The Hard Thing About Hard Things

Date: 2023-10-25

Book Author: Ben Horowitz

This is hands down the realest book I’ve read on being a startup founder. Ben Horowitz doesn’t give you fairy tales or pitch deck hacks. He gives you raw truth — the kind that comes from layoffs, near-bankruptcies, and boardroom chaos. It's less "how to build a business" and more "how to survive one."

💡 Brutal But True Lessons: • Being a CEO is about making ugly decisions — not just bold ones. • Nobody tells you how hard it is to fire your friends. • “There are no silver bullets. Just a lot of lead bullets.”

❤️ What I Loved: • It’s gritty and honest — a break from startup glorification. • Real stories from Horowitz’s journey building Loudcloud and Opsware. • Chapters like “How to Handle the Struggle” felt like therapy.

🤔 What's Tough: • It’s more memoir than manual. Not step-by-step. • If you haven’t faced real startup chaos yet, it might feel intense.

📈 Verdict: If you’re building something that could break — read this. It doesn’t promise success. It helps you brace for it

Rating: 4.7/5