What You Do Is Who You Are

Ben Horowitz, a leading venture capitalist, modern management expert, and New York Times bestselling author combines lessons both from history and modern organisational practice with practical and often surprising advice to help us build cultures that can weather both good and bad times.

The times and circumstances in which people were raised often shape them – yet a few leaders have managed to shape their times. In this follow-up to the bestselling business classic The Hard Thing About Hard Things, Ben Horowitz turns his attention to a question crucial to every organisation: How do you create and sustain the culture you want?

This book is a journey through cultures ancient to modern, spotlighting models of leadership and culture-building from the samurai to prison gangs. Along the way, it answers fundamental questions: Who are we? How do people talk about us when we’re not around? How do we treat our customers? Can we be trusted? 

Because who you are is not the values you list on the wall. It’s not what you say in a company-wide meeting. It’s not your marketing campaign. It’s not even what you believe. Who you are is what you do. This book will help you do the things needed to become the kind of leader you want to be – and others want to follow.

Reviews

Praise for The Hard Thing About Hard Things:

‘For anyone interested in building, growing or leading a great company, this book is an incredibly valuable resource – and a funny and insightful read’ Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook

‘Ben’s book is a great read – with uncomfortable truths about entrepreneurship and how to lead a company’ Larry Page, CEO of Google

‘Stripping away the veneer of management-speak, Ben’s writing carries the authority of somebody who has been through all of this. This results are simple, thorough and compelling’ Dick Costolo, CEO of Twitter

‘More than any other business book released this year, Hard Things gives an insider’s perspective on what it’s like to lead and scale a start-up’ Business Insider's Best Business Books of 2014)

‘This is easily one of the essential books every business leader should read if they’re looking for proven and honest management advice’ Entrepreneur's 25 Amazing Business Books from 2014)

‘The most valuable book on start-up management hands down’ PandoDaily

‘There is more than enough substance in Mr. Horowitz’s impressive tome to turn it into a leadership classic’ The Economist

About the author

Ben Horowitz is the cofounder and general partner of Andreessen Horowitz, a Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm that invests in entrepreneurs building the next generation of leading technology companies. He has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, New Yorker, Fortune, Economist, and Bloomberg Businessweek, among others. Horowitz lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife Felicia.

Follow him on Twitter @bhorowitz and his blog, www.bhorowitz.com.