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.