--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Nobody knows how to be a CEO. It's…" description: "\"Nobody knows how to be a CEO. It's something you have to learn. It's a very lonely job.\" — Ben Horowitz" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6f/ben-horowitz-1791_ceo_nobody-knows-how-to-be-a-ceo-it-s-someth_2144332.png" --- # Nobody knows how to be a CEO. It's something you have to… ![“Nobody knows how to be a CEO. It's something you have to learn. It's a very lonely job.” quote by Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6f/ben-horowitz-1791_ceo_nobody-knows-how-to-be-a-ceo-it-s-someth_2144332.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6f/ben-horowitz-1791_ceo_nobody-knows-how-to-be-a-ceo-it-s-someth_2144332.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6f/ben-horowitz-1791_ceo_nobody-knows-how-to-be-a-ceo-it-s-someth_2144332.png) > “Nobody knows how to be a CEO. It's something you have to learn. It's a very lonely job.” [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Being a CEO requires learning on the job; it is inherently lonely because ultimate responsibility rests on the leader. **In simple terms:** CEO work is learned through experience and often feels isolated. Key Takeaway Seek mentorship and build a supportive network. Themes leadership loneliness learning responsibility business Mood challenging realistic Type professional leadership When to use this quote - starting a new company - making high‑stakes decisions - handling isolation in leadership - developing executive skills Key Concepts organizational dynamics decision making executive stress Questions to Reflect On - How can CEOs reduce isolation? - What resources help new CEOs learn quickly? A Different Perspective Loneliness can hinder mental health and decision quality without proper support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ceo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ceo/) [Ceo Learn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ceo-learn-4478845/) [Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company/) [How](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/how/) [Job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/job/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Knows Ceo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows-ceo-4478846/) [Learn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learn/) [Learn Lonely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learn-lonely-2015380/) [Lonely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lonely/) [Lonely Job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lonely-job-1158569/) [Nobody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nobody/) [Nobody knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nobody-knows/) [Something](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/something/) [Very](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/very/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) ## Related quotes > [The strong must learn to be lonely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/the-strong-must-learn-to-be-lonely/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [“Learn how to be lonely. Learn what it’s like to know that you are coming home to yourself night after night- that empty is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristina-haynes/learn-how-to-be-lonely-learn-what-it-s-like-to-know-that-you-are/) [Kristina Haynes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristina-haynes/) > [If you want to be happy learn to be alone without being lonely. Learn that being alone does not mean being unhappy. The world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-want-to-be-happy-learn-to-be-alone-without-being-lonely-learn-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you want to be happy, learn to be alone without being lonely. Learn that being alone does not mean being unhappy. The world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-josephson/if-you-want-to-be-happy-learn-to-be-alone-without-being-lonely-learn/) [Michael Josephson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-josephson/) > [Writing is an incredibly lonely job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-salvatore-2/writing-is-an-incredibly-lonely-job/) [R. A. Salvatore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-salvatore-2/) > [Judging is a lonely job in which a man is, as near as may be, an island entire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abe-fortas/judging-is-a-lonely-job-in-which-a-man-is-as-near-as-may-be-an-island/) [Abe Fortas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abe-fortas/) > [Being prime minister is a lonely job... you cannot lead from the crowd.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/being-prime-minister-is-a-lonely-job-you-cannot-lead-from-the-crowd/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [Writing is a lonely job, unless you're a drinker, in which case you always have a friend within reach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilio-estevez/writing-is-a-lonely-job-unless-you-re-a-drinker-in-which-case-you/) [Emilio Estevez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilio-estevez/) > [Honestly, I find writing to be a very lonely job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randeep-hooda/honestly-i-find-writing-to-be-a-very-lonely-job/) [Randeep Hooda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randeep-hooda/) > [Wartime CEO is too busy fighting the enemy to read management books written by consultants who have never managed a fruit stand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/wartime-ceo-is-too-busy-fighting-the-enemy-to-read-management-books-2/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) > [When I was a CEO, the books on management that I read weren't very much help after the first few months on the job.