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Ben Horowitz

What Ben Horowitz thinks about management

@ben-horowitz · 8 positions · 0 changes of mind

American entrepreneur and venture capitalist; co-founder and CEO of Loudcloud/Opsware, co-founder of the venture firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) in 2009, and author of The Hard Thing About Hard Things (2014).

Everything they publish, on ppll ↗

Ben Horowitz did not write this page.

We collected these quotes from things they published elsewhere, and every quote links to where it was said. They have no account here and have not endorsed this site. Quotes are word for word; the short line under each one is our own restatement, not their wording. Their own site. Is this you? Claim it or ask us to remove it. Or tell us what is wrong here.

7 dated positions, 2011 to 2012, in their own words. Our reading of what Ben Horowitz has said — not written or endorsed by them.

  1. Our readingThe struggle of running a company is not failure, but it causes failure, always if you are weak

    Their wordsThe Struggle is not failure, but it causes failure. Especially if you are weak. Always if you are weak.

    ↗The Struggle (a16z)a16z.com 1st of 3 in this piece

  3. Our readingA CEO grading themselves a failure for their mistakes does not help; every CEO makes thousands of mistakes

    Their wordsEverybody makes mistakes. Every CEO makes thousands of mistakes. Evaluating yourself and giving yourself an “F” doesn’t help.

    ↗The Struggle (a16z)a16z.com 3rd of 3 in this piece

  4. 7 months earlier

  5. Our readingFacing an existential threat may be the scariest thing in business, and many will do anything to avoid it

    Their wordsThere may be nothing scarier in business than facing an existential threat. So scary that many in the organization will do anything to avoid it.

    ↗Lead Bullets (a16z)a16z.com 1st of 2 in this piece

  7. Our readingEvery company eventually must fight for its life instead of running from the battle

    Their wordsThere comes a time in every company’s life where it must fight for its life. If you find yourself running when you should be fighting, you need to ask yourself: “If our company isn’t good enough to win, then do we need to exist at all?”

    ↗Lead Bullets (a16z)a16z.com 2nd of 2 in this piece

  8. 7 months earlier

  9. Our readingPeacetime and wartime require radically different management styles

    Their wordsMy greatest management discovery through that transition was that peacetime and wartime require radically different management styles.

    ↗Peacetime CEO/Wartime CEO (a16z)a16z.com 1st of 3 in this piece

  11. Our readingA CEO can master both peacetime and wartime leadership, but it is hard

    Their wordsI believe that the answer is yes, but it’s hard. Mastering both wartime and peacetime skill sets means understanding the many rules of management and knowing when to follow them and when to violate them.

    ↗Peacetime CEO/Wartime CEO (a16z)a16z.com 2nd of 3 in this piece

  13. Our readingManagement books tend to describe peacetime methods because consultants study companies in times of peace

    Their wordsBe aware that management books tend to be written by management consultants who study successful companies during their times of peace. As a result, the resulting books describe the methods of peacetime CEOs.

    ↗Peacetime CEO/Wartime CEO (a16z)a16z.com 3rd of 3 in this piece