The Hard Thing About Hard Things

Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers

By: Ben Horowitz

Narrated by: Kevin Kenerly

Length: 7 hrs and 57 mins

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.

©2014 Ben Horowitz (P)2014 HarperCollins Publishers

One of the best books I have ever read.

this book is not like other entrepreneurship books. It tells a story and how leaders struggle to take right desitions. It is all about the people.

excellent book

real, authentic
gritty
honest
business advice
autonomatically one of my best business books of all time

Exceptional understanding of the subject matter

This is one of the best entrepreneurial books I've read. Ben Horowitz understands what it means to start a company at a level deeper than my current understanding and conveys it in a manner making me want a sequel. Delivery is good as well, which prompted me to listen to this twice in a week as I traveled between home base and clients. For those in the trenches of the struggle, this is a rare find. Read it, you won't regret it.

Start Up founders definitely should read this!

As a Start Up founder, this definitely give me a lot of Insights about what a Start Up really is. I will probably listen to it 2 or 3 more times.

straight up answers

the narrator was clear and concise as the book was. I couldn't stop listening even with the strange rap at the start of each chapter. the experiences inside was not some secret formula it involves flare it's sincere, realistic and it's about building systems, the type of architect necessary to build a good company.

Thank you - learnt a lot!!

This book is good for all levels of management. There are many life lessons that help in different stages of a business.

A MUST read if you want to try the startup route

A mind blowing book about how to think about starting a business and about how to not panick when there are no solutions... because there won’t be any solutions most of the times!

Good business read

Interesting book. I enjoyed Ben's story and what he learned on his journey. He really breaks it down and this book can be used as a guide when you're put in a tough spot as a leader.
The only thing I didnt like is that the entire book uses female pronouns, presumably to be inclusive, yet no female CEOs or executives are quoted or even mentioned.
Overall, worth the read even if you aren't a founder CEO or an entrepreneur.

Hustle Hard!

Truly, Excillirating, Engaging from beginning to end! I can't wait to be a CEO myself!

Lots of good insights

Most of the value of the book lies in the anecdotes, which allow me to draw my own conclusions and not rely on what the author's thinks the point is. One interesting thing I noted is that when the author quotes himself speaking with an employee, the author comes across as a jerk. He seems to imagine himself as being tough and decisive, but you can do that and still be respectful. I don't think I'd like working for this guy.