Earning a PhD teaches you how to think critically, analyze data, and explore ideas deeply, but it doesn’t always teach you how to speak the language of business (unless you have a business degree).
Whether you’re moving into industry, considering consulting, or simply want to understand how organizations operate, developing business acumen can help you translate your academic expertise into real-world impact.
Fortunately, you don’t need an MBA to do that. You just need more experience from the business world and to get exposed to the right books to get you started.
Here are some highly-rated books that help bridge the gap between academia and business.
7 Business Acumen Book Suggestions
The Personal MBA by Josh Kaufman
A clear, comprehensive overview of core business concepts — from value creation to systems thinking — distilled into accessible ideas. Kaufman’s approach is perfect for academics: rigorous but practical, theory-meets-application.
Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
Understanding how people make decisions — rational or not — is at the heart of business strategy, marketing, and leadership. Kahneman’s cognitive psychology background will feel familiar to academics, but his insights reshape how you interpret human behavior in any professional context.
Good Strategy / Bad Strategy by Richard Rumelt
Strategy isn’t just for CEOs — it’s a way of thinking critically about problems, resources, and long-term goals. Rumelt shows how to separate “fluff” from substance, using analytical rigor that academics will appreciate.
Measure What Matters by John Doerr
OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) are the backbone of how many modern organizations set goals and track progress. This book explains how to translate lofty visions into measurable, actionable outcomes — a skill every researcher needs outside the lab.
The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel. H. Pink
Pink blends psychology, management, and behavioral economics to explore what really motivates people — autonomy, mastery, and purpose. His framework helps PhDs reimagine how they can lead or influence others effectively.
The First 90 Days by Michael D. Watkins
Transitioning from academia to a new professional setting can be disorienting. Watkins provides a playbook for how to onboard effectively, read organizational culture, and establish credibility quickly.
The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
Entrepreneurship is the ultimate experiment. Ries’s framework turns uncertainty into iteration — a scientific approach to building products, services, or even research ventures.
Note: After Your PhD LLC may receive a commission from purchased books.
Other Options For Building Business Acumen
Reading is only one part of the equation. You can accelerate your business learning by talking to people who already work in roles that interest you — informational interviews are an excellent way to translate theory into lived experience.
Likewise, short-term internships, consulting projects, or collaborations with industry partners can help you understand how organizations actually function.
Even volunteering to manage a budget, mentor a team, or coordinate a project within your university can build real business instincts.
Above all, be open to experiences that can help you get exposed to the business world.
Ryan Collins PhD is an SEO Strategist at Go Fish Digital. Ryan completed his PhD in Media Arts and Sciences at Indiana University Bloomington in 2021. During his time at Indiana University, Ryan eventually pivoted into a career in SEO and Digital Marketing after having informational interviews with working professionals in SEO, working on side projects, and gaining industry experience.