In a recent LinkedIn post, Surabhi Shenoy explores the evolution of her personal reading habits and how a shift in approach has led to more profound self-improvement and business insights. Shenoy emphasizes that her journey began not with a goal of self-betterment, but with the pure enjoyment of reading.
Shenoy highlights this initial motivation, stating:
“I read because I enjoy reading. No agenda at first. Just the pleasure of being inside a book.”
Over time, however, Shenoy observed a natural progression in how she engaged with the material. She explains that certain sentences and ideas began to resonate more deeply, particularly those connecting to business, leadership, finance, human dynamics, and life in general. This realization prompted a change in her reading methodology.
The Transition to Digital Reading and Enhanced Note-Taking
Shenoy details a significant shift in her preferred reading medium, moving from physical books to digital platforms like Kindle. This move, she explains, is driven by practicality and efficiency.
According to Shenoy, the digital format offers:
“Less friction. I carry it everywhere, highlight a lot, and add notes while the thought is still alive.”
This streamlined process allows her to capture thoughts and highlights instantaneously, ensuring that valuable insights are not lost. The ability to seamlessly integrate highlighting and note-taking in real-time is a key advantage she identifies with digital reading.
Leveraging Technology for Deeper Insight Synthesis
A crucial element of Shenoy’s updated reading strategy involves the integration of technology to synthesize her learning. She connects her Kindle highlights to Readwise, a platform that aggregates notes and highlights from various sources.
Shenoy further elaborates on the impact of Readwise’s AI capabilities:
“And now, with Readwise’s AI feature, I can chat with all my highlights together. That part has been surprisingly useful. Because sometimes one book doesn’t change how you think, but ten scattered highlights across ten different books do.”
This AI-powered approach allows for a cross-pollination of ideas, enabling Shenoy to identify connections and patterns across a wide range of texts that might not be apparent when reading in isolation. She posits that the cumulative effect of multiple, seemingly disparate insights can be more transformative than the impact of a single book.
Curating a Reading List for Diverse Growth
Shenoy also shares her approach to curating her reading list, which she notes is intentionally diverse, featuring books chosen for specific areas of development. Her 2026 reading list, as indicated in her post, includes selections aimed at acquiring founder lessons, improving financial judgment, fostering creativity, and providing pure enjoyment.
She points out the varied purposes behind her book selections:
“Some books I read for founder lessons. Some for money and judgment. Some for creativity. Some purely for joy.”
This deliberate selection process underscores her commitment to holistic growth, recognizing that development comes from multiple avenues, both professional and personal. Shenoy also provides links to deeper notes on some of these books, offering further insight into her analytical process.
Ultimately, Surabhi Shenoy’s post serves as a compelling case study on how adapting reading habits and leveraging modern tools can significantly enhance personal and professional development, transforming a simple pleasure into a powerful engine for growth.
📝 About This Content
This article is based on insights shared by Surabhi Shenoy on LinkedIn.
📅 Originally posted on July 3, 2026 | View original post on LinkedIn →