The World's Best Book Summaries
What is the Law of Resources? Why is having a good idea not enough in the marketing arena? Marketing is about getting your product or service into the minds of consumers, and you need resources not only to reach them in the first place but also to stay in their minds. And marketing is very expensive. Continue on to learn more about the Law of Resources.
What types of working environments are there? And how do you, as a leader, determine which environment is right for your company? When you consider it from a high level, there are only two types of working environments. These are proficiency- and creativity-oriented environments. When looking at their product and processes, leaders must determine if they want an environment that encourages proficiency or one that promotes creativity. Keep reading for more about the two types of working environments.
What was the history of the Netscape browser? What lead to its downfall? Where is Netscape now? In Ben Horowitz’s book The Hard Thing About Hard Things, he talks about the rise and fall of the Netscape browser. What started as a promising venture fell apart when Microsoft entered their playing field. Keep reading to learn about the history of the Netscape browser.
What is the history of Loudcloud? How did the company go from raking in money to almost bankrupt in a matter of years? How did they manage to survive the dotcom crash? In 1999, Ben Horowitz and Marc Andreessen founded Loudcloud. The company took off running, leading to exponential growth. Then, as quickly as it grew, Loudcloud almost went bankrupt. They were forced to go public and make big company changes. Read on to learn more about the history of Loudcloud.
What are the two kinds of managers? Which kind is better suited to be an executive or CEO? There are two kinds of managers: ones are strategic decision makers and twos are process runners. Most founding CEOs happen to be ones, however, the ideal leader has elements of both. Keep reading to learn more about the two kinds of managers.
How do you know when it’s the right time to sell your business? Is it in your best interest to stay independent? In The Hard Thing About Hard Things, author Ben Horwitz discusses when the right time to sell your business is. There are both rational and emotional factors when it comes to selling something you’ve built and both play into the decision-making process. Continue reading for advice on whether or not you should sell your business.
What are the roles and responsibilities of a CEO? What qualities make a good CEO? A good CEO should be able to do three things well: articulate their vision, get the team to work on the vision, and achieve results. The role of a CEO is also to be a good decision-maker and to have the courage to do what is necessary, even if it’s difficult. Keep reading about the roles and responsibilities of a CEO.
What is Patrick Lencioni’s Death by Meeting leadership fable about? How can you apply the tips in the book to make work meetings more productive and engaging? Patrick Lencioni’s Death by Meeting leadership fable follows a CEO named Casey who leads long, boring, and unproductive meetings at his company. After Casey’s company is acquired, he is forced to improve his meetings or he could lose his job. Keep reading to learn about Lencioni’s leadership fable and how to lead better meetings.
Why did Opsware transition from servers to software? What did Ben Horowitz do to make the company so profitable? Ben Horiwitz, co-founder of Loudcloud, bought Opsware in hopes of saving Loudcloud from going under. Horowitz took the struggling Opsware and turned it into multimillion dollar company which HP acquired in 2007 for over a billion dollars. Continue on to learn how Ben Horowitz managed to turn Opsware around.
Is your business growing but you’re keeping the same managers? How could this be holding you back? Why does scaling your business mean you may need to replace once-valuable team members? Managing a 5-person team is very different from running a 100-person global sales force. Whenever your company scales, you should be reevaluating your employees. It may be difficult to replace somebody who has done a great job in the past, but you owe it to your company to find the best person for each job. Keep reading to learn what changes you should make when scaling your business.