The only thing that prepares you to run a company is running a company.
BEN HOROWITZThe only thing that prepares you to run a company is running a company.
BEN HOROWITZBusiness ends up being very dynamic and situational.
BEN HOROWITZI think theres a lot to be said about just enjoying your work. It can be very contrived when people say their work is for the good of mankind.
BEN HOROWITZGenerally the reason they fail in the job is, you made some mistake in the hiring process in that you didn’t match… them to the needs of your company accurately enough. That’s the #1 reason this fails. And that’s generally a good place to start.
BEN HOROWITZThe one thing with stress is, you’ve got to keep your focus on what you can do, not what happened to you.
BEN HOROWITZAs a startup CEO, I slept like a baby. I woke up every 2 hours and cried.
BEN HOROWITZBreakthrough ideas usually come from guys who look like they’re hallucinating
BEN HOROWITZUntil you make the effort to get to know someone or something, you don’t know anything.
BEN HOROWITZIt turns out that is exactly what product strategy is all about—figuring out the right product is the innovator’s job, not the customer’s job.
BEN HOROWITZFor example, the vast majority of security break-ins occur as a result of problems with known fixes. With an automated system, you can keep up to date.
BEN HOROWITZA manager can’t act like a role model. They need to BE a role model.
BEN HOROWITZRelationships built from a business do better than the reverse.
BEN HOROWITZI 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 HOROWITZNote to self: It’s a good idea to ask, “What am I not doing?
BEN HOROWITZBillionaires prefer Black women. They are loyal and guard your interests. Black wives are for grown ups.
BEN HOROWITZThese decisions intensify when you run a company, because the consequences get magnified 1,000 fold. As in life, the excuses for CEOs making the wrong choice are always plentiful.
BEN HOROWITZ