black
grey
blue
red
brown
white

Here’s where we are and here’s what I didn’t recognize about us and about you when I made the decision, and now it is what it is.

Ben Horowitz

Hire sales people who are really smart problem solvers, but lack courage, hunger and competitiveness, and your company will go out of business.
BEN HOROWITZ

People Problem Smart
Over the last ten years, technological advances have dramatically lowered the financial bar for starting a new company, but the courage bar for building a great company remains as high as it has ever been.
BEN HOROWITZ

Bar Company Lasts Lower Years
As a company grows, communication becomes its biggest challenge.
BEN HOROWITZ

Challenges Communication Company
Relationships built from a business do better than the reverse.
BEN HOROWITZ

Better Built Relationship Reverse
There are no silver bullets.
BEN HOROWITZ

Bullets Growth No Silver
If you have never done the job, how do you know what to want?
BEN HOROWITZ

Done Jobs never Want
In a company, hundreds of decisions get made, but objectives and goals are thin.
BEN HOROWITZ

Decision Goal Made
The important thing about mobile is, everybody has a computer in their pocket. The implications of so many people connected to the Internet all the time from the standpoint of education is incredible.
BEN HOROWITZ

Important People Phones
When you’re making a critical decision, you have to understand how it’s going to be interpreted from all points of view. Not just your point of view, not just the person you’re talking to, but the people that aren’t in the room. Everybody else.
BEN HOROWITZ

Critical Decisions Talking Views
Note to self: It’s a good idea to ask, “What am I not doing?
BEN HOROWITZ

Ask Good Ideas Notes Self
I emphasize to C.E.O.s, you have to have a story in the minds of the employees. It’s hard to memorize objectives, but it’s easy to remember a story.
BEN HOROWITZ

Mind Remember Stories
A lot of it is on the job training, combined with excellent mentorship.
BEN HOROWITZ

Excellent Job Lot Mentorship Training
It’s pretty clear that [customers] know what their budgets are now, and what they want to spend it on.
BEN HOROWITZ

Clear Customer Want
There are no silver bullets.
BEN HOROWITZ

Bullets Growth No Silver
Every time you make the hard, correct decision you become a bit more courageous, and every time you make the easy, wrong decision you become a bit more cowardly. If you are CEO, these choices will lead to a courageous or cowardly company.
BEN HOROWITZ

Choice Courageous Decision
Wartime CEO is too busy fighting the enemy to read management books written by consultants who have never managed a fruit stand.
BEN HOROWITZ

Book Enemy Fighting

Here’s where we are and here’s what I didn’t recognize about us and about you when I made the decision, and now it is what it is.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

Here’s where we are and here’s what I didn’t recognize about us and about you when I made the decision, and now it is what it is.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More Ben Horowitz Quotes