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The Hard Thing About Hard Things
- Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers
- Narrated by: Kevin Kenerly
- Length: 7 hrs and 57 mins
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High Output Management
- Written by: Andrew S. Grove
- Narrated by: Marc Cashman
- Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 57
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 44
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The essential skill of creating and maintaining new businesses - the art of the entrepreneur - can be summed up in a single word: managing. In High Output Management, Andrew S. Grove, former chairman and CEO (and employee number three) of Intel, shares his perspective on how to build and run a company. Born of Grove’s experiences at one of America’s leading technology companies, this legendary management book is a Silicon Valley staple, equally appropriate for sales managers, accountants, consultants, and teachers, as well as CEOs and start-up founders.
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3 out of 5 stars
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targeted to large beurocratic orgs
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The great secret of our time is that there are still uncharted frontiers to explore and new inventions to create. In Zero to One, legendary entrepreneur and investor Peter Thiel shows how we can find singular ways to create those new things.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great
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great subject to bootstrap your next business idea
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3 out of 5 stars
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targeted to large beurocratic orgs
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great
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4 out of 5 stars
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4 out of 5 stars
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great subject to bootstrap your next business idea
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5 out of 5 stars
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Explains how some companies can scale so quickly
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Tony Fadell led the teams that created the iPod, iPhone, and Nest Learning Thermostat and learned enough in 30+ years in Silicon Valley about leadership, design, startups, Apple, Google, decision-making, mentorship, devastating failure, and unbelievable success to fill an encyclopedia. So that’s what this book is. An advice encyclopedia. A mentor in a box. Build is full of personal stories, practical advice and fascinating insights into some of the most impactful products and people of the 20th century.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Not the book!
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3 out of 5 stars
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Save Yourself the Credit
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Summary of The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers
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- Unabridged
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Overall0 out of 5 stars 0
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Built To Last, the defining management study of the 90s, showed how great companies triumph over time and how long-term sustained performance can be engineered into the DNA of an enterprise from the very beginning. But what about companies that are not born with great DNA? How can good companies, mediocre companies, even bad companies achieve enduring greatness?
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1 out of 5 stars
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Disappointing
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2 out of 5 stars
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If it wasn't so short, I wouldn't have finished it
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Whether you're trying to get a new company off the ground or scale an existing business to the next level, you need to understand how VCs think. In Secrets of Sand Hill Road, Kupor explains exactly how VCs decide where and how much to invest, and how entrepreneurs can get the best possible deal and make the most of their relationships with VCs. Filled with Kupor's firsthand experiences, insider advice, and practical takeaways, Secrets of Sand Hill Road is the guide every entrepreneur needs to turn their startup into the next unicorn.
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Often downplayed in the excitement of starting up a new business venture is one of the most important decisions entrepreneurs will face: should they go it alone, or bring in cofounders, hires, and investors to help build the business? More than just financial rewards are at stake. Friendships and relationships can suffer. Bad decisions at the inception of a promising venture lay the foundations for its eventual ruin.
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Although software has become easier to build, launching and scaling new products and services remains difficult. Start-ups face daunting challenges entering the technology ecosystem, including stiff competition, copycats, and ineffective marketing channels. Teams launching new products must consider the advantages of “the network effect”, where a product or service’s value increases as more users engage with it. Apple, Google, Microsoft, and other tech giants utilize network effects, and most tech products incorporate them.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Better Than Expected
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Publisher's Summary
Ben Horowitz, cofounder of Andreessen Horowitz and one of Silicon Valley’s most respected and experienced entrepreneurs, offers essential advice on building and running a startup - practical wisdom for managing the toughest problems business school doesn’t cover, based on his popular ben’s blog.
While many people talk about how great it is to start a business, very few are honest about how difficult it is to run one. Ben Horowitz analyzes the problems that confront leaders every day, sharing the insights he’s gained developing, managing, selling, buying, investing in, and supervising technology companies. A lifelong rap fanatic, he amplifies business lessons with lyrics from his favorite songs, telling it straight about everything from firing friends to poaching competitors, cultivating and sustaining a CEO mentality to knowing the right time to cash in.
