Web Summit, CC BY 2.0, cropped via Wikimedia Commons

Drew Houston

Co-founder & CEO, Dropbox

Founder and operator who co-founded Dropbox and has led the cloud storage company since 2007.

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Founder Technology Operator

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10Verified recs

Books Drew Houston recommends, documented so far

This is the current verified catalog coverage. Every recommendation row links back to source evidence and the canonical book profile.

Semiconductors Operations Engineering Management

High Output Management

by Andrew Grove · 1983

Author signal

Andrew Grove · Intel engineer-operator

Documented citation: Business Insider reported that Houston loves High Output Management and credited Grove's books with shaping the mindsets needed for demanding CEO work.

Documented citation Recommended article Dropbox CEO Drew Houston's favorite books on business and management include these 4 must-reads

This source documents the book relationship, but the displayed text is a catalog summary rather than a verbatim quote.

Business Insider · 2025-06-11 · accessed 2026-06-20

Business Insider reports Houston's Fortune Leadership Next appearance, names High Output Management among his favorite/loved leadership books, and quotes his explanation of the CEO mindsets those books taught.

Open source

Recommended · Reported podcast recommendation · article Source 2025-06-11

Amazon AudibleAffiliate disclosure: We may earn a commission when you buy through some links. Recommendations are included because of the source, not because of the retailer. Details

Semiconductors Strategy Technology

Only the Paranoid Survive

by Andrew Grove · 1996

Author signal

Andrew Grove · Intel engineer-operator

Documented citation: Business Insider reported that Houston loves Only the Paranoid Survive and credited Grove's books with shaping the mindsets needed for demanding CEO work.

Documented citation Recommended article Dropbox CEO Drew Houston's favorite books on business and management include these 4 must-reads

This source documents the book relationship, but the displayed text is a catalog summary rather than a verbatim quote.

Business Insider · 2025-06-11 · accessed 2026-06-20

Business Insider reports Houston's Fortune Leadership Next appearance, names Only the Paranoid Survive among his favorite/loved leadership books, and quotes his explanation of the CEO mindsets those books taught.

Open source

Recommended · Reported podcast recommendation · article Source 2025-06-11

Amazon AudibleAffiliate disclosure: We may earn a commission when you buy through some links. Recommendations are included because of the source, not because of the retailer. Details

Management Leadership Productivity

The Effective Executive

by Peter F. Drucker · 1967

Author signal

Peter F. Drucker · Management writer

Documented citation: Business Insider reports Houston saying The Effective Executive is one of his favorites and shaped his leadership.

Documented citation Recommended article Dropbox CEO Drew Houston recommends these must-read business books

This source documents the book relationship, but the displayed text is a catalog summary rather than a verbatim quote.

Business Insider · 2025-06 · accessed 2026-06-21

Business Insider reports Houston naming leadership and management books on Fortune's Leadership Next podcast and summarizes his rationale.

Open source

Recommended · Reported podcast recommendation · article Source 2025-06

Amazon AudibleAffiliate disclosure: We may earn a commission when you buy through some links. Recommendations are included because of the source, not because of the retailer. Details

Leadership Management Teams

The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership

by Jim Dethmer, Diana Chapman & Kaley Warner Klemp · 2015

Author signal

Jim Dethmer · Leadership author

Diana Chapman · Leadership author

Kaley Warner Klemp · Leadership author

Documented citation: Business Insider reports Houston recommending The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership for leadership beyond textbook business skills.

Documented citation Recommended article Dropbox CEO Drew Houston recommends these must-read business books

This source documents the book relationship, but the displayed text is a catalog summary rather than a verbatim quote.

Business Insider · 2025-06 · accessed 2026-06-21

Business Insider reports Houston naming leadership and management books on Fortune's Leadership Next podcast and summarizes his rationale.

Open source

Recommended · Reported podcast recommendation · article Source 2025-06

Amazon AudibleAffiliate disclosure: We may earn a commission when you buy through some links. Recommendations are included because of the source, not because of the retailer. Details

Startups Operations Venture Capital

The Hard Thing About Hard Things

by Ben Horowitz · 2014

Author signal

Ben Horowitz · Founder-investor

a favorite book that's more about the experience of running a company is Ben Horowitz's book, The Hard Thing About Hard Things

Exact quote verified Recommended transcript The Tim Ferriss Show Transcripts: Drew Houston

We captured the recommendation language from the source.

Tim Ferriss · 2018-08-29 · accessed 2026-06-23

In response to Ferriss's core-reading-list question, Houston names The Hard Thing About Hard Things as a favorite book about the experience of running a company.

Open source

Recommended · Podcast transcript · transcript Source 2018-08-29

Amazon AudibleAffiliate disclosure: We may earn a commission when you buy through some links. Recommendations are included because of the source, not because of the retailer. Details

Investing Mental Models

Poor Charlie's Almanack

by Charles T. Munger · 2005

Author signal

Charles T. Munger · Berkshire Hathaway investor

a couple favorite books are Poor Charlie's Almanac by Charlie Munger

Exact quote verified Recommended transcript The Tim Ferriss Show Transcripts: Drew Houston

We captured the recommendation language from the source.

