Big companies have trouble with innovation. Innovation is about bad ideas, or ideas that look like bad ideas. That's the fundamental thing.
Ben HorowitzRead
As long as people are clear on what they need to do and what's going on, you're very likely to succeed. When nobody is clear, then you're guaranteed to fail.
Interpretation
Clear communication and understanding are essential for success; without them, failure is inevitable.
This quote emphasizes the importance of clarity in communication and understanding within any endeavor. It suggests that when everyone involved knows their roles, responsibilities, and the objectives at hand, the likelihood of success increases significantly. Conversely, a lack of clarity leads to confusion and chaos, ultimately resulting in failure.
In practice
In a team meeting about project goals, this quote can be used to stress the importance of everyone understanding their roles.
Big companies have trouble with innovation. Innovation is about bad ideas, or ideas that look like bad ideas. That's the fundamental thing.
As a company gets big, the information that informs decision-making gets massive. Depending upon the prism through which you view the business, your perspective will vary. If two people are in charge, this variance will cause conflict and delay.
You read these management books that say, 'These are the hard things about running a company.' But those aren't really the hard things. The hard things are when you have to layoff half your company, or you have to fire your best friend. Or you have to figure out a way not to go bankrupt.
Look - this is the terror of being a founder & CEO. It is all your fault. Every decision, every person you hire, every dumb thing you buy or do - ultimately, you're at the end.
Nobody knows how to be a CEO. It's something you have to learn. It's a very lonely job.
I 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.
Paying attention to simple little things that most men neglect makes a few men rich.
The person who makes a success of living is the one who sees his goal steadily and aims for it unswervingly.
Exceptional people convert life's setbacks into future successes.
You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone.
The single most important thing to remember about any enterprise is that there are no results inside its walls. The result of a business is a satisfied customer.
Success is never owned, it is rented, and the rent is due every day.
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