Filled with his trademark humor and straight talk, The Hard Thing About Hard Things is invaluable for veteran entrepreneurs as well as those aspiring to their own new ventures, drawing from Horowitz’s personal and often humbling experiences.
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What listeners say about The Hard Thing About Hard Things
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- michael b.
- 2018-05-25
CRAP! Save your money and time and skip this one!
Save yourself the time and money and skip this one. While you may be thinking this author has accomplished a lot in his career, this is not the case with this book. His book is more about wanting to write a book than needing to. There is about 10% that is worth one's time in this book. The rest is mundane, boring, not very valuable in general, even less valuable as a cross over to anyone's personal needs, and strangely peppered with odd and vulgar hip hop verses that prove to illegitimate the author. Strangely fascinated with trash music and thinking rap music has some sort of valuable lessons to be learned other than an awareness of it's vulgarity and sensationalization of violence, moral and unethical life short cuts, exploitation of women and people who can be used for one's benefit in a zero sum game sense, the author is wildly inconsistent with his views and stances about life, ethics, morality, and intelligence. I thought this guy was a thought leader. No I just think he's more luck than intuitive thinking of any kind. The book reads more like a boring HR manual than any kind of unique or even useful insights into business and certainly has almost nothing of value when in the realm of start Ups and tech. If you want what you came for here, read 'Zero to One' by Peter Thiel. Now that will satisfy an intelligent and motivated person's mind and spirit. This contribution to man falls heavily short and will be forgotten as "A mediocre at best but still disappointing book on basically nothing other than the author wanting to be an author of anything he can scribble down". I waited patiently for something worth listening to but as the chapters went by I realized I've been duped by a guy who is essentially a one hit wonder. If you are looking for dry business talk that does nothing for you, then this is the book for you! Enjoy. Have more credits than you know what to do with than this is the book for you! Want some 'noise' that will assist you in sleeping during a particularly severe bout of insomnia then put away the zopiclone and listen to this rambling incoherent mess. Caution: This read does come with it's side effects. The patient will become suicidal if you try to get through it with bouts of nausea, bleeding from the ears, and being turned off on business to the point of acute erectile dysfunction. Gimme back my business woody you soul stealing thief!
A whole section of the book uselessly devoted about profanity and gangsta rap. That was when I realized this book was by and large a useless cash grab to wanting my money back for buying it! and I have zero respect for this clown now. I don't give a shit how much money he has.
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8 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Nick
- 2023-11-01
Excellent book about the hard decisions to make in business.
Excellent book about the hard decisions to make in business. A rare book based on insights from someone with experience in the field for a long time and a lot of experience.
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- H. DIAS
- 2023-09-18
Not for starting entrepreneurs
All the advice he gives is only useful if you're already making hundreds of millions of dollars, and the most difficult things for him involve losing millions when he already had billions. I listened to half of or and he didn't talk about anything hard. Don't recommend
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Brent Banda
- 2023-07-12
Helpful
Some useful information that is not often discussed in management literature. Also an interesting personal story told well.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- liam
- 2023-06-04
Essential curriculum
If you are a CEO or an executive in any size company this is essential literature to have in your library. This book is NOT a dear diary entry gloating about his abilities. It is a roadmap showcasing the intertwined and never ending issues that are universal to business.
This book removes you from your limited view of your particular issues and shows you that they are not only common but conquerable. It has offered me stress reduction and revitalized depleted energy and focus.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Vinny
- 2023-02-25
Great techniques for new CEO’s
While the book focused on startups in the tech sector, a lot of the situations can be applied anywhere. I particularly enjoyed the viewpoint from a CEO who ran an organization from founder/start up to billion dollar exit sale and the many different intricacies of scaling.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Juan
- 2021-08-15
Can't miss
Don't miss this book. It is incredible. A must have for any entrepreneur or manager of small and large organizations.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Dindins
- 2021-04-08
Edgy use of the N word
Good info. Story is uninspired. Rap lyrics to introduce chapters is cringy. Narrator really enjoys the rap lyrics.
