Book/reading recommendations - going into TMT Coverage, with a non-technical background

As above - I am joining an Investment Bank in TMT coverage team later this year. I have recently been reading a lot more books about finance, and looking for some recommendations. For context, I have a non-technical background (Economics), so any non-finance TMT-related recommendations would also be welcomed.

Thanks!

 

I enjoyed reading Cable Cowboy (which covers more media / cable). John Malone is a genius. Always been sort of under the radar vs. his competitors in the space - Rupert Murdoch, Ari Emanuel, etc.

Technology (for example, about SaaS business models) books - I am looking forward to seeing what others share as I can't think of any.

 

Some readings on the telecom side of TMT:
* Introduction to the Tower Industry - American Tower (free online)
* Economic contribution of the European tower sector - EY Parthenon (free online)
* RBC's Data Center quarterly report (dont think its free, but you can find it in CapIQ)
* Data Center Dynamics (website that has some good brief introductory articles on data centers)

 
Most Helpful

These are the books that I have read which cover the history, major players and/or deals within Tech, Media, Telecoms or all 3.

Tech:

  • Not a book but a16z 16 Startup metrics, and 16 more startup metrics —> https://a16z.com/16-startup-metrics/; https://a16z.com/16-more-startup-metrics/
  • Secrets of Sand Hill Road by Scott Kupor —> a book on VC
  • Chip War by Chris Miller — a comprehensive overview of the beginnings of the semiconductor industry, the major players and its exponential rise in importance in modern tech. Personally really enjoyed the book despite it being a relatively long read.
  • A Brief History of AI by Michael Wooldridge
  • From Impossible To Inevitable by Aaron Ross —> how SaaS companies create predictable revenue
  • The Innovators Dilemma by Clayton Christensen
  • The Power Law by Sebastian Mallaby
  • Behind the Cloud by Marc Benioff —> history of Salesforce
  • The Four by Scott Galloway —> a book about 4 (Apple, Amazon, Google and Microsoft) of the Mag 7 companies
  • The complete Guide to Software as a Service by Robert Michon
  • Going Public by Dakin Campbell —> book on Silicon Valley tech companies and them going public for the first time

Media:

  • Fools Rush In by Nina Munk —> about the AOL Time Warner failed merger
  • Binge Times by Dade Hayes —> a book about streaming wars and how the competitors are aiming to take market share away from Netflix
  • Revolutions in Communications by Bill Kovarik
  • The Battle for Sky by Christopher Williams —> a book on Comcast & Disney’s bidding war for Sky and how Comcast eventually acquired Sky
  • Media Mergers (yet to read) by Nancy Woodhull

Telecoms:

  • Cable Cowboy (agree with comment above)
  • Tubes: A Journey to the Center of the Internet by Andrew Blum
  • The Deal of the Century by Steve Coll —> history of the breakup of AT&T
  • The Great Telecom Meltdown by Freddie Goldstein
  • The Undersea Network by Nicole Starosielski
  • Optical Illusions by Lisa Endrich —> a book on the history of Lucent Technologies & its rise and fall

Websites/podcasts/other on TMT space:

  • Data Center Dynamics (agree with other comment)
  • Fierce Telecom (website)
  • YCombinator (podcast)
  • Tech Disruptors & Bloomberg Technology (podcasts)
  • Next in Tech by S&P Global (podcast)
  • Semiconductor Industry Association (website, provides research about the global semis space)
  • Counterpoint Research (website w/ extensive coverage in Tech and a bit of Telecoms, mainly 5G networks - also have a podcast called 'The Counterpoint Podcast') 

Edit: formatting
 

 
AnotherLondonMonkey

These are the books that I have read which cover the history, major players and/or deals within Tech, Media, Telecoms or all 3.

Tech: - Not a book but a16z 16 Startup metrics, and 16 more startup metrics —> https://a16z.com/16-startup-metrics/; https://a16z.com/16-more-startup-metrics/ - Secrets of Sand Hill Road by Scott Kupor —> a book on VC - Chip War by Chris Miller — a comprehensive overview of the beginnings of the semiconductor industry, the major players and its exponential rise in importance in modern tech. Personally really enjoyed the book despite it being a relatively long read. - A Brief History of AI by Michael Wooldridge - From Impossible To Inevitable by Aaron Ross —> how SaaS companies create predictable revenue - The Innovators Dilemma by Clayton Christensen - The Power Law by Sebastian Mallaby - Behind the Cloud by Marc Benioff —> history of Salesforce - The Four by Scott Galloway —> a book about 4 (Apple, Amazon, Google and Microsoft) of the Mag 7 companies - The complete Guide to Software as a Service by Robert Michon - Going Public by Dakin Campbell —> book on Silicon Valley companies and them going public for the first time

Media: - Fools Rush In by Nina Munk —> about the AOL Time Warner failed merger - Binge Times by Dade Hayes —> a book about streaming wars and how the competitors are aiming to take market share away from Netflix - Revolutions in Communications by Bill Kovarik - The Battle for Sky by Christopher Williams —> a book on Comcast & Disney’s bidding war for Sky and how Comcast eventually acquired Sky - Media Mergers (yet to read) by Nancy Woodhull

Telecoms: - Cable Cowboy (agree with comment above) - Tubes: A Journey to the Center of the Internet by Andrew Blum - The Deal of the Century by Steve Coll —> history of the breakup of AT&T - The Great Telecom Meltdown by Freddie Goldstein - The Undersea Network by Nicole Starosielski - Optical Illusions by Lisa Endrich —> a book on the history of Lucent Technologies & its rise and fall

Websites/podcasts/other on TMT space: - Data Center Dynamics (agree with other comment) - Fierce Telecom (website) - YCombinator (podcast) - Tech Disruptors & Bloomberg Technology (podcasts) - Next in Tech by S&P Global (podcast)

Bullet points are your friend.

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 
AnotherLondonMonkey

Formatting is screwing me over.

Wow - you edited. Nice work. +SBs

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

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