#117

Mentioned in 103 episodes

The hard thing about hard things

building a business when there are no easy answers

Book • 2014

In this book, Ben Horowitz shares his personal and often humbling experiences in the tech industry to offer essential advice and practical wisdom.

He addresses various hard decisions and challenges that business leaders face, such as firing friends, managing company culture, handling layoffs, and making tough strategic decisions.

Horowitz emphasizes the importance of honesty, resilience, and adaptability in leadership, drawing from his experiences with companies like Loudcloud and Andreessen Horowitz.

Mentioned by

Dmitry Zlokazov

Christian Idiodi

Marc Andreessen

David Rosenthal

Mentioned in 103 episodes

Referenced by

Mike Krieger

when recalling hard times at Instagram.

Anthropic's CPO on what comes next | Mike Krieger (co-founder of Instagram)

Mentioned by

Bill Gurley

as a book on startups.

#651: Legendary Investor Bill Gurley on Investing Rules, Finding Outliers, Insights from Jeff Bezos and Howard Marks, Must-Read Books, Creating True Competitive Advantages, Open-Source Strategies, Adapting Mental Models to New Realities, and More

Mentioned by

Shaan Puri

when discussing valuable skills for business success.

I got rejected from YC (4x)…. now my side hustle is worth $1.16B

Recommended by

Dmitry Zlokazov

as a guide for product managers on building systematic and scalable solutions.

How Revolut trains world-class product managers: The “local CEO” model, raw intellect over experience, and a cultural obsession with building wow products | Dmitry Zlokazov (Head of Product)

Mentioned by

David Senra

in the context of a similar experience to one described in the book.

#233 Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, Max Levchin (PayPal)

Recommended by

Anneka Gupta

as a great book about mindset and approaching hard things.

Becoming more strategic, navigating difficult colleagues, harnessing founder mode, and more | Anneka Gupta (Chief Product Officer at Rubrik)

Mentioned in passing as the source of the saying, "Market always trumps team."

How to Build a Successful Company in an Era of Disruption

Mentioned by

Garrett Lord

as one of the classics books, and noted that Ben Horowitz will be on the podcast.

Inside the expert network training every frontier AI model | Garrett Lord (Handshake CEO)

Recommended by

Sachin Kansal

to teach resilience, highlighting the hard and lonely aspects of corporate and product leadership.

Why Uber’s CPO delivers food on weekends | Sachin Kansal

Recommended by

Luis von Ahn

as a helpful book.

#607: Luis von Ahn, Co-Founder and CEO of Duolingo — How to Be (Truly) Mission-Driven, Monetization Experiments, 10x Growth, Org Chart Iterations for Impacting Metrics, The Intricate Path to an IPO, Best Hiring Practices, Catching Exam Cheaters, The Allure of Toto Toilets, The Future of Duolingo, and How to Stand Out in Your Career

Mentioned by

David Senra

while discussing an exchange between Mark Andreessen and Ben Horowitz about the emotional rollercoaster of startups.

#50 Marc Andreessen's Blog Archive

Mentioned by

Drew Houston

in relation to the product CEO paradox.

Behind the founder: Drew Houston (Dropbox)

Mentioned by

Christian Idiodi

as a book describing the mindset and culture of good product work.

The essence of product management | Christian Idiodi (SVPG)

Mentioned by

Marc Andreessen

as a book that sells consistently well.

Marc Andreessen: It’s Time To Write

Recommended by Sudhir Sarnobat.

Ep 419: India's MSME Landscape -- Some Useful Frameworks

Mentioned by

David Rosenthal

as a book detailing Ben Horowitz's experiences in the tech industry.

Andreessen Horowitz Part I

Mentioned by

Matt Mochary

as another source of answers on running organizations.

How to fire people with grace, work through fear, and nurture innovation | Matt Mochary (CEO coach)

Recommended by

Bobby Hundreds

for those seeking business and entrepreneurial advice.

#671: Bobby Hundreds — Building an Iconic Streetwear Brand, Making $7 Million in 40 Minutes, The Power of Garfield, Why Korean Entertainment is Taking Over the World, Maintaining the Mystery, The Fickleness of Fortune, and Developing “Nunchi”

Mentioned by

Zac Bookman

while discussing the book "The Hard Thing About Hard Things" by Ben Horowitz.

20VC: From Unsexy Startup to $1.8BN Acquisition | Why VCs and Founders are Fundamentally Misaligned | Why Valuations and Fundraising are BS | Lessons from Josh Kushner and Marc Andreesen | Zac Bookman, OpenGov

Recommended by

David Senra

as a guide for navigating the challenges of building a business.

#41 The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers

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