digital products, this book shows you how to sell them.

Why it’s dev-relevant:

  • Learn specific strategies for eCommerce businesses
  • Learn how to use Shopify, Amazon, Etsy for your business
  • Extra Resources: Video, Audio, Checklist, AI Prompts, Template

👉 Read Preview: How to Develop Your eCommerce Business


3. 🚀 How to Launch Your Product

launch

You built it. Will they come?

This book is your launch checklist.

Inside you’ll find:

  • Learn Pricing Startegies for your business
  • Learn how to set up sales funnels for your business
  • Extra Resources: Video, Audio, Checklist, AI Prompts

👉 Read Preview: How to Launch Your Product


4. 📣 How to Promote Your Product

promote

The best product doesn’t always win, the best-marketed one does.

Let’s be honest: most devs don’t love marketing. But it’s absolutely crucial if you want your product to be seen, used, and paid for. This book turns marketing into a system.

Highlights:

  • Learn to promote your business on Social Media
  • Learn SEO, SEM, and PPC strategies
  • Extra Resources: Video, Audio, Checklist, AI Prompts

👉 Read Preview: How to Promote Your Product


5. 📈 How to Grow Your Business

grow

You’ve got traction. Now it’s time to scale.

Once your product is live and making sales, how do you keep growing without burning out? This book focuses on sustainable growth, automation, and founder productivity, all in dev-friendly language.

What you'll learn:

  • Learn how to become a powerful entrepreneur
  • Learn how to increase your revenue
  • Extra Resources: Video, Audio, Checklist

👉 Read Preview: How to Grow Your Business


6. 🤖 How to Use AI for Your Business

ai

AI isn’t hype, it’s leverage.

This book teaches entrepreneurs how to work smarter and find new ways to grow and make more money.

Included:

  • Learn how to become a powerful entrepreneur
  • Learn how to increase your revenue
  • Extra Resources: Video, Audio, Checklist

👉 Read Preview: How to Use AI for Your Business


👨‍💻 TL;DR: If You Build Things, These Books Will Help You Sell Things

They come with practical checklists, AI prompts, templates, and bonus materials to help you take action right away.

So if you're serious about building your own product, start treating yourself like a startup.

👉 Explore the full book series here


PS: Already running your own product or startup? Drop a comment and share what you're working on, would love to see what devs are building these days!

Playwright CLI Flags Tutorial

5 Playwright CLI Flags That Will Transform Your Testing Workflow

  • --last-failed: Zero in on just the tests that failed in your previous run
  • --only-changed: Test only the spec files you've modified in git
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  • --forbid-only: Prevent accidental test.only commits from breaking your CI pipeline
  • --ui --headed --workers 1: Debug visually with browser windows and sequential test execution

Learn how these powerful command-line options can save you time, strengthen your test suite, and streamline your Playwright testing experience. Practical examples included!

Watch Video 📹️

Top comments (5)

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smjburton profile image
Scott

This looks like a good series.

Just a note: for the first book, the title is grammatically incorrect. It should be: "How to Set Up Your Business."

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chad_morris_998797d32e56b profile image
Chad Morris

Mmm, looks like they took your advice

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fyodorio profile image
Fyodor

FFS... books 🤣

the approachability of starting a saas business these days brought so much garbage not only to the saas industry itself but tangentially to the area of shovel trading too...

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certifiedcoder001 profile image
Akorede Ogunsola

Thanks for sharing, will check em out 😊

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elisacreative profile image
elisa-creative

Awesome! 👏🏻

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