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Lazy consumer 218
- 2021-03-08
Lame, dry, empty, imcomplete
Lame duck of a book. Contained nothing interesting, stories were dry and self inflatory and seriously lacking substance. Stories and examples including peering deep into the lyrics or NAS was lame and contained nothing or substance. Got through the whole book and was a very empty and forgettable experience
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- jppelletier
- 2020-04-25
A startup must!
A startup must! Great content, perfect story.
Identify the real problem of the CEO and their solutions.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Thomas
- 2014-03-18
For large company managers, not startups
Horowitz's formula for "building a business" is to get hundreds of millions of dollars from venture capitalists, then take your the company public and get hundreds of millions more dollars. Then buy companies that have products you need. The author has lots of advice about laying off employees, firing executives, and giving bad news to investors. There's a good chapter about the importance of training your employees.
This book is not for startups. "The Lean Startup," by Eric Ries, is a better book for entrepreneurs. Horowitz's book is for executives managing large companies.
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251 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- bigdatamark
- 2014-09-03
Exciting and insightful view of a "wartime CEO"
Any additional comments?
First of all, I have to warn you that the author, Ben Horowitz, apparently likes gangster rap, and there are quotes at the beginning of chapters and sections that are relevant, yet have foul language and try to be offensive. Ben Horowitz interestingly, uses swear words, but only for great impact.
Second, Kevin Kenerly, the narrator, has a great style. It's hard to explain, but it's like he's speaking directly to you, and only to you. Some people might be annoyed by it, but I thought it was very appropriate for this book.
Third, there was a lot of really interesting and dramatic insight into how Horowitz handled an almost impossible to believe string of disasters by seeking good advice from his mentors, from experts, and by making hard decisions. Although I don't agree with some of the ways he treated people, his methods did get results.
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52 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Cliff
- 2014-04-21
Tough to listen to, but interesting at times
The voice of the narrator in no way sounds like, or gives an impression of Horowitz. The constant us of "she" when referring to a universal or fictitious CEO or manager is odd, since when he mentions real people, they're all men, ie; Andy Grove, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs.
The use of hip hop quotes was childish, and does not project an image of wisdom I need from a successful person. Why not quote Sponge Bob Square Pants while you're at it? I kept wondering how many rappers Horowitz was quoting while negotiating with HP.
Once I got past the amateurish nature of the delivery of the book, there were some good stories and advice. The author did seem to brag a bit about how smart he was, perhaps listening to all that hip hop influenced his delivery.
If you get the impression I'm not a big fan of hip hop, you'd be correct. But I'm not impressed by authors or speakers quoting any pop culture references like music or TV. It's lazy, and shows they don't read or revere serious thinkers or those who strive to advance or society. While some entertainers do contribute, they're not at the top of the list of those we can learn the most from.
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33 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- A. Yoshida
- 2018-01-29
Book for Entrepreneuers
The book is a combination of an autobiography and entrepreneurial advice. The first three chapters are about the author's start in the business (as if he's a recognizable name in the tech industry). Few people probably even heard of the companies that he co-founded, Loudcloud and Opsware. Also, it was self-indulgent of the author to start each chapter with a quotation from rap music (reciting lyrics from Kanye West as if they were words of wisdom to a businessperson).
When the author finally gets to recounting the struggles of running a company and giving advice on how to avoid the mistakes he made, the book then starts to fulfill its intent of "Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers." The author described the actions he had taken and explained his thought process. He gave the "what", "how", and "why" for his actions. Many of the suggestions are specific to entrepreneurs (like hiring an executive team, how to run a startup company, and when to sell the company). There is some business management advice (like having regular 1-on-1 meetings with direct reports and giving clear, honest feedback), but you'll have to prod through a lot of the entrepreneurial content.
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28 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- gm050
- 2015-08-18
Sound advice, amateur writing and narration
The narrator enunciates so aggressively and with such over-animation it made me flinch. And the excessive use of rap lyrics and other extensive references to pop culture gave the book and story a very amateurish feel. The excessive use of the pronoun "she" when referring to hypothetical CEOs also presented an odd juxtaposition with the fact that every single reference to living CEOs was to male ones (Jobs, Bezos, Schmidt, Campbell, Gates...)
