Recently it was World Book Day which feels different when you’re a founder. Because some books don’t just sit on your shelf - they sit in your decisions, your confidence, your resilience and your growth.
As the co-founder of Afundi, I can trace so many turning points in my journey back to moments of learning. Not just through experience, but through the words and frameworks of people who had walked parts of the path before me. Certain books didn’t just inspire me, they equipped me. They reframed how I think, how I try and lead and how I build.
I wanted to share four books that have been instrumental in shaping both me and Afundi.
Backing myself before I felt ready
Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg challenged me in a way I didn’t quite expect.
When you’re building something from the ground up, confidence isn’t constant. There are rooms you walk into where you feel completely certain - and others where imposter syndrome creeps in quietly. This book forced me to look at the moments where I might have been holding myself back, waiting until I felt “ready enough.”
Entrepreneurship doesn’t wait for perfect confidence. It demands that you take your seat at the table anyway.
One of the biggest lessons I took from it was this: growth often requires you to back yourself before you have all the evidence. That mindset shift has stayed with me through pitches, hiring decisions, pricing conversations and bold strategic moves within Afundi.
Reframing pressure as a privilege
Running an agency comes with pressure - deadlines, team responsibility, financial targets, client expectations. It’s part of the territory.
The Pressure Principle by Dave Alred completely reframed how I view it.
Instead of seeing pressure as something to avoid or manage down, this book explores how pressure can sharpen focus and elevate performance. That idea resonated deeply. Pressure isn’t a sign that something is wrong. Often, it’s a sign that you’re operating and creating at a level that matters. It's something we try to build into our culture and teach our team.
Building Afundi has required stepping into high-stakes moments again and again. Learning to embrace pressure rather than fear it, has been one of the most powerful mindset shifts in my journey.
Choosing progress over perfection
If there’s a book that sits inside the operational foundations of Afundi, it’s The Lean Startup by Eric Ries.
The concept of build–measure–learn reshaped how I think about growth. Rather than waiting until something is perfect before launching, it reinforced the importance of testing, iterating and refining. This concept can feel foreign to a perfectionist, actually it can be downright scary.
That philosophy has influenced everything from evolving our service offering to refining internal processes and experimenting with new ideas. It’s a constant reminder that momentum is more valuable than hesitation.
Perfection can stall you. Progress moves you forward. (I need to remind myself of this more often.)
The power of a story
As someone who runs a design and development agency, The Fortune Cookie Principle by Bernadette Jiwa felt like a quiet but powerful affirmation.
It centers around the idea that businesses succeed not because they shout the loudest, but because they resonate the deepest. A story isn’t a marketing add-on, it’s the foundation of meaningful connection.
This has shaped Afundi profoundly.
We don’t just build websites and design brands. We help founders articulate who they are, what they stand for and why it matters. Because when your story is clear, your strategy becomes clearer too. Messaging sharpens. Decisions simplify. Confidence grows.
A thread of intentional growth
Looking back, each of these books gave me something different:
- The confidence to step forward
- The tools to handle pressure
- The framework to build smarter
- The reminder that story drives connection
But together, they share a common thread: intentional growth.
World Book Day often celebrates nostalgia - childhood favourites and beloved fiction. And that’s the joy of it but it’s also worth celebrating the books that quietly shape our trajectory as adults. The ones that sit beside you while you’re figuring things out. The ones that underline your instincts. The ones that challenge your thinking when staying comfortable would be easier.
Afundi didn’t just grow from client work and strategy sessions. It grew from learning. I’m still learning and I have no doubt that my next read will have another pearl of wisdom in it. I’m grateful for the authors whose words have played a part in building this business and in building me.
What book has shaped your journey? I would love some new recommendations: jessica@afundi.im.
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