One weird thing about publishing a book in 2026: a lot of the conversation around it ends up trapped inside platforms.
Amazon reviews. Goodreads comments. Screenshots people send me privately. The feedback exists, but it’s surprisingly easy for it to disappear into the internet void after a few weeks.
So I’m starting a running archive of reader reviews here on the site. Going forward, I’ll do monthly roundups, but for this first post, I wanted to collect everything in one place.
Outrageous Startup Growth became a USA Today national bestseller, which was pretty surreal. I happen to think it’s one of the top business books of the year and the best behavioral science book of 2026. The readers can decide whether I’m right.
Seeing how people have responded to it has been one of the most rewarding parts of the entire experience.
These are real reviews from actual readers. They’re presented exactly as originally written, without editing, rewriting, filtering, or cherry-picking. Where available, I’ve also included the original ratings, review titles, dates, and customer images.
The reviews below were originally posted on Amazon and Goodreads.
Anyway, here they are.
Review Snapshot
Total Amazon Reviews: 25
Average Amazon Rating: 5.0/5
Goodreads Reviews Included: 3
Formats Reviewed: Hardcover, Kindle
Regions: United States, United Kingdom
Amazon Reviews
Reviewer: Deyan Platform: Amazon US Date: May 22, 2026 Format: Hardcover
★★★★★ – “Lots of valuable growth lessons learned”
Lots of valuable growth lessons learned
Reviewer: Rhiannon Platform: Amazon UK Date: May 18, 2026 Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase: Yes
★★★★★ – “Advice from someone who actually knows what they’re talking about”
What’s great about this book is that Colin clearly has the experience, the battle scars, the highs and lows of entrepreneurship. He’s not just lking the talk, and it shows in this wonderful book.
Reviewer: Matt Platform: Amazon US Date: May 8, 2026 Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase: Yes
★★★★★ – “Looks good to me!”
I like this one. I studied Psychology in College and enjoyed seeing some things I recognized, while also learning others (ie the IKEA effect). Many of the topics were a new look on topics I’ve seen Product Managers at big tech companies use to outline products (eg User Personas) but with a very startup focused perspective. It made me chuckle a few times too.
I’m not currently building but I’ve started to think about opportunities and will use this book as a reference.
Reviewer: Regina Platform: Amazon US Date: May 7, 2026 Format: Hardcover
★★★★★ – “Really practical take on growth”
This is a strong breakdown of how user psychology actually shows up in growth.
What I found most useful is how it connects behavioral principles to real product and marketing decisions. Things like reducing friction, creating momentum, and identifying the moments that drive retention are explained in a practical way.
If you’re building a startup or thinking about growth beyond just channels and tactics, this is a solid read.
Reviewer: MB Platform: Amazon US Date: May 5, 2026 Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase: Yes
★★★★★ – “A great follow-on to Adam Grant & Eric Ries”
A strong next step if you’ve already read Adam Grant and Eric Ries. As a book club choice for my team, I definitely found it helpful for my startup and cofounder.
This book stands out for how it bridges user psychology with real-world startup case studies. It moves beyond theory into how decisions are actually made – by customers and within teams.
The insights on customer acquisition are practical without being formulaic, and the attention to interpersonal and organizational dynamics adds a layer most growth books overlook.
A thoughtful, usable read for anyone building, scaling, or influencing.
Reviewer: inkdream Platform: Amazon US Date: May 2, 2026 Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase: Yes
★★★★★ – “trust the process: psych—> behaviors —> growth!”
psychology! psychology! psychology! keep this book at your desk… the psych toolkit section in the end will spark the perfect, brilliant idea for your business at the most random time.
Reviewer: JMRob Platform: Amazon US Date: April 30, 2026 Format: Hardcover
★★★★★ – “Big Ideas, Bigger Growth”
Outrageous Startup Growth by Colin Hodge is a sharp, practical guide packed with actionable strategies and real-world insight. It clearly shows how understanding user psychology drives meaningful growth, making it an essential read for entrepreneurs and marketers who want results without fluff.
Reviewer: Jonathan Roosevelt Platform: Amazon US Date: April 30, 2026 Format: Hardcover
★★★★★ – “Outrageously helpful”
Outrageously helpful. Feels like a book of secrets. Sophisticated – yet simple to understand and implement – insights and tactics.
Reviewer: Eli R. Platform: Amazon US Date: April 26, 2026 Format: Hardcover
★★★★★ – “Truly Outrageous… In A Great Way!”
FANTASTIC! Underlining, circling and making notes on every page! For anyone wanting to grow and elevate your success, this author has done the work and given you the roadmap to success! Buy this book, learn these techniques. I’m so glad it’s on my side table!