However, when the actual advice of the book came out (not until the last half or maybe even quarter) it was clear, concise and to the point. Definitely got me thinking. Wish the whole book had been as such.
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28 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- m.a.
- 2014-06-16
Great book - surprised by all the vitriol
Any additional comments?
Those who focus their review on the fact that there's hip hop references or the fact that the author is so raw in his language are clearly missing the f*cking point (since the book is full of expletives). This book explained the agony and euphoria I saw on many of my own CEOs, going from tiny companies to being acquired for millions of dollars. Of course, a good counter part to this book is Lean Start Up by Eric Ries (and that book is dry, boring, methodical, lean on interest yet good since it's the strategy to being a lean, agile start up). Horowitz doesn't mince his words and speaks sincerely about the realities of tech start ups. As Mitch Joel says so eloquently in CTRL-ALT-DELETE - the business world is in a state of purgatory. I'll add that technology is the extreme game of survival of the fittest. A must read for anyone working in tech. And leave your pearls at home. Business is cutthroat, it won't say please and thank you.
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26 people found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Gregory
- 2014-05-14
Couldn't take listening to narrator
What would have made The Hard Thing About Hard Things better?
I couldn't take listening to the narrator. I thought it was an awful choice for this book. Crazy how much the narrator's voice can influence whether I like a book...but it does.
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26 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Vizzi Kindle
- 2017-10-27
This book aint what I thought
aint what i bought
i got sold but what
i wanted aint what i got
Sounds like a description of the hardest thing about hard things and how to deal with the hardest things in your business
But it's not
its some guy telling a lot of stories about his experiences as a ceo from one narrow point of view. Very little fresh perspective.
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23 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Scott Wozniak
- 2015-03-03
Strong, insightful, and a bit vulgar
Ben Horowitz has been there and done that--that being starting a tech firm and leading it through chaos and surprise and heartbreak to success. He isn't sharing leadership theory, he's sharing his life lessons.
As such, he offers specific examples and actual numbers for each of his principles. And his principles are insightful and practical. A few are powerful, like the idea of management debt: you can delay making a hard decision but you incur "debt". The problem didn't go away, you will have to pay it later--with interest. So pay now and reduce the cost. Also, don't hire a stereotypical executive, hire the one that fits the exact situation of your company. For example, there's a big difference between running a large company and building a large company. The first is more about managing lots of pressure--reacting well. The second is about creating growth through aggressive action--without anyone pressuring you to do it.
I give 4 rather than 5 stars to this strong leadership book because of the large amount of foul language. Not only is there a section where he decided as CEO to allow a tech culture norm of expletives (that was strategic at least), but he cusses every couple of pages. I guess he's being authentic but it is distracting.
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22 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- L
- 2015-08-17
Once you learn to deal with Horowitz narcissism, it finally gets to the meat
The voice was miserable. It might have been a low soothing voice, ideal for radio, but the person didn't keep it interesting in inflection. Like a lazy professor a couple years after being tenured.
Horowitz takes a while to get to the real information of his book. When he does get there it great. Before that it is too slow.
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17 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Olivier
- 2019-04-24
Great book
The book is excellent but the narrator's has a strong American accent. Audio can be improved too. The volume is very low.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Brandon Savio Bradford
- 2021-04-09
It was one of the most COMPLETE books on business
I loved it. I've even made my wife and competitors read it. Hard things will be hard.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Louis
- 2020-03-05
entreprenariat version guerrila
Passionnant!
Ce livre pourrait être présenté comme une recette de management de start up à forte croissance. En vérité c'est avant tout un carnet de guerre où on suit l'un des rares général qui a mené ses troupes jusqu'à la victoire après 8 années de défaites régulières.
Je ne sais pas à quel point on peut interpoler ses méthodes à une autre start up et Ben lui même en doute dès les premières pages. Il présente tout de même sa vision qui a l'élégance d'être cohérente, rationnelle et bien défendue.
Bref, a lire comme une bonne histoire à ceux qui sont passionnés par l'entrepreneuriat.
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