I love books. When I look at the 5000 books on my bookshelf, I see more than paper and ink; I see a personal board of mentors I never had. Over the years, as an avid reader, these books have quietly reshaped how I approach coding, leadership, and even thinking itself.

Early in my career, I assumed improving my skills was all about writing more code or learning the latest framework, like everyone else. But the most significant improvements in my growth came from hours spent flipping pages in some of the best books out there.

There’s something tactile and deliberate about reading, scribbling notes in the margins, dog-earing pages, that forces me to slow down and reflect.

Here, I want to share five books that influenced my journey from engineer to CTO the most. Each of these books contributed beyond just technical knowledge; they challenged my assumptions, introduced new mental models, and ultimately changed how I work and lead teams.