Reviewer: EmmyElman Platform: Amazon US Date: April 22, 2026 Format: Hardcover
★★★★★ – “Beyond just startups!”
You don’t have to be building your own startup or even be part of the tech world to take something away from this book. Want to understand the importance of first impressions? How to get your work noticed? How to maintain engagement and grow your following? Colin Hodge delivers the goods on all of these questions that cut across human psychology to make you a better communicator that can craft messaging to a diversity of audiences. You’ll also get an insider’s look at the the roller coaster of startup life, and probably get a laugh out of the messes made along the way. As the author might say, just jump between the covers (of this book) and enjoy the experience!
Reviewer: Durwood Platform: Amazon US Date: April 21, 2026 Format: Hardcover
★★★★★ – “Outrageous journey with approachable lessons for everyone”
“Outrageous” is a fitting description of the author’s journey as a successful app developer, beginning with the launch of his dating app, “Bang With Friends.” I even remember it being featured on Stephen Colbert’s show! However, his 15 minutes of fame was just the start. He recounts this adventure in a fun and engaging manner.
As his journey as a developer and entrepreneur unfolds, it becomes evident that his success was fueled by a relentless focus on user experience and A/B testing metrics, complemented by a genuine passion for his products. This enthusiasm even prompted him to buy back DOWN, the rebranded dating app that started it all.
This book is a must-read for aspiring entrepreneurs and app developers, but its insights extend far beyond those realms. The lessons shared are accessible and can serve as a model for success in various business endeavors; they even hold relevance for personal growth.
An excellent read!
Reviewer: Amazon User Platform: Amazon US Date: April 19, 2026 Format: Hardcover
★★★★★ – “Valuable Lessons for Any Startup or Businesses of any Size”
Excellent read, valuable lessons with entertaining anecdotes to keep the reader engaged. Highly recommend!
Reviewer: Drew Platform: Amazon US Date: April 18, 2026 Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase: Yes
★★★★★ – “Great information and entertaining presentation”
Great read. I especially enjoyed the chapters on Empathy, selling a company, and buying a company. This book contained a lot of good insight and a lot of entertainment in the writing style. I totally recommend it.
Reviewer: Mark F Flores Platform: Amazon US Date: April 18, 2026 Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase: Yes
★★★★★ – “Genuinely engaging and incredibly practical”
This book offers a refreshing departure from the typical, rather dull startup guides. It’s genuinely engaging, filled with fascinating insider accounts of creating wildly popular apps such as Bang With Friends, all grounded in solid behavioral science principles. For me, the most valuable insights were the breakdown of the TRUTH framework for establishing real brand authenticity, along with the incredibly practical steps on how to identify and remove bad user friction. If you’re a founder or marketer trying to figure out how to get people to actually stick around and use your product, do yourself a favor and read this.
Reviewer: Howard Platform: Amazon US Date: April 17, 2026 Format: Kindle
★★★★★ – “Practical and surprisingly actionable”
Really enjoyed this one. Easy to read, full of useful ideas, and not just generic startup advice. I liked how it explains growth through psychology and real examples. Great pick for founders or anyone trying to grow a product.
Reviewer: Sam Platform: Amazon US Date: April 16, 2026 Format: Hardcover
★★★★★ – “Motivating Read”
Motivating read for anyone looking to scale a business of any size. Great gift for a budding entrepreneur!
Reviewer: Chris C. Platform: Amazon US Date: April 15, 2026 Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase: Yes
★★★★★ – “Great for Growth Marketers, Growth PMs, and Founders”
Great book. As a Head of Growth for start ups, I found this practical and effective guidance. Whether you’re a founder, user acquisition specialist, growth PM, or in marketing, this is a good pick up.
Reviewer: Phil H. Platform: Amazon US Date: April 15, 2026 Format: Hardcover
★★★★★ – “Written by the operator, not the analyst”
Specific, self-deprecating, in the weeds. The opposite of most books in the category, and the better for it.
Reviewer: Amazon Customer Platform: Amazon US Date: April 14, 2026 Format: Hardcover
★★★★★ – “Amazing book, insightful read”
Amazing book from start to finish…I throughly enjoyed reading it. Provided quality insights into how to grow a startup. Highly recommend!
Reviewer: Tim Culpan Platform: Amazon US Date: April 14, 2026 Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase: Yes
★★★★★ – “Written from Personal Hands-On Experience”
Personal anecdotes combined with real practical tips. Some of the stories are gob-smacking, some are just funny. The advice is real and useful.
