The Writing Book for Entrepreneurs

You’re reading an excerpt of Great Founders Write, by Ben Putano, writer, entrepreneur, and book publisher. He’s the founder of Damn Gravity Media, a publishing house that inspires and educates tomorrow’s great founders. Purchase now for lifetime access to the book and on-demand video course.

Great Founders Write is the book I wish existed when I started my first company. It contains all the lessons I learned the hard way—through the wins and losses of building multiple businesses.

I’ve worked at the intersection of writing and entrepreneurship for nearly a decade. I’m the founder of Damn Gravity Media, a publishing house for business, creative work, and personal growth books. We partner with founders and business leaders to share their stories with the world. Prior to that I ran WeContent, a content marketing agency for startups and tech companies. We wrote hundreds of pieces that helped our clients grow their audiences.

In preparation for this book, I spent eighteen months studying some of the world’s best entrepreneurs, including Sarah Blakely, Warren Buffett, Ryan Holiday, Jeff Bezos, and more. I also researched the best work on writing and human psychology from experts like Robert Cialdini, John McPhee, Natalie Goldberg, Stephen King, and William Zissner.

In addition, I learned from numerous entrepreneurs and writers you may have not yet heard of, but are equally impressive:

• Amanda Natividad, a startup content marketer and trained chef;

• Andrew Barry, the founder of a corporate learning development consultancy.

• Andy Raskin, a strategic narrative consultant for CEOs and leadership teams

• Arvid Kahl, a developer, entrepreneur, and multi-time author; and

• Dickie Bush and Nicolas Cole, the founders of Ship30for30

• Drew Eric Whitman, author of Ca$hvertising

• Jay Acunzo, an author, keynote speaker, B2B marketing consultant, and podcast host;

• Jamie Russo, author, founder, and former Senior Program Manager at Amazon Advertising;

• Josh Bernoff, author of Writing Without Bullshit

• Mac Conwell, a multi-time founder, currently building Rarebreed Ventures.

• Meredith Metsker, a journalist-turned-B2B content marketer;

• Shaan Puri, co-founder of The Hustle

The result, I hope, is a book that helps every entrepreneur discover (or rediscover) their love for writing.

Great Founders Write is divided into sections based on the four core principles of great writing:

• Write with Purpose

• Write with Empathy

• Write with Clarity

• Write with Courage

It’s designed to be practical and immediately applicable. We’ll dive deep into specific writing use cases, including marketing, sales, training, persuasion, communication, and more. I’ll also show you how to use writing as the ultimate personal development tool.

Finally, you’ll find free writing tool like templates, frameworks, and cheat sheets at the end of many chapters. You can access them all by going to www.greatfounderswrite.com/bonus and entering your email.

Writing is often considered an art form. This book is not about the art of writing. It’s about wielding writing as a tool for your own transformation into a better entrepreneur, leader, and person.

If you’re open to the slow, messy, but transformative process of becoming your best self, then this book is for you. Read on.