--- title: "10 Hard Quotes By Ben Horowitz" description: "10 Hard quotes by Ben Horowitz. Plus more from Ben Horowitz and more Hard sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9d/ben-horowitz-1791_fitness_leadership-is-hard-to-train-on-1322873_1322873.png" --- > [Leadership is hard to train on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/leadership-is-hard-to-train-on/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9d/ben-horowitz-1791_fitness_leadership-is-hard-to-train-on-1322873_1322873.png) > [It's hard in daily life. It's even harder in management because it's the stress of the moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/it-s-hard-in-daily-life-it-s-even-harder-in-management-because-it-s/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d94/ben-horowitz-1791_daily-life_it-s-hard-in-daily-life-it-s-even-harder_2418841.png) > [The key to high-quality communication is trust, and it's hard to trust somebody that you don't know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/the-key-to-high-quality-communication-is-trust-and-it-s-hard-to-trust/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e2/ben-horowitz-1791_communication_the-key-to-high-quality-communication-is_2362949.png) > [The key to high-quality communication is trust, and its hard to trust somebody that you dont know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/the-key-to-high-quality-communication-is-trust-and-its-hard-to-trust/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57e/ben-horowitz-1791_communication_the-key-to-high-quality-communication-is_1132547.png) > [“Hard things are hard because there are no easy answers or recipes. They are hard because your emotions are at odds with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/hard-things-are-hard-because-there-are-no-easy-answers-or-recipes/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09e/ben-horowitz-1791_ask-for-help_hard-things-are-hard-because-there-are-n_937078.jpg) > [Do you have a real interest in people who work for you? Most good leaders have that - it's hard to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/do-you-have-a-real-interest-in-people-who-work-for-you-most-good/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f5/ben-horowitz-1791_feel_do-you-have-a-real-interest-in-people-wh_2673827.png) > [Every time you make the hard, correct decision you become a bit more courageous, and every time you make the easy, wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/every-time-you-make-the-hard-correct-decision-you-become-a-bit-more/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ff/ben-horowitz-1791_business_every-time-you-make-the-hard-correct-dec_2924615.jpg) > [I emphasize to C.E.O.s, you have to have a story in the minds of the employees. It's hard to memorize objectives, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/i-emphasize-to-c-e-o-s-you-have-to-have-a-story-in-the-minds-of-the/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfc/ben-horowitz-1791_easy_i-emphasize-to-c-e-o-s-you-have-to-have_2729946.png) > [You read these management books that say, 'These are the hard things about running a company.' But those aren't really the hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/you-read-these-management-books-that-say-these-are-the-hard-things/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38b/ben-horowitz-1791_about_you-read-these-management-books-that-say_2987867.jpg) > [“The hard thing is when those “great people” develop a sense of entitlement and start demanding unreasonable things. The hard thing isn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/the-hard-thing-is-when-those-great-people-develop-a-sense-of/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddc/ben-horowitz-1791_great-people_the-hard-thing-is-when-those-great-peopl_73300.jpg) ## Other authors on Hard ## More by Ben Horowitz > [There is no silver bullet. There are always options and the options have consequences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/there-is-no-silver-bullet-there-are-always-options-and-the-options/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) > [Groupon looked like a very high valuation, but any investment in a great company at any stage is almost always a good investment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/groupon-looked-like-a-very-high-valuation-but-any-investment-in-a/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) > [By far the most difficult skill I learned as a C.E.O. was the ability to manage my own psychology. Organizational design, process design, metrics,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/by-far-the-most-difficult-skill-i-learned-as-a-c-e-o-was-the-ability/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) > [“The hard thing is when those “great people” develop a sense of entitlement and start demanding unreasonable things. The hard thing isn’t setting up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/the-hard-thing-is-when-those-great-people-develop-a-sense-of/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) > [“As painful as it might be, I knew that we had to get into the broader market in order to understand it well enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/as-painful-as-it-might-be-i-knew-that-we-had-to-get-into-the-broader/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) > [“On my grandfather’s tombstone, you will find his favorite Marx quote: “Life is struggle.” I believe that within that quote lies the most important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/on-my-grandfather-s-tombstone-you-will-find-his-favorite-marx-quote/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) > [“Bill Campbell: "It's not about the money." Ben Horowitz: "What's it about, Bill?" Bill: "It's about the FUCKING money.