Only the Paranoid Survive

How to Exploit the Crisis Points That Challenge Every Company

By: Andrew S. Grove

Narrated by: Jason Leikam

Length: 5 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

Andy Grove, founder and former CEO of Intel shares his strategy for success as he takes the listener deep inside the workings of a major company in Only the Paranoid Survive.

Under Andy Grove's leadership, Intel became the world's largest chip maker and one of the most admired companies in the world. In Only the Paranoid Survive, Grove reveals his strategy for measuring the nightmare moment every leader dreads - when massive change occurs and a company must, virtually overnight, adapt or fall by the wayside - in a new way.

Grove calls such a moment a Strategic Inflection Point, which can be set off by almost anything: mega-competition, a change in regulations, or a seemingly modest change in technology. When a Strategic Inflection Point hits, the ordinary rules of business go out the window. Yet, managed right, a Strategic Inflection Point can be an opportunity to win in the marketplace and emerge stronger than ever.

Grove underscores his message by examining his own record of success and failure, including how he navigated the events of the Pentium flaw, which threatened Intel's reputation in 1994, and how he has dealt with the explosions in growth of the internet. The work of a lifetime, Only the Paranoid Survive is a classic of managerial and leadership skills.

©1996, 1999 Andrew S. Grove (P)2021 Upfront Books

Decent History and Perspective from an Esteemed Tech Leader

The pacing and content was good. The book, while a bit dated, had some interesting historical context and helpful information that is still valuable today.

a business classic for a reason

Well written and well-read, I recommend this audiobook.
Some of the anecdotes are a bit long-in-the-tooth now, but they are still a joy to hear and relevant to today's business problems. Many of Andy's forecasts came to be correct and it is interesting to hear this luminary muse on the future from the past.

Absolutely worth the time.

struggled a little to finish.

struggled a bit to finish. seemed redundant and boring. mentioned inflection point maybe 10,000 times:-)

Good information.

Overall, the book was good.
Every entrepreneur should read this book to prevent future shortcomings.

I just wish Grove narrated it.

This book came highly recommended and it didn’t take long to see why. It’s engaging and educational. It was fun getting a history lesson while being taught another leadership mindset. I just wish Grove narrated it. I think it would have been even better Grove’s voice and narration.

You are your own CEO

Great read and helps reinforce the message that you must always be ready for change.

Fantastic, instant classic.

Yes, at 1x the narration is tiresome as others have criticized. But like those classics from the 90’s streaming on Netflix still in 4:3 and with “film” grain clearly visible on the picture there’s something endearing and nostalgic. But make no mistake, for those open to hearing the message, Grove’s booming words and intellect are bang up to date for any 2022 organizational leader. I thank those who thought to produce and rerelease this years after his death and at a time when so many leaders need to be reminded what it takes to lead during strategic inflection points. Do yourself a favor, ignore the other reviews, push through the nostalgic tone and remind yourself of the essence of being a leader when it matters most. Thank you Andy Grove.

Great book, still relevant

I first read this book 25+ years ago when all the material in the book was still contemporary. Listening to the book now has been a delight. So many companies I had forgotten about that have come and gone, the drastically different landscape today than when this was written - a lot of missed strategic inflection points - and yet Grove presents situations, and the lessons they teach, in a clear and timeless way. The way he looks at the business landscape is as relevant today as it was then. This is a great book that has only gotten better with age, tho I think we can safely call the internet a 10x Change.

Optimal option to assist in navigating chaos

I had a boss share this with me when I was selling high tech consulting and it shaped the way I think about navigating challenging business situations.

When stakes are high decisions must be made quickly and talent needs to be fully committed to change and chaos.

The better book

Hesitated to study this one after his other book (High Output Management).
I must say this is definitely the better book. The language seems less outdated, the data more concise and at least for me more readily applicable to current, real life business situations!