When I first founded a company, one called LoudCloud, I sought advice from CEOs and industry leaders. They all told me, “Pay attention to your culture. Culture is the most important thing.”
But when I asked these leaders, “What exactly is culture, and how can I affect mine?” they became…
“Dinner with Anna Wintour, racing with Anja Rubik
I told you muthaf*ckers it was more than the music”
— Kanye West, “Cold”
Nearly 30 years ago Steve Stoute saw something that changed his life: He went to see RunDMC perform at Madison Square Garden. During the show, as they began…
“Follow the leader is the title, theme, task
Now you know, you don’t have to ask”
-Rakim
Nationbuilder makes software for leaders. The company was founded on a belief in the profound good that great leadership brings to the world. …
“Pardon but I gotta question of life now
Look at the n!*g& next to you right now
Is he real, fake or scared?”
-Nas
When I first met Todd and Freddy, they were two guys with an idea. When Todd and Freddy first met Marc and me, we were two…
“Winter, spring, summer or fall
All you’ve got to do is call
And I’ll be there, ye, ye, ye
You’ve got a friend”
-James Taylor
Last night my friend Bill Campbell passed away. He meant everything to me and I am having trouble even beginning to say something.
Today people…
“Yeah, I’m the best to ever do it bitch
and you’re the best at never doing shit”
-Lil’ Wayne, We Be Steady Mobbin’
Back in the days when I was CEO, I noticed something interesting in my organization. Within any function, be it Sales, Marketing, Engineering, Finance, etc., everything worked…
“Real quick, whole squad on that real sh*t
0 to 100, n***a, real quick” — Drake, “0 to 100/The Catch Up”
I am a giant advocate for technical founders running their own companies, but one consistent way that technical founders deeply harm their businesses is by screwing up the budgeting…
Introduction to High Output Management
“At sixteen, son was watching him, mesmerized
Respect, not jocking him, was so amazing, besides
He came on the stage with lasers in his eyes
Walk with me now” — Nas, U.B.R. (Unauthorized Biography of Rakim)
I first read High Output Management in 1995. In…
And I always find, yeah, I always find somethin’ wrong
You been puttin’ up with my sh#t just way too long
I’m so gifted at findin’ what I don’t like the most
So I think it’s time for us to have a toast
Let’s have a toast for the douchebags,
Let’s have a toast for…
VC, Blogger, and Author of http://www.harpercollins.com/books/Hard-Thing-About-Things-Ben-Horowitz/?isbn=9780062273208.