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/when-i-was-a-ceo-the-books-on-management-that-i-read-weren-t-very/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) > [In life, you don't have a level of confrontation and the nonsense you run into when you're a CEO. CEOs aren't born.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/in-life-you-don-t-have-a-level-of-confrontation-and-the-nonsense-you/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) > [Startup CEOs should not play the odds. When you are building a company, you must believe there is an answer and you cannot pay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/startup-ceos-should-not-play-the-odds-when-you-are-building-a-company/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) > [I was an executive running a pretty substantial group before becoming CEO, and I had no idea what it was like. When something goes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/i-was-an-executive-running-a-pretty-substantial-group-before-becoming/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) > [The most important thing you can learn as CEO- one of the hardest things to do is, you have to discipline yourself to see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/the-most-important-thing-you-can-learn-as-ceo-one-of-the-hardest/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) ## 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/) [Explore all 207 Ben Horowitz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) ## More Ceo quotes > [When you're young and you have money, you become the CEO, automatically, of life, of your family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-haim/when-you-re-young-and-you-have-money-you-become-the-ceo-automatically/) [Corey Haim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-haim/) > [I took on the role of CEO, which involves directing the Management Team and overall day-to-day operations of 500.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-tsai/i-took-on-the-role-of-ceo-which-involves-directing-the-management/) [Christine Tsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-tsai/) > [I learned a lesson that I don't ever want to be a CEO.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wilcox/i-learned-a-lesson-that-i-don-t-ever-want-to-be-a-ceo/) [Larry Wilcox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wilcox/) > [Strategy is not a solo sport, even if you're the CEO.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-mckeown/strategy-is-not-a-solo-sport-even-if-you-re-the-ceo/) [Max McKeown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-mckeown/) > [For any CEO that is skeptical at all: you have to create a social enterprise today!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-ahrendts/for-any-ceo-that-is-skeptical-at-all-you-have-to-create-a-social/) [Angela Ahrendts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-ahrendts/) > [I draw the line at some things. Some things I won't do for any amount of money. Like for instance, there's a couple of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-crumb/i-draw-the-line-at-some-things-some-things-i-won-t-do-for-any-amount/) [Robert Crumb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-crumb/) > [I want to share that I had and still do, and a great relationship with Angela Ahrendts. She was the CEO of Burberry. One…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-e-glaser/i-want-to-share-that-i-had-and-still-do-and-a-great-relationship-with/) [Judith E. Glaser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-e-glaser/) > [If the CEO is not going to give you a fair chance, you're probably not going to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-goldsmith/if-the-ceo-is-not-going-to-give-you-a-fair-chance-you-re-probably-not/) [Marshall Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-goldsmith/) > [I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-have-always-said-if-there-ever-came-a-day-when-i-could-no-longer/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [Governor Romney may be running for CEO, I'm running for President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/governor-romney-may-be-running-for-ceo-i-m-running-for-president/) [Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/) > [Culture is what happens when the CEO isn't in the room.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-collison/culture-is-what-happens-when-the-ceo-isn-t-in-the-room/) [John Collison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-collison/) > [Political journalists love graduate student intelligence, the ability to make clever allusions in seminars, and in 1999-2000 they hassled George W. Bush for not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-olasky/political-journalists-love-graduate-student-intelligence-the-ability/) [Marvin Olasky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-olasky/) > [The deck is still stacked in favor of those already at the top. And there's something wrong with that. There's something wrong when CEOs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/the-deck-is-still-stacked-in-favor-of-those-already-at-the-top-and/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [While they're in WWE, we absolutely have a health and wellness policy. I'll probably always say 'we,' even though I've resigned as the CEO.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-mcmahon/while-they-re-in-wwe-we-absolutely-have-a-health-and-wellness-policy/) [Linda McMahon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-mcmahon/) > [It doesn't make much sense and it's nil premium. They're going to have co-CEOs...which is a very uncomfortable structure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-sorrell/it-doesn-t-make-much-sense-and-it-s-nil-premium-they-re-going-to-have/) [Martin Sorrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-sorrell/) [Browse all 668 Ceo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ceo/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Nobody knows how to be a CEO. It's something you have to learn. 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