Big Quote by Ben Horowitz
“In order to build a great technology company, you have to hire lots of incredibly smart people. It's a total waste to have lots of big brains but not let them work on your biggest problems.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Hard Thing About Hard Things, 2014
Hiring brilliant people is useless unless they tackle the most critical challenges.
In simple terms: Smart hires must solve big problems.
Key Takeaway
Hire talent and give them tough problems.
Themes
leadership
talent management
strategy
Mood
strategic
pragmatic
Type
advisory
inspirational
When to use this quote
- startup hiring
- product development
- R&D teams
Key Concepts
human capital
problem solving
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you ensure talent focuses on priority issues?
- What mechanisms align talent with goals?
A Different Perspective
Even smart teams can falter without clear direction.
