Leaders eat last by Simon Sinek
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Excellent book by Simon Sinek who explains the role of a leader is not the one we think. Being a leader is a privilege whose cost is the sacrifice of one's personal interests. It is not giving orders, being the guy everyone refer to and putting himself forward to be the hero. The role of a leader is directed toward his team. He has to use his energy to serve and protect them and to create an atmosphere of trust.

That's this atmosphere of trust which allows the team to spend their energy on working together, having pleasure to work, adding value and building a product they will be proud of. If there is no trust, they will spend energy to protecting from the others, energy that they won't use for their actual job.

What often makes bad leaders is stress and abstraction (successive layers between top and bottom-level) which generate selfish decisions establishing a bad climate where we will use our energy to protect ourselves rather than to create. Not effective at all.

Clean architecture by Robert C.Martin
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The first computer book I read. Since I develop I've been interested in software architecture. It lead to my first talk. "Clean Architecture" by Robert C. Martin is a comprehensive guide to designing software systems that are modular, maintainable, and scalable. It emphasizes the separation of concerns, independence from external frameworks and tools, and the ability to evolve and adapt over time.

The importance of clear boundaries between different layers of an application and advocates for decoupling business logic from external dependencies. By following the principles outlined in the book, developers can create software that is flexible, testable, and adaptable to changing requirements, ultimately leading to more sustainable and successful projects.

The neuroscientific basis of successful design by Marco Maiocchi
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One of my favorite book. Marco Maiocchi is a professor at University of Milano which is why the analyzes he presents in his book are extensive. He goes into detail and backs up his remarks with scientific studies, something that is rarely found in other books. I found information there that I did not find in any other book.

The author explains to us that the design fulfills practical functions but also non-material ones. Indeed, good designers know how to tickle the senses and arouse emotions. And thus manages to direct our decisions (often purchases). And this can't be learned in school or through models because it will come down to understanding the whole human emotional system.

One of my favorite examples is the one where he explains that after the Second World War, the world always asked for more goods so production had to be increased. Craftsmanship then gradually gave way to production chains. Consumers found themselves with a lot of similar products, with the same technical specifications, with similar prices. So choices could no longer be made rationally. The winner will be the one who fulfills unnecessary expectations (color, shape, sound etc.) able to communicate / awaken the emotions of users. We can take as concrete example Cars. By their shape, colors, power, they express something. Something implicit. And each individual has his own interpretation of the meaning of a design. And each individual wants to communicate something different through its acquisitions.

Hooked by Nir Eyal
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In this book, Nir Eyak explores the psychology behind building habit-forming products.
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Habits are these daily facts and gestures rooted in our consciousness without our being aware of it. To do this, you have to respond to a need, an emotion that remains below the threshold of awareness and be the first idea that comes to mind to soothe this emotion (ex: I'm bored -> facebook). Several types of external trigger (paid, acquired, relational, held).
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And there are the internal triggers (invisible, inaudible and untouchable, they manifest themselves mechanically in the brain. Linking an internal trigger, an emotion, a thought, a routine to a product is the holy grail).

It is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding and leveraging the power of habit to create successful and engaging products.