Purple cows and how the world ends

August 14, 2025

What’s on your summer reading list?

The quieter summer months can be a great time to catch up on your reading. They’re also an opportunity to work in some professional development.

This summer, why not combine the two?

A summer reading list focused on business books can help you stay current, develop new skills and gain fresh perspectives. To get you started, we asked the SME4DD experts to see what’s on their summer reading lists. Here’s what they recommend:

The First 90 Days by Michael Watkins

According to EIT Digital’s Siddhesh Krishnan, this book is essential for SMEs as it provides useful insights into how companies can help set their talent up for success within the first three months on the job.

“I believe that successful onboarding helps employees be engaged and impactful in their new role and contributes to an overall positive experience,” says Krishnan.

This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends by Nicole Perlroth

This book delves into the critical and often overlooked topic of cybersecurity. “In today’s digital landscape, every business – regardless of size – is vulnerable to cyberthreats,” says Talent Garden’s Vincenzo Turturro.

In this book, author Nicole Perlroth uses extensive research and storytelling to make complex technical information accessible, highlighting the global implications of cyber warfare and the urgent need for robust defence strategies. For SMEs who might not have dedicated in-house cybersecurity teams, understanding these risks and the importance of proactive measures is paramount to protecting their data, intellectual property and, ultimately, their business continuity.

“It's a compelling and eye-opening read that underscores why cybersecurity should be a priority for all organisations,” adds Turturro.

Purple Cow by Seth Godin

One book that should be on every SME’s shelf is Seth Godin’s Purple Cow.

Why? “Because in today’s saturated market, being good is no longer good enough — you need to be remarkable,” explains Talent Garden’s Pasquale Grasso.

According to Grasso, this book challenges companies to rethink their products, services, and communication by focusing on what truly makes them stand out. Better yet, it’s a short read with real-world examples and insights. “For any SME looking to build a memorable brand, attract loyal customers, and create genuine interest, Purple Cow is essential reading,” he says.

Happy reading!

Meet our partners!

Helping to drive Hungary’s digital transformation is DKF.

In addition to providing education and digital skill training, DKF also supports international projects within the framework of digitalisation.

One of those projects is SME4DD.

As our SME Needs Assessment Lead, DKF is at the forefront of researching and understanding what digital skills SMEs need most – insight that helps us determine which courses to offer.

You can learn more about this project partner here.

SME4DD by numbers

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Upcoming events

2 September: Behind the Click: A Hacker’s Journey Through Your Organisation

During this free webinar, SME4DD resident cybersecurity specialist Vincenzo Turturro will provide practical tips and tricks to help you better detect, respond and mitigate a real cyberattack. He’ll also conduct a live cyberattack to demonstrate a hacker’s entire journey through your organisation – from initial click to system breach. Follow SME4DD on LinkedIn for updates and information on upcoming events.

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Initiated by the EIT