The Hard Thing About Hard Things – Ben Horowitz

What To Do When It All Falls Apart

Most business books are written for "Peacetime." They tell you how to set a vision, inspire your team, and gain market share when things are going well.

Ben Horowitz writes for "Wartime."

What do you do when your best employee threatens to quit? When you miss your quarter? When you have to lay off your best friend? When you are three weeks from bankruptcy? This is the manual for the struggle.

The Core Concepts

Horowitz pulls no punches. This is the raw, ugly truth of being a CEO.

The Struggle

Every entrepreneur goes through "The Struggle." It is the moment when you know your idea is failing, your investors are angry, and you feel like you are going to vomit. Horowitz says: You are not alone. And the only way out is through.

Peacetime CEO vs. Wartime CEO

• Peacetime CEO: Focuses on culture, creativity, and long-term goals. Nice to be around.
• Wartime CEO: Paranoia. Violates protocol. Does not tolerate disagreement. Focused on one thing: Survival. You must know which mode you are in.

Take Care of the People, Product, and Profits (In That Order)

Many leaders reverse this. But if you take care of your people, they will build an amazing product, which will generate the profits. If you screw the people to save a dime, you die.

Should You Read This Book?

If you want to start a VC-backed startup, this book will scare you. And you should read it. It is the best book on the psychology of leadership under fire.

Grab your copy on Amazon and prepare for war.

survive the Struggle

Leadership is hard.

• Shoe Dog Summary – A real-life example of The Struggle.
• Top 10 Mistakes New Authors Make – Avoiding the pitfalls early.
• Zero to One Summary – How to build a monopoly to avoid war.

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