Reviewer: Nahomi Platform: Amazon US Date: April 14, 2026 Format: Hardcover
★★★★★ – “Solid advice for anyone wanting to form a start-up!”
Loved how it breaks down what truly drives user behavior instead of just theory. I’d recommend this to early-stage founders and product builders who want to make smarter, user-driven decisions!
Reviewer: Tina Platform: Amazon US Date: April 14, 2026 Format: Hardcover
★★★★★ – “More practical than I expected”
I picked this up for the growth angle but ended up really liking how it connects psychology to actual tactics instead of just theory. Would definitely recommend it to marketers.
Reviewer: Amazon Customer Platform: Amazon US Date: April 13, 2026 Format: Hardcover
★★★★★ – “Loved this!”
Loved this read, highly recommend for any other startup founds.
Reviewer: Bryan Alger Platform: Amazon US Date: April 13, 2026 Format: Hardcover
★★★★★ – “Enlightening and entertaining”
Excellent book. I am a solopreneur and have my own mobile app. I came away with a lot of great ideas to try for my own business. It was a fun and fast read with lots of applicable advice. The author did a great job using his own personal story as a means to teach thru his own lived experiences, keeping the book fun and informative throughout.
Reviewer: Westley Platform: Amazon US Date: April 13, 2026 Format: Hardcover
★★★★★ – “Better than an MBA course”
Truly a gem, I don’t think that you’ll find another book with more honest stories than this. Full of personal war stories from the author’s time building, paired with psychological frameworks for understanding startup growth. I always enjoy resources with actual anecdotes from people who have actually built things. It actually links theory to practical history. These are things that they don’t teach you in an MBA.
Goodreads Reviews
Reviewer: Gal Agadi Platform: Goodreads Date: February 27, 2026
★★★★★
As a startup CEO, I’ve read a lot of growth books over the years.
Some are motivating but too high level.
Others are tactical but feel disconnected from what actually happens inside a company.
Outrageous Startup Growth feels different.
It doesn’t read like theory. It reads like experience. The lessons come from real situations, real pressure, real mistakes, and real wins. That makes it practical in a way most books aren’t.
What I appreciated most is the structure. It is not a random list of tips. It is a clear way of thinking about growth, grounded in how users actually think and make decisions.
If you are early stage, it will help you understand your users better and avoid expensive mistakes.
If you are scaling, it will help you focus on what truly moves the needle.
If you are later stage, it is a great reminder that sustainable growth is about psychology and fundamentals, not hacks.
I’ve already taken ideas from it back to my team.
This is the kind of book that grows with you as your company grows.
I highly recommend it to founders and operators at any stage.
Reviewer: Durwood Platform: Goodreads Date: April 28, 2026
★★★★★
“Outrageous” was the hook that made me curious, even if I’m no longer an app developer and have never been an entrepreneur. I gave it a chance and I’m glad I did.
The book is a lot more readable and approachable than most — frankly — dry business self-help pseudo-tomes. The author not only tells us about his truly outrageous pathway to success but provides a cogent analysis of the lessons he learned along the way; it’s both interesting and informative.
Even if you’re not an entrepreneur or app developer, the story is compelling and can inform anyone looking for success in their lives — and who isn’t?
Reviewer: Jenny W. Platform: Goodreads Date: February 25, 2026
★★★★★
The book is a masterclass in human-centric, psychology-driven leadership. Throughout the narrative, Hodge displays rare vulnerability by exposing his own failures, creating a level of psychological safety where the reader feels coached rather than judged.
Two main messages he drives home repeatedly are authenticity and empathy. These aren’t just concepts he touts; he lived them during crises, such as when Apple banned their app without explanation. By staying empathetic and authentic through that ordeal, he turned the unfortunate incident into a profound leadership lesson.
This book is must-read for founders struggling to get the attention or traction they want. Every chapter provides multiple “a-ha” moments for the reader. Read this with a pen and notebook in hand—you will be taking lots of notes.
About the Book
Outrageous Startup Growth: Uncovering the Secrets of User Psychology to Scale Your Success draws on lessons from building viral products, scaling startups, selling companies, buying them back, and making more mistakes than I’d like to admit.
At its core, the book explores a simple question: why do people do the things they do?
From first impressions and habit formation to trust, friction, social proof, and decision-making, it breaks down the psychological forces that drive growth and shows how they can be applied to products, marketing, and businesses of any size.
It’s part startup playbook, part behavioral science, and part collection of hard-earned lessons from building products used by millions of people.
If you’re a founder, marketer, product builder, or just curious about why humans do weird things, you’ll probably find something useful in it.
