The Hard Thing About Hard Things
by Ben Horowitz
In "The Hard Thing About Hard Things," Ben Horowitz shares his experiences as a tech entrepreneur, detailing the challenges and tough decisions faced while building and managing a successful company. He emphasizes the importance of resilience, leadership, and making hard choices in the face of adversity, offering practical advice for navigating the complexities of running a business. The book blends personal anecdotes with candid insights into the realities of entrepreneurship.
19 curated highlights from this book
Key Insights & Memorable Quotes
Below are the most impactful passages and quotes from The Hard Thing About Hard Things, carefully selected to capture the essence of the book.
The only thing that prepares you to run a company is running a company.
There are no shortcuts to success.
If you’re going to eat shit, don’t nibble.
The most important thing is to be honest with yourself.
You can’t be a great leader without being a great communicator.
In a startup, not having a problem is the biggest problem.
Every time you make a mistake, you should learn something from it.
The battle is won in the preparation.
Good management is not about being nice; it’s about being effective.
The hardest thing is not the decision; it’s the execution.
There are no shortcuts. You have to go through the hard things.
A good leader is not a person who is always right, but someone who is willing to learn.
The most important thing is to be honest and transparent with your team.
If you don't have a strategy, you're just going to spin your wheels.
You need to be able to make tough decisions quickly.
Managing a startup is like eating glass and staring into the abyss.
The hardest thing about being a CEO is that you don’t get to be a CEO.
In business, the only thing that matters is what you do, not what you say.
You have to be able to tolerate chaos and make decisions in the face of uncertainty.