Book · 2014
The Hard Thing About Hard Things
by Ben Horowitz
A CEO recounts firing friends, running out of cash, and surviving the moments every founder secretly calls we're-fucked-it's-over.
What does Reddit think of The Hard Thing About Hard Things?
Twenty-one mentions across three subs is a small sample, but the overlap is real. r/Entrepreneur and r/smallbusiness keep landing on the same specific idea: Horowitz's WFIO moments ('we're fucked, it's over'), framed as the throughline every successful business supposedly survives (↑106). One r/Entrepreneur reply calls it flat out 'hands down best startup book I ever read' (↑98); another buries it casually in a stack with The E-Myth and Business Model Generation, filed under 'it's fun' among four other picks (↑180). The recurring note across these quotes is emotional: one founder (↑49) credits the book with helping contextualize the worst lows of running a company, the arguments and dread that don't usually make it into a playbook chapter. r/startups supplies eight of the mentions, but no on-topic quote from that subreddit makes this list, so what it specifically argues about the book stays outside what's shown here.
Community feedback & reader fit
Themes
- · WFIO ("we're fucked, it's over") as the book's central framework
- · A recurring entry on founder reading lists
- · The emotional cost of running a failing business
- · Comparisons to other startup-canon books like The E-Myth
Common praise
- + One r/Entrepreneur reply calls it flat out the best startup book they've ever read (↑98).
- + r/smallbusiness (↑106) credits it with naming the WFIO moments, giving founders a term they can apply to their own worst weeks.
- + A founder in the middle of a bad stretch (↑49) says the book helped him contextualize the arguments and dread that came with it.
Common criticism
- − It shows up mostly as one entry in a longer list, next to The E-Myth and Business Model Generation (↑180), with no elaboration on what set it apart.
- − r/startups accounts for eight of the recognized mentions, but none of its on-topic replies made this excerpt sample, so its specific take stays invisible here.
- − The praise clusters around tone and validation, so this sample doesn't show whether the book's concrete business advice holds up on its own.
Who it's for
Running a company through a genuinely bad stretch, the kind with arguments and dread-in-your-stomach mornings? The founder quoted here (↑49) says this book is what helped him name it. Building a first founder reading list? It turns up as one entry among several, alongside The E-Myth and Business Model Generation, not the sole pick anyone insists on. Want tactical, step-by-step playbook material specifically? These excerpts lean toward Horowitz's WFIO framing and emotional honesty, so pair it with something more operational if that's the gap you're filling.
Mentions over time
Top subreddits
Which Reddit comments matter for The Hard Thing About Hard Things?
The most relevant excerpts across the subreddits where this book is mentioned — opinionated, argued takes first, then top-upvoted mentions. Click through to read the full thread.
“These were my favs M. E. Gerber - The E myth - must read Osterwalder - business model generation - helps you understand the way a business works / changes B Horowitz - The hard thing about hard things - it's fun +2 extra: - you have to understand how much extra money you need to scale - g…
“You might read The Hard Thing About Hard Things- one of my favorite business books ever. The author, Ben Horowitz, makes the claim that every successful business makes it through multiple “we’re f*****, it’s over” (WFIO) moments during its lifecycle.
“I’m a software founder, exited one company, actively working on others, failed a lot, and I’ve mentored close to 30 founders. I always recommend a few books, though these are just a sampling. How to Win Friends and Influence People for personal growth. The Hard Thing About Hard Things (like someon…
“I have to tell you man, most of this is pretty off base, and I can tell you haven’t sold anything. Plus, 20k in 60 days? Those are rookie numbers. You gotta get those numbers up. 1. Don’t hire a salesperson until you have established that there is a market for your product. To be effective, sale…
“Hard things about hard things, horowitz. Hands down best startup (and business in general) book I ever read, and I read quite a few.
“Some of the worst lows of my life. A lot of amazing wins and learning experiences, but also some of the most difficult times, worst arguments, and terrible, dread-in-the-pit-of-your-stomach feelings that I've ever felt. One book I read that helped me contextualize my feelings and honestly made me …
“What industry was it in? Type of business? Failures in business happen, even to businesses that have been around for 40+ years. There are a couple books that helped me cope with stress and failure. 1) The Upside of Stress (Kelly McGonigal) - It taught me how to cope with catastrophes and how to b…
“Just a psychological observation from reading between the lines:: I think like most entrepreneurs these days, you've set your metric of success based on the investment you've raised, but true success lies in the revenue you generate and the lives you improve with your product or service. I understan…
“Whoa- hiring an executive team at $500k ARR and 11 people? Unless you are well funded ($2M+) and growing super fast (200% YoY) you are massively jumping the gun. You shouldn’t need a heavy hitting ops function at that size. The only thing you should be doing is selling, and building your product, …
“The Big Leap was also key for me as well! The Hendricks have a great website with tons of resources, I study with them. Google “Fear Melters” - it really makes a huge difference when your mind is racing Your nervous system is likely shot I get the sense you’re looking for this, so here it is from…
“Long At the start, and honestly for a long time you are the first in and the last out. The biggest thing you have to realize is that if you don't handle it, it doesn't get done. You have to live, eat, sleep and breath it. As Mark Cuban is famous for saying, "You need to work like there is somebody …
“The hard things about hard things from Ben Horowirtz Hackers and Painters from Paul Graham
“Please read the hard thing about hard things by Ben Horowitz. Seems like you’re a war time CEO and you are going to have to make a bunch of decisions that may not feel good.
“Here are the ones I aggregated from a couple of places - haven't read all though. Many of these have had really good feedback/upvotes/comments, and therefore I believe make a really good list. ​ **Tranche 1 - without a summary (However, well recommended):** 1. The Black Swan 2. Thinking…
“Ben Horowitz: *The Hard Thing About Hard Things* One of my favourites - a lot of practical advice supported by the author's real-life experiences and case studies.
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Readers also mention
Books that share discussion threads with The Hard Thing About Hard Things — counted from the comments, not curated.
Guides featuring The Hard Thing About Hard Things
Ranked best-of lists and editorial guides where this book's tracked mentions place it.
The Hard Thing About Hard Things — frequently asked
Is The Hard Thing About Hard Things worth reading for a struggling founder?+
Yes, per the strongest displayed endorsement. One founder in r/Entrepreneur (↑49) says it helped him contextualize the worst lows of running a company, arguments and dread included. Another reply calls it flat out the best startup book they've ever read (↑98). No displayed excerpt argues against it.
What is the WFIO concept in The Hard Thing About Hard Things?+
WFIO stands for "we're fucked, it's over," Horowitz's term for the moments every successful business supposedly passes through. r/smallbusiness (↑106) singles this out as the book's central claim, calling it one of their favorite business books for naming that feeling directly.
Is The Hard Thing About Hard Things better than other startup books like The E-Myth?+
The data doesn't settle that. One r/Entrepreneur list (↑180) puts it alongside The E-Myth and Business Model Generation with no ranking, describing this one simply as "fun." A separate reply calls it the best startup book they've read (↑98), but that's one person's ranking, not a comparison the thread argues out.
Does r/startups recommend The Hard Thing About Hard Things?+
r/startups accounts for eight of the recognized mentions, tied with r/Entrepreneur for volume, but no on-topic excerpt from that subreddit made this sample. What r/startups specifically says about the book isn't visible in this data.