The rarest docs and books you've probably never read

Sahil Patel · Read Rare

2 min read Original article ↗
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Pick one off the shelf. Free to read or borrow.

The index

48 internal memos, leaked handbooks and forgotten books from the people who built Apple, Intel, Google, Netflix and Facebook. Every one is free to read or borrow.

Documents

  1. The Buffett Partnership LettersWarren Buffett1957
  2. Intel Convertible Debentures MemoNoyce, Moore & Rock1968
  3. Letter to See's CandyWarren Buffett1972
  4. The Apple Marketing PhilosophyMike Markkula1977
  5. Information Management: A ProposalTim Berners-Lee, CERN1989
  6. Word for Windows PostmortemPeter Jackson, Microsoft1989
  7. Road Kill on the Information HighwayNathan Myhrvold, Microsoft1993
  8. The Internet Tidal WaveBill Gates1995
  9. Good Product Manager / Bad Product ManagerBen Horowitz1996
  10. Distributed Computing ManifestoAmazon1998
  11. The YouTube Investment MemoRoelof Botha, Sequoia2005
  12. The Peanut Butter ManifestoBrad Garlinghouse, Yahoo2006
  13. R.I.P. Good TimesSequoia Capital2008
  14. Netflix Culture DeckReed Hastings2009
  15. The Eternal Pursuit of UnhappinessOgilvy & Mather2009
  16. “Holy War with Google”Steve Jobs2010
  17. The “Burning Platform” MemoStephen Elop, Nokia2011
  18. Principles (original PDF)Ray Dalio2011
  19. Stevey's Google Platforms RantSteve Yegge2011
  20. Handbook for New EmployeesValve2012
  21. The Little Red BookFacebook2012
  22. The Instagram EmailsMark Zuckerberg2012
  23. We Don’t Sell Saddles HereStewart Butterfield, Slack2013
  24. Thoughts on MessengerMark Zuckerberg2014
  25. The OpenAI Founding EmailsMusk, Altman, Sutskever & Brockman2015
  26. We Have No Moat, And Neither Does OpenAIGoogle (leaked)2023
  27. How to Succeed in MrBeast ProductionMrBeast2024
  28. Ilya Sutskever's DepositionIlya Sutskever2025

Books

  1. Random Reminiscences of Men and EventsJohn D. Rockefeller1909
  2. A Business and Its BeliefsThomas J. Watson Jr.1963
  3. Not for Bread AloneKonosuke Matsushita1984
  4. ManagingHarold Geneen1984
  5. Kelly: More Than My Share of It AllClarence “Kelly” Johnson1985
  6. Estée: A Success StoryEstée Lauder1985
  7. Made in JapanAkio Morita1986
  8. Odyssey: Pepsi to AppleJohn Sculley1987
  9. Fumbling the FutureDouglas K. Smith & Robert C. Alexander1988
  10. Father, Son & Co.Thomas J. Watson Jr.1990
  11. Hard DriveJames Wallace & Jim Erickson1992
  12. Tandy's Money MachineIrvin Farman1992
  13. The HP WayDavid Packard1995
  14. Startup: A Silicon Valley AdventureJerry Kaplan1995
  15. The Power of Fastenal PeopleRobert A. Kierlin1997
  16. Plain TalkKen Iverson1997
  17. Insisting on the ImpossibleVictor K. McElheny1998
  18. HardballGeorge Stalk & Rob Lachenauer2004
  19. Distant ForceGeorge A. Roberts2007
  20. DTVMichael Moritz2020