Good Books

What Good Books does

Good Books Inc. is a Miami-based, privately held digital media company (founded 2020, 1-10 employees) that operates a curated book discovery platform under the domain goodbooks.io. The company aggregates 6,500+ book recommendations attributed to successful and influential individuals — entrepreneurs, investors, authors, actors, and politicians — and organizes them across 16+ categories and 20+ industries. Its core product is a human-curated recommendation catalog, deliberately positioned against algorithmic recommendation systems: editorial validation rather than algorithmic scoring is the stated differentiator. The product surface spans a Webflow-built responsive website, native iOS and Android applications, and the "The Reading Journal" email newsletter, which has grown to 20,000+ subscribers.

Underlying technology is intentionally lightweight: the web platform is built on Webflow, with mobile applications distributed via the Apple App Store and Google Play, and there is no public API, SDK, or proprietary model disclosed. Content is organized by featured person, category, and industry, with each book profile linking out to retailers for purchase.

The business model is media-style, not transactional: the product is free to consumers, and revenue is generated through (1) Amazon Associates affiliate commissions on book purchases routed from the platform, (2) Apple Books affiliate links as a secondary purchase outlet, and (3) sponsored content placements from brand partners including Audible (audiobooks) and Eight Sleep (smart mattresses). Distribution relies on owned channels — SEO-optimized per-book pages, an email newsletter, and social media presence on Instagram, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn — augmented by earned-media placements such as a Product Hunt daily top-post feature. There is no disclosed VC funding (one 2022 round reported at $0), no public revenue, and no disclosed headcount growth, consistent with a small, founder-led, bootstrapped operation. The customer base is a long-tail of B2C individual readers, primarily "avid readers seeking self-improvement" and "business and tech professionals" following the reading lists of industry leaders.

Name

Good Books

Legal name

Good Books Inc.

Website

https://goodbooks.io

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Good Books is a curated book discovery platform aggregating 6,500+ recommendations from successful and influential people, organized by person, category, and industry, and served to self-improvement-oriented readers via a Webflow website, iOS and Android apps, and a 20,000+-subscriber newsletter.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Book Recommendation Platform

NAICS

Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (5192), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

E-book Retail & Reading Platforms (Stores, Apps, Devices) (MPAJAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Genre & Category Publishing (Romance, Mystery/Thriller, Sci‑Fi/Fantasy, etc.) (MPAJAAAB), Business, Personal Finance & Careers Trade Publishing (MPAJAAAK)

Keywords

• Curated book recommendations
• Book discovery platform
• Reading lists by category
• Author recommendation engine
• Reading newsletter service

Headquarters

HQ city

Miami

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Affiliate Marketing: Participant in Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, earning advertising fees when users click through to purchase books on Amazon.com
2. Sponsored Content/Advertising: Sponsored placements from brands like Eight Sleep (smart mattresses) and Audible (audiobooks) featured on the platform

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Good Books operates a curated digital book discovery platform that aggregates 6,500+ book recommendations from successful entrepreneurs, investors, authors, politicians, and other notable figures, organized by category, industry, and featured person. It distributes this content via a web platform, native iOS and Android mobile apps, and a weekly email newsletter ("The Reading Journal") with 20,000+ subscribers, with outbound purchase links to Amazon and Apple Books.

Product overview

Good Books is a curated book discovery platform that aggregates over 6,500 book recommendations from successful and interesting people across various industries. The platform operates as a web-based discovery tool supplemented by a mobile app (iOS and Android) and an email newsletter called 'The Reading Journal'. Users can browse recommendations by category (biographies, business, technology, fiction, etc.), by industry (entrepreneurship, venture capital, science, media, etc.), by featured people, or through curated lists and series. The core platform serves as the central hub, while the mobile app provides on-the-go access and the newsletter delivers personalized reading recommendations to subscribers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Good Books Platform (Web) A curated book discovery web platform featuring over 6,500 book recommendations from successful and influential figures, browsable by category (biographies, business, technology, fiction, science & nature, design), by industry (venture capital, entrepreneurship, technology, science, media, writing), and by featured individual, with outbound purchase links to Amazon and Apple Books. Targeted at individual readers seeking trustworthy, human-curated book recommendations.
• Good Books Mobile App (iOS and Android) Native iOS and Android applications delivering the same curated 6,500+ book recommendations for discovery on mobile devices, available on the App Store and Google Play. Targeted at individual readers who want on-the-go access to book recommendations from notable figures.
• The Reading Journal Newsletter A weekly email newsletter delivering curated reading lists, book announcements, and giveaways to over 20,000 subscribers. Targeted at individual readers seeking a recurring, email-delivered source of new book recommendations from notable figures.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20,000+ newsletter subscribers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AmazoncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerParticipant in Amazon Services LLC Associates Program - an affiliate advertising program where Good Books earns advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com for book purchases
• Apple BookscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides links to Apple Books for users to purchase recommended books, creating an additional purchase option and revenue stream
• AudibleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsored content partnership featuring Audible Premium Plus advertising on the platform, offering free audiobooks to users
• Eight SleepminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsored content placement featuring Eight Sleep smart mattresses, targeting the health and wellness audience of readers

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Goodreads: Amazon-owned social book catalog and recommendation platform with user reviews, lists, and reading tracking. It is the dominant book discovery destination and competes for the same reader mindshare, though it operates at vastly larger scale and with broader social features.
• Amazon Kindle: Amazon's e-book reading platform and the destination for Good Books' affiliate links. Represents the dominant downstream retailer and platform risk — changes in Amazon's affiliate program or Kindle curation could materially impact Good Books.

Direct peers

• BookBub: Curated daily deals and recommendations to a large reader email list, monetized through affiliate links to retailers. Overlaps directly with Good Books on curated book discovery and email-driven monetization, though BookBub focuses on discounted e-books rather than person-based recommendations.
• Blinkist: Subscription app offering condensed book summaries targeted at professionals seeking self-improvement. Targets the same business/leadership reader persona as Good Books and competes for the same attention around personal-development reading.
• StoryGraph: Reader-focused book recommendation platform with mood- and theme-based discovery, reading challenges, and community lists. Competes in the curated book discovery space, differentiated by data-driven recommendations versus Good Books' celebrity-endorsed approach.
• BookAuthority: Curated book recommendation platform for business and technology readers, featuring expert-endorsed titles. Closely mirrors Good Books' positioning around books recommended by credible, often well-known figures in tech and business.
• Shepherd: Book recommendation platform organizing recommendations by the person who made them, similar to Good Books' people-centric curation model. Direct competitor on the same 'books recommended by successful people' angle.
• Headway: Mobile-first book summary and recommendation app targeting busy professionals seeking self-improvement content. Overlaps with Good Books' business/self-improvement reader persona and mobile distribution.
• Read This Next: Book recommendation site that organizes suggestions by the people who recommended them, very similar to Good Books' person-centric curation approach. Targets readers seeking trusted recommendations from notable figures.

Emerging players

• Literary Hub: Online magazine and book discovery hub for literary readers, with curated essays, excerpts, and recommendations. Adjacent to Good Books' content discovery layer but skewed toward literary fiction rather than business/self-improvement.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/goodbooks_io
• Facebookfacebook.com/goodbooks.io
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/goodbooks-io
• Instagraminstagram.com/goodbooks.io

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Good Books