Tim Ferriss · 2018-08-29 · accessed 2026-06-23

In response to Ferriss's core-reading-list question, Houston names Poor Charlie's Almanack as one of a couple favorite books and explains its decision-making value.

Open source

Recommended · Podcast transcript · transcript Source 2018-08-29

AmazonAffiliate disclosure: We may earn a commission when you buy through some links. Recommendations are included because of the source, not because of the retailer. Details

Philosophy Engineering Quality

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

by Robert M. Pirsig · 1974

Author signal

Robert M. Pirsig · Writer and philosopher

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is about that question.

Exact quote verified Recommended transcript The Tim Ferriss Show Transcripts: Drew Houston

We captured the recommendation language from the source.

Tim Ferriss · 2018-08-29 · accessed 2026-06-23

Houston discusses Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance in his core-reading-list answer as a book about rational and aesthetic judgment.

Open source

Recommended · Podcast transcript · transcript Source 2018-08-29

Business Investing Decision Making

Principles

by Ray Dalio · 2017

Author signal

Ray Dalio · Founder of Bridgewater

he sketched really concise and good thoughts for like, all right, how do you approach life?

Exact quote verified Recommended transcript The Tim Ferriss Show Transcripts: Drew Houston

We captured the recommendation language from the source.

Tim Ferriss · 2018-08-29 · accessed 2026-06-23

Houston includes Principles by Ray Dalio in the core-reading-list answer and says Dalio sketched concise and good thoughts about approaching life.

Open source

Recommended · Podcast transcript · transcript Source 2018-08-29

Amazon Apple Books AudibleAffiliate disclosure: We may earn a commission when you buy through some links. Recommendations are included because of the source, not because of the retailer. Details

Innovation Disruption Strategy

The Innovator's Dilemma

by Clayton M. Christensen · 1997

Author signal

Clayton M. Christensen · Book author

two of the books that were really instrumental, the first one is Innovator's Dilemma

Exact quote verified Recommended transcript The Tim Ferriss Show Transcripts: Drew Houston

We captured the recommendation language from the source.

Tim Ferriss · 2018-08-29 · accessed 2026-06-23

Houston says The Innovator's Dilemma was one of two books that were really instrumental and explains its disruption/startup relevance.

Open source

Recommended · Podcast transcript · transcript Source 2018-08-29

AmazonAffiliate disclosure: We may earn a commission when you buy through some links. Recommendations are included because of the source, not because of the retailer. Details

Startups Marketing Technology

Crossing the Chasm

by Geoffrey A. Moore · 1991

Author signal

Geoffrey A. Moore · Book author

there's a book called Crossing the Chasm, which is another classic.

Exact quote verified Recommended transcript The Tim Ferriss Show Transcripts: Drew Houston

We captured the recommendation language from the source.

Tim Ferriss · 2018-08-29 · accessed 2026-06-23

Houston identifies Crossing the Chasm as another classic after naming The Innovator's Dilemma as instrumental.

Open source

Recommended · Podcast transcript · transcript Source 2018-08-29

AmazonAffiliate disclosure: We may earn a commission when you buy through some links. Recommendations are included because of the source, not because of the retailer. Details

Documented mentions and citations

These source-backed rows are useful context, but they are not counted as direct recommendations.

Negotiation Decision Making Conflict

Getting to Yes

by Roger Fisher, William Ury & Bruce Patton · 1981

Author signal

Roger Fisher · Negotiation scholar

William Ury · Negotiation author

Bruce Patton · Co-author of Difficult Conversations

I still think about and apply a lot of those concepts today.

Exact quote verified Mentioned transcript The Tim Ferriss Show Transcripts: Drew Houston

We captured the mention language from the source; this is not counted as a direct recommendation.

Tim Ferriss · 2018-08-29 · accessed 2026-06-23

Houston says he still thinks about and applies many concepts from Getting to Yes, but this is kept as a mention because it is not part of his core reading-list answer.

Open source

Mentioned · Podcast transcript · transcript Source 2018-08-29

Amazon AudibleAffiliate disclosure: We may earn a commission when you buy through some links. Recommendations are included because of the source, not because of the retailer. Details

Leadership Psychology People

Emotional Intelligence

by Daniel Goleman · 1995

Author signal

Daniel Goleman · Science journalist and author

it spelled out something that I just didn't know you could kind of break down in a logical way.

Exact quote verified Mentioned transcript The Tim Ferriss Show Transcripts: Drew Houston

We captured the mention language from the source; this is not counted as a direct recommendation.

Tim Ferriss · 2018-08-29 · accessed 2026-06-23

Houston says Emotional Intelligence spelled out something he did not know could be broken down logically, but this is kept as a mention because he describes formative impact rather than a direct recommendation.

Open source

Mentioned · Podcast transcript · transcript Source 2018-08-29