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
Startup CEOs should not play the odds. When you are building a company, you must believe there is an answer and you cannot pay attention to your odds of finding it. You just have to find it. It matters not whether your chances are nine in ten or one in a thousand; your task is the same.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Focus on finding solutions rather than worrying about the likelihood of success.
This quote emphasizes the importance of determination and belief in the pursuit of building a startup. Ben Horowitz suggests that a CEO should concentrate on the efforts needed to solve problems and find answers without being distracted by the odds of success, as the challenge remains constant regardless of the perceived chances of success.
Themes
StartupsSuccessDeterminationBeliefEntrepreneurship
In practice
Example use cases
A motivational speech for aspiring entrepreneurs at a startup event.
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All quotes →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.
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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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