{"product_id":"the-hard-thing-about-hard-things-building-a-business-when-there-are-no-easy-answers-isbn-9780062273208","title":"The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers","description":"\u003cp\u003eBen Horowitz, cofounder of the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz and one of Silicon Valley’s most respected and experienced entrepreneurs, offers essential leadership advice on building and running a startup—practical wisdom for managing the toughest problems business school doesn’t cover, based on his popular ben’s blog.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhile many people talk about how great it is to start a business, very few are honest about how difficult entrepreneurship is when it comes to running one. Ben Horowitz analyzes the problems that confront leaders every day, sharing the insights he’s gained developing, managing, selling, buying, investing in, and supervising technology companies. A lifelong rap fanatic, he amplifies business lessons with lyrics from his favorite songs, telling it straight about everything from firing friends to poaching competitors, cultivating and sustaining a CEO mentality to knowing the right time to cash in.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFilled with his trademark humor and straight talk, \u003ci\u003eThe Hard Thing About Hard Things\u003c\/i\u003e is an invaluable management book for veteran entrepreneurs as well as those aspiring to their own new ventures, drawing from Horowitz's personal and often humbling experiences.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is not another theoretical management guide. It’s a field manual for the toughest challenges you’ll face as a leader:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eThe CEO Mentality:\u003c\/b\u003e Learn how to make the right call when there are no good options, from firing loyal friends to knowing the right time to cash in.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eStartup Advice:\u003c\/b\u003e Get unflinching, practical wisdom for the real problems business school doesn’t cover, drawn from Horowitz’s own humbling experiences.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eWartime Leadership:\u003c\/b\u003e Understand the hard-won insights gained from developing, managing, and selling technology companies through the dot-com crash and beyond.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eUnconventional Wisdom:\u003c\/b\u003e See how lessons from his favorite rap songs can be amplified to solve the most complex business challenges.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e | \u003cp\u003eA lot of people talk about how great it is to start a business, but only Ben Horowitz is brutally honest about how hard it is to run one.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eThe Hard Thing About Hard Things\u003c\/em\u003e, Ben Horowitz, cofounder of Andreessen Horowitz and one of Silicon Valley's most respected and experienced entrepreneurs, draws on his own story of founding, running, selling, buying, managing, and investing in technology companies to offer essential advice and practical wisdom for navigating the toughest problems business schools don't cover. His blog has garnered a devoted following of millions of readers who have come to rely on him to help them run their businesses. A lifelong rap fan, Horowitz amplifies business lessons with lyrics from his favorite songs and tells it straight about everything from firing friends to poaching competitors, from cultivating and sustaining a CEO mentality to knowing the right time to cash in.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHis advice is grounded in anecdotes from his own hard-earned rise—from cofounding the early cloud service provider Loudcloud to building the phenomenally successful Andreessen Horowitz venture capital firm, both with fellow tech superstar Marc Andreessen (inventor of Mosaic, the Internet's first popular Web browser). This is no polished victory lap; he analyzes issues with no easy answers through his trials, including\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003edemoting (or firing) a loyal friend;\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ewhether you should incorporate titles and promotions, and how to handle them;\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eif it's OK to hire people from your friend's company;\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ehow to manage your own psychology, while the whole company is relying on you;\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ewhat to do when smart people are bad employees;\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ewhy Andreessen Horowitz prefers founder CEOs, and how to become one;\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ewhether you should sell your company, and how to do it.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eFilled with Horowitz's trademark humor and straight talk, and drawing from his personal and often humbling experiences, \u003cem\u003eThe Hard Thing About Hard Things\u003c\/em\u003e is invaluable for veteran entrepreneurs as well as those aspiring to their own new ventures.\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003e“With a candid, even profanity-laced style that quotes everyone from Silicon Valley legend Bill  Campbell to hip hop star Nas, Horowitz writes about what it takes to manage people and lead  organizations today…even the most seasoned managers will appreciate Horowitz’s discussion of the emotional toll of high-power jobs and what he calls the CEO psychological meltdown” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Washington Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“This isn’t your traditional, how-to founder advice. He tackles the real problems and challenges entrepreneurs face…But where Horowitz separates himself is in his advice around how to control your own psychology and demons as a CEO and founder. These are real problems that every CEO and leader faces, as sometimes they are their own worst enemy... My bet is that Horowitz’s book becomes gospel for startups. His stories already have.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eTechCrunch\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“The most valuable book on startup management hands down” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePandoDaily\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Horowitz tends to dispense management advice in a kind of one-two punch. First comes the self-deprecating quip about mismanagement and misery, delivered with a knowing grin and capped with a two-beat chuckle. But soon the smile will vanish, and he’ll turn dead serious. His brow will furrow slightly, his eyes will widen and focus with an intensity that borders on scary, and he’ll speak slowly, deliberately. It’s almost as if you can’t afford not to listen.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eFortune\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“There is more than enough substance in Mr. Horowitz’s impressive tome to turn it into a leadership classic.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Economist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“More than any other business book released this year, “Hard Things” gives an insider’s perspective on what it’s like to lead and scale a startup.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e--Business Insider's Best Business Books of 2014\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“This is easily one of the essential books every business leader should read if they’re looking for proven and honest management advice.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e--Entrepreneur's 25 Amazing Business Books from 2014\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Harper Business","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44888181604581,"sku":"NP9780062273208","price":32.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780062273208.jpg?v=1730228347","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/the-hard-thing-about-hard-things-building-a-business-when-there-are-no-easy-answers-isbn-9780062273208","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}