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
Often any decision, even the wrong decision, is better than no decision.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Making a choice, even a poor one, is preferable to remaining indecisive.
This quote emphasizes the importance of taking action in decision-making. It suggests that in many situations, the act of making a decision, regardless of its correctness, is more beneficial than being paralyzed by the fear of making a mistake. Taking action can lead to learning and progress, while inaction can result in missed opportunities.
Themes
DecisionActionIndecisionLearningProgress
In practice
Example use cases
During a team meeting about project strategies, this quote could inspire members to take risks and share their ideas.
More from Ben Horowitz
All quotes βAs 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.
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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.
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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.
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Nobody knows how to be a CEO. It's something you have to learn. It's a very lonely job.
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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.
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I willingly speak to those who know, but for those who do not know I forget.
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It is easy to be swept away by some overwhelming feeling, so it's helpful to remember that any stressful feeling is like a compassionate alarm clock that says, "You're caught in the dream."
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