Intro

This chapter explores the intricate challenges faced by founders and CEOs in making tough decisions for their organizations. It highlights the critical role of product managers in driving product success, often requiring them to prioritize results over traditional perceptions of authority.

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Ben Horowitz is the co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz, Silicon Valley’s largest and most influential venture capital firm, with over $46B in committed capital across multiple funds. He took Loudcloud public with just $2 million in revenue (dubbed “the IPO from hell”), sold it for $1.6 billion, and has backed companies from Facebook to Stripe to Airbnb to OpenAI to Databricks (now worth more than $100 billion). His management philosophy—forged through near-death experiences and refined through coaching hundreds of CEOs—contradicts most conventional startup wisdom.

In our conversation, Ben shares:

1. Why “founder mode” is half right and half dangerously wrong

2. The story behind “Good Product Manager/Bad Product Manager” and why it went viral despite being written in anger

3. Where the biggest AI startup opportunities remain

4. Why you need to run toward fear, never away

5. The one trait that predicts that a founder will fail as CEO

6. Inside Paid in Full, Ben’s nonprofit awarding pensions to pioneering hip-hop artists

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DX—The developer intelligence platform designed by leading researchers: http://getdx.com/lenny

Basecamp—The famously straightforward project management system from 37signals: https://www.basecamp.com/lenny

Miro—A collaborative visual platform where your best work comes to life: https://miro.com/lenny