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The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers Hardcover – March 4, 2014

by Ben Horowitz (Author)

904 customer reviews

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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.

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

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Editorial Reviews

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*Starred Review* It’s fairly evident that this is a collection of blogs, loosely strung together, united in their varied perspectives on start-ups, CEO-dom, and business in general. Though Horowitz is a cofounder of Andreessen Horowitz and his credentials reside mainly in Silicon Valley, he’s imparted some valuable insight on hard lessons learned that apply to any manager, whether in the executive suite or not. As with most experiential books, it is all about him—but it’s written in such an engaging and universally acceptable manner that no one could object. Leave aside his background, for the moment. Who would realize, for instance, that executives worry about things like initiating layoffs, hiring the right people, training, and minimizing politics, among others? It’s a refreshingly honest take, and his colorful (and, yes, profanity-laced) language breaks down any other misperceptions about the role and the person. Plus, his imagination is compelling, such as the comparisons between peacetime and wartime CEOs: Peacetime CEO always has a contingency plan. Wartime CEO knows that sometimes you gotta roll a hard six. After all, the success equation is easy: the hard thing is getting it done. --Barbara Jacobs

Review

“More than any other business book released this year, “Hard Things” gives an insider’s perspective on what it’s like to lead and scale a startup.” (--Business Insider's Best Business Books of 2014)

“This is easily one of the essential books every business leader should read if they’re looking for proven and honest management advice.” (--Entrepreneur's 25 Amazing Business Books from 2014)

“The most valuable book on startup management hands down” (PandoDaily)

“There is more than enough substance in Mr. Horowitz’s impressive tome to turn it into a leadership classic.” (The Economist)

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Product details

Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: HarperBusiness (March 4, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0062273205
ISBN-13: 978-0062273208
Product Dimensions: 6 x 1 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 904 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,284 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #9 in Books > Business & Money > Small Business & Entrepreneurship > New Business Enterprises
- #39 in Books > Business & Money > Small Business & Entrepreneurship > Entrepreneurship
- #39 in Books > Business & Money > Management & Leadership > Management

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Hard things do not have to make hard people - they can make real people for others to rely upon.

ByCurt Rhodeson October 6, 2014

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Excellent, pithy, straightforward from gut to gut. A strong dose of reality re the ideas of entrepreneurship and leadership (which are separate, and sometimes not complementary, human drivers). It underscores the old saw, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained." There are no answers, only clarity of the struggle to stick to the path of "aloneness," and yet to have a network of "others" who believe in you, challenge you, push you, and cover your rear. Reflecting about the lessons I took/take from this exposure to hard reality is harder than I would have imagined - to go from reflection to action.

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An intimate conversation with a gamechanging entrepreneur.

Bystonyhillon June 14, 2016

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

If you ever have a chance to have a deep, one-on-one conversation with a singular force like Ben Horowitz, drop everything to make it happen. But the remarkable thing about this remarkable book (see what I did there?) is that for each reader, Ben makes makes you feel like you're having a one-on-one conversation, with insights into the personal struggle required for greatness. Most of us won't ever have the chance to have that one-on-one conversation, much less a mentorship with someone like Ben. This book is the next best thing.

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Excellent management book for today's culture

ByJignesh Aminon November 30, 2016

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

After reading Good Manager / Bad Manager from Horowitz, I realized his teaching style fit right with my learning style. His empathy and humility shine through this book on how he struggled and applied his thinking to his specific scenarios. This was different than others as it was a not a biography or history of his companies, buy personal anecdotes and lessons learned applied to business managment. Great read and will be referencing periodically in my career.

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The best book i have read from someone who has been there done that

Bypbusharizion September 17, 2016

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Horowitz covers all the bases from starting up to scaling up; from strategy to execution; from recruiting to firing... it's all in there and more. He steers away from being prescriptive without being fluff. It's a great outline of his experience in taking his company from start up to eventual sale. Worth it's weight in gold.

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An amazing call to action for startups

ByEstebanon October 18, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

From the beginning of the book I started to feel connected with his vision about how bussines can take you to personal zone where you always are debating about "should I keep going?". A very inclusive book that works in all and I mean all the stages of a bussines venture. I keep this one as a monthly helper with my endeavour and is helping to have a wider vision of sales and the inner struggle of every entrepreneur. Thanks Ben!

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Excellent book

Byobinniaon December 26, 2015

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I loved reading this book. Ben Horowitz tells it honestly and clearly. His comments about leadership, politics and bureaucracy are so apt. In the end, it's the leaders who are responsible for creating the work environment and culture. My only negative is some parts sort of ramble. But it's a small price to pay for the assurance and comfort that this provides to both entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs.

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Mandatory reading every couple of years for techpreneurs

ByAsim Ghaffaron December 24, 2016

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I believe this is a must book for tech entrepreneurs in addition to Zero to One... many won't value the content if they are just starting their entrepreneurship journey but for someone like me, who read it a decade after my first startup, I really wished that I had read it a lot earlier l. (Too my defence this book was not available then).

My big take away from this is the differentiation between wartime and peacetime CEO..

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Must read for founders, entrepreneurs and leaders @ startups

ByHema Padhuon December 1, 2015

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

One of the best books you can read about being an entrepreneur, starting your own business or working for a startup. Ben doesn't sugar coat it and that's the best thing about the book. His startup has been through trials and survived some of the worst crisis. Most startups simply won't make it. He gives thoughtful advice for any CEO, founder or member of a leadership team on how to hire talent, manage culture, navigate crisis with grace and how to inspire people during tough times. If there's only one business book you read this year, make it this one.

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Most recent customer reviews

Great book to learn about business.

Published 2 days ago by RDR

Five Stars

One of the best books i have read. Must read for every entrepreneur

Published 9 days ago by P MADATHANAPALLI

... not read but I know it will be a great read. The book came new in a box

I have not read but I know it will be a great read. The book came new in a box.

Published 9 days ago by Jeffrey Smallwood

Five Stars

One of the best management books I have ever read. Especially for entrepreneurs looking to start their own business.

Published 11 days ago by Davidmax

One of my favorite business books ever

While most business books take one big idea and fluff it out into 300 pages, this book crams multiple volumes of practical wisdom between two covers.

Published 11 days ago by Amazon Customer

Practical, to the point and no sugarcoated B.S.

Horowitz provides practical advice for any leader that is given without any sugarcoating in The Hard Thing About Hard Things.Read more

Published 11 days ago by Anant Gandhi

One Star

waste of time, money.

Published 14 days ago by Joe Heffernan

Ben Horowitz is an amazing guy who succeeded over the hardest odds

Ben Horowitz is an amazing guy who succeeded over the hardest odds, lifting himself out of poverty by his own bootstraps, and triumphed in business by making the correct decisions...Read more

Published 15 days ago by D. Stephens

You really can learn a lot from this honest book

In this book, it really seems like Ben is sincere and honest about the difficult lessons he learned and the hard problems he faced.Read more

Published 17 days ago by AJLee

Awesome real life advice on leading

Great advice based on real life experiences. Tons of insights on how to go through “the struggle” that every start up goes through.

Published 21 days ago by Diego Jorge Dzodan

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