Books About Susan Wojcicki You Should Read

Susan Wojcicki was a titan of Silicon Valley, from renting her garage to Google's founders to leading YouTube for nearly a decade. While a single definitive biography has yet to be written, her story is woven through several essential reads.

1. 'How to Raise Successful People' by Esther Wojcicki

To understand the leader, it helps to understand her upbringing. This book, written by her mother Esther Wojcicki—a renowned educator—offers a unique window into the values that shaped Susan and her highly successful sisters. While not about Susan directly,

it outlines the parental philosophy of trust, respect, and independence that fostered a future CEO. It's the closest thing to a foundational text on the Wojcicki mindset, revealing the roots of the courage and conviction she displayed throughout her career in tech. The book details an approach to parenting that encourages curiosity and self-reliance, qualities evident in Susan’s major career moves.

2. 'Google It: A History of Google' by Anna Crowley Redding

You can't tell the story of Susan Wojcicki without telling the story of Google, and this book captures that origin well. Wojcicki wasn't just a bystander; she was Google's 16th employee and first marketing manager. Her garage was the company's first headquarters. This book highlights her early and crucial role in the company's development. It provides context for her rise, from her initial involvement to her work on foundational products like AdSense and Google Images. For anyone looking to understand her impact before her YouTube days, this history is a crucial piece of the puzzle, showing her as an integral builder of the Google empire from the very beginning.

3. 'Measure What Matters' by John Doerr

This isn't a book about Wojcicki, but it's a book she championed and one that explains the management framework that powered Google and YouTube's explosive growth. Written by legendary venture capitalist John Doerr, it details the system of Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) that has become a Silicon Valley standard. Wojcicki was a key proponent of this system. Understanding OKRs is essential to understanding how she managed YouTube's massive scale, aligning thousands of employees toward ambitious goals. Reading it provides direct insight into the operational strategy she used to run one of the world's largest media platforms.

4. 'The YouTube Effect' by Alex Winter

While this is a documentary film, not a book, its inclusion is essential for understanding the platform Wojcicki led. The film explores YouTube's immense cultural and social impact, and Wojcicki appears in it to provide context on the company's journey and challenges. It directly addresses the complexities she navigated as CEO, from content moderation to the platform's role in society. For a visual and thematic companion to the written word, this film offers a direct look at the world she was instrumental in shaping during her nine-year tenure as the head of YouTube.

5. 'Trillion Dollar Coach' by Eric Schmidt, Jonathan Rosenberg, and Alan Eagle

This book centers on the wisdom of legendary executive coach Bill Campbell, who mentored countless Silicon Valley leaders, including Susan Wojcicki. It offers a powerful look at the principles of leadership and management that shaped the culture at Google. While Campbell is the star, the lessons on building trust, fostering growth, and leading with humanity were central to the environment where Wojcicki thrived and eventually became a top executive herself. The book is another text she recommended, and it reflects the people-centric leadership philosophy that was a hallmark of her era at both Google and YouTube.