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If you want to know why The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers is worth buying, here’s the money quote.
“Almost all management books focus on how to do things correctly, so you don’t screw up, these lessons provide insight into what you must do after you have screwed up.”
If you’re planning to start a company, whether it’s a high-tech company or the kinds of companies that I started and ran, read this book. If you’re going to be someone in charge of anything in any kind of a company, read this book.
If all you want are the big ideas, or Horowitz’ philosophy, you can get them from his blog and articles. You don’t need to buy this book. But if you want a handy advisor for that 3 AM moment when you’re thinking about firing someone you like, buy the book. Keep it handy. I’ve had those moments and I wish I’d had it.
The Hard Thing About Hard Things has a whole lot of information packed inside it. You can read it from cover to cover and get a lot of value. Or, you can think of it as a series of conversations with bosses and mentors. Horowitz had a lot of those. And his mentors included people like Andy Grove and Jim Barksdale.
The wisdom that he shares and credits to them, reminds me of the wisdom that I received from bosses and mentors and which I later shared with protégés. It’s real, it’s practical, and it will help. I think that the discussion of things like firing and laying people off are more than worth the price of the book by themselves. And they’re only a small part of what’s in The Hard Thing About Hard Things.
Here are a few quotes from the book to give you an idea of what you’re in for. You don’t have to be a CEO to use what’s here, even though Horowitz aims the book at CEOs. Substitute “leader” for “CEO” in most quotes and use the wisdom.
Quotes from The Hard Thing About Hard Things
“That’s the hard thing about hard things— there is no formula for dealing with them.”
“People always ask me, ‘What’s the secret to being a successful CEO?’ Sadly, there is no secret, but if there is one skill that stands out, it’s the ability to focus and make the best move when there are no good moves. It’s the moments where you feel most like hiding or dying that you can make the biggest difference as a CEO.”
“Don’t take it personally. The predicament that you are in is probably all your fault. You hired the people. You made the decisions. But you knew the job was dangerous when you took it. Everybody makes mistakes. Every CEO makes thousands of mistakes. Evaluating yourself and giving yourself an F doesn’t help.”
“One of the most important management lessons for a founder/ CEO is totally unintuitive. My single biggest personal improvement as CEO occurred on the day when I stopped being too positive.”
“Management purely by numbers is sort of like painting by numbers— it’s strictly for amateurs.”
“The first rule of organizational design is that all organizational designs are bad.”
“Embrace the struggle.”
There are plenty more in The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers.
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Customers say
Customers find this book excellent for learning about business, with solid advice and practical tools for CEOs and senior executives. Moreover, the book features real-life stories and is worth rereading multiple times, with one customer noting it reads like a suspense novel. Additionally, customers appreciate its honest approach, concise content, and engaging style.
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703 customers mention content, 662 positive, 41 negative
Great book, and actually pretty interesting reading for a business book. Some succinct, actionable, clear guidance for how to handle tough situations.Read more
Excellent book, easy reading and the essentials to know about the hard things.Read more
Insightful, wise, refreshingly honest. A brilliant book for any businessperson wanting to be so. Thanks for being transparent and willing to share.Read more
Good book for those who want a no nonsense, realist book. If you're looking for nothing but cheery rah-rah advice, go elsewhere....Read more
315 customers mention readability, 309 positive, 6 negative
An easy, straight-forward account which was also a great read. A pretty unique insight of which you can't help but be a little fascinated....Read more
Interesting and easy read. Ben reiterated a lot of lessons he learned from running Opsware, which became a little tedious to read about....Read more
Very good book must read. Very good book must read. Very good book must read. Very good book must read very good book must read....Read more
Good read but all that "she CEO" is far too much for me...Read more
148 customers mention practicality, 144 positive, 4 negative
...After a year or 2 go back and read this book. It is practical and dives into detail when needed. And he tells the story.Read more
A little rough around the edges. But honest. And useful. Covers a lot of problems that are common with start-ups....Read more
...Very practical and honest and most of the content will resonate with most entrepreneurs that have found themselves starting and running a company as...Read more
Down to earth, practical book ideal for every CEO. I'd rate it as best management book I've read.Read more
89 customers mention story, 87 positive, 2 negative
...in and already am enjoying the book -- there's a lot of interesting stories and great anecdotal advice....Read more
...Hard Thing About Hard Things is a combination of Ben Horowitz's interesting story and a cautionary, scared-straight tale of the challenges faced by...Read more
I love this book. Great story telling and real, practical advise that you can't find elsewhere.Read more
A well told story containing exactly the lessons the title suggests it will - yet in a way you can put into practice....Read more
88 customers mention informative, 78 positive, 10 negative
...The book is a practical, actionable, personal guide to the constant struggle of building a business.Read more
...This unassigned reading is some of the best info I've come across.Read more
Thorough, honest, direct advice on how to deal with "the struggle" of running a high growth company. Highly recommend it.Read more
Excellent, very concrete book from a founder who made grew his own company and then his own VC fund....Read more
80 customers mention honesty, 78 positive, 2 negative
This book is sufficiently detailed and honest as to make me think I might actually be able to pull off starting the company of my dreams. I loved it.Read more
Frank, fast-paced, and not without insight....Read more
Ben does not need my endorsement but I owe it to him for his efforts & honesty and to the future readers for their conviction to read the book....Read more
i'm not a CEO(not even close). but this book delivers effectively and honestly how it would be CEO or making a start-up. very fun time to read.Read more
65 customers mention engaging, 62 positive, 3 negative
For a book that deals with business management, this is an entertaining and compelling read....Read more
Interesting and easy read. Ben reiterated a lot of lessons he learned from running Opsware, which became a little tedious to read about....Read more
a brilliant, thoughtful, fun read about what it is really like to try to run a modern company, what the actual challenges are and how to try to see...Read more
...At least for me relates a lot, so interesting read.Read more
55 customers mention writing style, 50 positive, 5 negative
Good and deep book about entrepeneurship and struggles of being CEO. Well written and really enjoyable. Well constructed yet poetical reading.Read more
...Very well written and deeply honest, it can be read either front-to-back or be used as a manual of indepe, discarding anything that the reader do...Read more
This well written book is great for those seeking leadership and management advice....Read more
...Also, Horowitz has a great writing style - direct and concise and insightful, but also refreshingly funny with great "voice"....Read more
MUST READ FOR ENTREPRENEURS AND STARTUP FOUNDERS
I REALLY LIKED THIS BOOK. A must read for those that are want to start their own company. Ben Horowitz does a great job of talking about what goes down in startups and the difficult decisions (the hard things) CEO and management make. Skip the MBA just read this lol. Definitely would have helped knowing alot of this stuff before started working at a startup. This is also great for startup employees.
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E CReviewed in Spain on December 6, 2017
Excelente, directo y resolutivo
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase - Ahmed KhalifaReviewed in the United Arab Emirates on March 11, 2026
Book
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Yoann BuzenetReviewed in France on July 25, 2017
Excellent résumé d'une expérience hors du commun
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase - Joey CurtsReviewed in Australia on March 11, 2018
Honest and insightful
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
