I read Ben Horowitz’s book on my flight from SFO-LHR and could not put it down. Here is why:
- It was really well edited and uses an optimum amount of words
- Clear and unambiguous writing, sale illness which is great in a business book
- It talks about challenges and various approaches to problem solving instead of providing a panacea
- It has the best description for a product manager role I’ve read ever. The contrasts between good and bad product managers are really well thought out and inspiring.
- Even if this is 15 years old, pharmacy it is still very relevant.
- Of course, order not everything applies and this is written for product managers in startups and not in large companies.
- Ben’s take on analytics is refreshing in this time of “lean” shit. Analytics cannot dictate product vision. Most analytics provide lagging indicators. Product strategy comes from making time for it.
It’s a must read if you are in business or a product manager. I’m adding it to my Product Manager book list.