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/bill-campbell-it-s-not-about-the-money-ben-horowitz-what-s-it-about/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) > [When the value of the company clearly has fallen below what its assets are worth, having a shareholder who says, 'Let's get a better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/when-the-value-of-the-company-clearly-has-fallen-below-what-its/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) > [One person is never as stupid as a group of people. That's why they have lynch mobs, not lynch individuals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/one-person-is-never-as-stupid-as-a-group-of-people-that-s-why-they/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) > [“out the right product is the innovator’s job, not the customer’s job.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/out-the-right-product-is-the-innovator-s-job-not-the-customer-s-job/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) > [As companies move to web-based computing they get a lot more servers, which are difficult to manage and control. All kinds of problems can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/as-companies-move-to-web-based-computing-they-get-a-lot-more-servers/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) > [Breakthrough ideas usually come from guys who look like they're hallucinating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/breakthrough-ideas-usually-come-from-guys-who-look-like-they-re/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) > [When screening engineers from other companies, its smart to value engineers from great companies more than those from mediocre companies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/when-screening-engineers-from-other-companies-its-smart-to-value/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) > [“No matter who you are, you need two kinds of friends in your life. The first kind is one you can call when something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/no-matter-who-you-are-you-need-two-kinds-of-friends-in-your-life-the/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) > [“The difference between being mediocre and magical is often the difference between letting people take creative risk and holding them too tightly accountable. Accountability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/the-difference-between-being-mediocre-and-magical-is-often-the/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/ben-horowitz/#itemlist", "name": "10 Hard Quotes By Ben Horowitz", "numberOfItems": 10, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Leadership is hard to train on.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ben Horowitz" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/leadership-is-hard-to-train-on/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9d/ben-horowitz-1791_fitness_leadership-is-hard-to-train-on-1322873_1322873.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9d/ben-horowitz-1791_fitness_leadership-is-hard-to-train-on-1322873_1322873.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9d/ben-horowitz-1791_fitness_leadership-is-hard-to-train-on-1322873_1322873.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Leadership is hard to train on.” — Ben Horowitz", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's hard in daily life. 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It's hard to memorize objectives, but it's easy to remember a story.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ben Horowitz" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/i-emphasize-to-c-e-o-s-you-have-to-have-a-story-in-the-minds-of-the/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfc/ben-horowitz-1791_easy_i-emphasize-to-c-e-o-s-you-have-to-have_2729946.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfc/ben-horowitz-1791_easy_i-emphasize-to-c-e-o-s-you-have-to-have_2729946.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfc/ben-horowitz-1791_easy_i-emphasize-to-c-e-o-s-you-have-to-have_2729946.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I emphasize to C.E.O.s, you have to have a story in the minds of the employees. 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Or you have to figure out a way not to go bankrupt.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ben Horowitz" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/you-read-these-management-books-that-say-these-are-the-hard-things/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38b/ben-horowitz-1791_about_you-read-these-management-books-that-say_2987867.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38b/ben-horowitz-1791_about_you-read-these-management-books-that-say_2987867.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38b/ben-horowitz-1791_about_you-read-these-management-books-that-say_2987867.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You read these management books that say, 'These are the hard things about running a company.' 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The hard thing is waking up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ben Horowitz" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/the-hard-thing-is-when-those-great-people-develop-a-sense-of/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddc/ben-horowitz-1791_great-people_the-hard-thing-is-when-those-great-peopl_73300.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddc/ben-horowitz-1791_great-people_the-hard-thing-is-when-those-great-peopl_73300.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddc/ben-horowitz-1791_great-people_the-hard-thing-is-when-those-great-peopl_73300.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The hard thing is when those “great people” develop a sense of entitlement and start demanding unreasonable…” — Ben Horowitz", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } } ] }, { "@type": "CollectionPage", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/ben-horowitz/#webpage", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/ben-horowitz/", "name": "Hard Quotes by Ben Horowitz", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/ben-horowitz/#itemlist" }, "primaryImageOfPage": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9d/ben-horowitz-1791_fitness_leadership-is-hard-to-train-on-1322873_1322873.png" }, "description": "10 Hard quotes by Ben Horowitz. 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