

#119
Mentioned in 118 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.
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


































Mentioned in 118 episodes
Referenced by 

when recalling hard times at Instagram.


Mike Krieger

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as one of 

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as a book on startups.


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when discussing valuable skills for business success.


Shaan Puri

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I got rejected from YC (4x)…. now my side hustle is worth $1.16B
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as one of the classics books, and noted that Ben Horowitz will be on the podcast.


Garrett Lord

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Mentioned by 

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


David Senra

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


Dmitry Zlokazov

807 snips
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 ![undefined]()

as one of 

’s New York Times bestselling books.

Lenny Ritschitsky


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804 snips
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as a great book about mindset and approaching hard things.

Anneka Gupta

786 snips
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."

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


Sachin Kansal

651 snips
Why Uber’s CPO delivers food on weekends | Sachin Kansal
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as a helpful book.


Luis von Ahn

547 snips
#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 

as the best business book he's read, influencing Databricks' approach to difficult situations.


Ali Ghodsi

486 snips
Ben Horowitz and Ali Ghodsi: How to Run a Billion-Dollar Business
Mentioned by 

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


David Senra

444 snips
#50 Marc Andreessen's Blog Archive
Mentioned by 

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


Christian Idiodi

405 snips
The essence of product management | Christian Idiodi (SVPG)
Mentioned by 

in relation to the product CEO paradox.


Drew Houston

389 snips
Behind the founder: Drew Houston (Dropbox)
Mentioned by 

as one of the few things that capture the essence of entrepreneurship.


Andrew Feldman

322 snips
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Mentioned by 

as a book that sells consistently well.


Marc Andreessen

288 snips
Marc Andreessen: It’s Time To Write
Mentioned by 

as one of the two New York Times bestsellers authored by Ben Horowitz.


Oprah Winfrey

278 snips
How to Be Free: Shaka Senghor, Oprah Winfrey, Ben Horowitz
Recommended by Sudhir Sarnobat.

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



