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Summary of The Hard Thing About Hard Things 

4.6 . 7550 reviews

Short summary

People often talk about how great it is to start a business, but only a few of them are brutally honest about how hard it is to run one. Most people do not even know the truth. Ben Horowitz is the co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz. He is also one of Silicon Valley's most respected and experienced entrepreneurs. In this tidbit, Ben Horowitz leans heavily on his own story of building, selling, buying, managing, and investing in technology companies to offer crucial advice and practical knowledge for handling the toughest problems that business schools don't teach. This summary is filled with Ben Horowitz's signature humor and straight talk, and “The Hard Thing About Hard Things” is most useful for experienced entrepreneurs as well as those aspiring to their own new businesses. “The simple existence of an alternate, possible scenario is often all that’s needed to keep hope alive among a worried workforce.” ~ Ben Horowitz

Table of content

  • Summary of The Hard Thing About Hard Things
  • About the author
  • What is The Hard Thing About Hard Things about?
  • Who should read The Hard Thing About Hard Things
  • Topics in The Hard Thing About Hard Things
first key point

The hard thing is usually the most overlooked thing

Listen the first key point
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Many people think that the hard thing about running a business or working on an idea is the most obvious thing. Wrong! The hard thing is not hidden in the gigantic goal you set for your organization neither is it in hiring the best employees. The hard thing comes to light when you need to make a decision about who to fire or how to communicate in your organization, for example. The hard thing is hard and might not even be visible at first glance.

Many business development books try to provide solutions to problems that have no solutions. There is really no recipe for building the right team or leading them to success. The hard things do not come with recipes.

In this book, Ben Horowitz shares his stories of success and failure. As an entrepreneur and venture capitalist, he understands how difficult it is to build successful companies from scratch and has poured his wealth of knowledge into these chapters. The lessons in this tidbit form the backstory of the posts on Ben Horowitz’s blog and they usher you into a world of possibilities.
One can only make decisions based on the knowledge they have stored already.
So, have you been struggling with your business idea? Do you find it difficult to make tough decisions? Then, this summary is for you. Keep reading to find the hard thing about hard things, and how to build a business when there are no easy answers.
second key point

There’s always pressure on a leader to perform, which can make or break them

As a young CEO, Ben Horowitz felt pressure — the pressure of employees depending on him, the pressure of not being entirely sure of what he was doing, and even the pressure of being responsible for other people’s money. As a consequence of this pressure, Ben Horowitz took losses extremely hard. If the company failed to make a sale, missed a deadline, or messed up an order, it was difficult for him. He thought that everything would become worse if he shared the burden with his employees. So, Ben Horowitz always tried to project a positive, sunny demeanor whenever he had to interact with his staff.
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third key point

There is a right way to lay people off

fourth key point

Executives can also be fired if they perform below expectations

fifth key point

Friendship and business can be a complicated combination

sixth key point

Startups need to train their staff using their methods and rules

seventh key point

There are so many avenues to get the best employees — your friend’s company doesn’t have to be one of them

eighth key point

You don’t have to know every single thing to hire executives in your company

ninth key point

Conclusion

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What is The Hard Thing About Hard Things about?

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Do you find yourself staring at your computer for long minutes, unaware of time slipping by? Do you enter a room and suddenly cannot remember why you stepped in the first place? Is it a herculean task for you to sit through ten pages of a book without reaching for your phone? If yes, your focus needs some work and fast.

Actually, yours is not a unique situation. Many adults like you have issues concentrating on a given task. However, in this fast-paced world of ours, you can’t afford to be not focused at all times. Thankfully, this article comes to your rescue! With the tips and tricks from Hyperfocus by Chris Bailey, you will get in the top percent of folks who have mastered the art of concentration.