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book · 2014

The Hard Thing About Hard Things

by Ben Horowitz

In a nutshell

An honest look at the painful parts of running a company: layoffs, firing friends, near-death moments, and keeping going.

Best for: CEOs facing tough calls with no obvious answer.

# leadership
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Quotes & ideas we use

Quote
“There's no recipe for really complicated, dynamic situations.”
— Ben Horowitz, The Hard Thing About Hard Things
Quote
“There's no recipe for really complicated, dynamic situations.”
— Ben Horowitz, The Hard Thing About Hard Things
Key idea (paraphrased)
Peacetime CEOs focus on expanding an advantage; wartime CEOs fight off an imminent threat.
— Ben Horowitz, The Hard Thing About Hard Things

Concepts from this book

Managerial leverage

A manager's job is to multiply the team's output, not to do all the work themselves.

Wartime vs peacetime leadership

Calm times need a different leadership style from crises — know which one you're in.