Nobody Cares, Just Fix It | Generated by AI
Question: Ben Horowitz’s “Nobody Cares” is really good—what does he say in it?
Answer: Ben Horowitz’s “Nobody Cares” is a concise, motivational essay (originally from his book The Hard Thing About Hard Things and later republished on the a16z blog) that delivers tough-love advice for CEOs and leaders facing crises. At its core, it’s a wake-up call: when things go wrong in your company, external validation or excuses won’t save you—focus relentlessly on solutions. Horowitz draws on a football anecdote to illustrate this mindset, emphasizing resilience over rumination. Below, I’ll break down the key story, main message, and actionable takeaways in his own words where possible.
The Core Story: A Lesson from Football Legend Al Davis
Horowitz opens with a pivotal moment from NFL coach Bill Parcells’ career. Parcells was leading the New York Giants through a brutal season plagued by injuries to star players. Overwhelmed, he vented to his mentor, Raiders owner Al Davis:
Parcells: “Al, I am just not sure how we can win without so many of our best players. What should I do?”
Davis replied: “Bill, nobody cares, just coach your team.”
This “best CEO advice ever,” as Horowitz calls it, became his north star. Davis’s point? Fans, staff, and stakeholders don’t sympathize with your hardships—they just want results. The same applies to business.
The Main Message: Stop Whining, Start Winning
Horowitz hammers home that self-pity is a luxury leaders can’t afford:
“When things go wrong in your company, nobody cares. The press doesn’t care, your investors don’t care, your board doesn’t care, your employees don’t care, even your mama doesn’t care. Nobody cares.”
They’re right not to care, he argues, because:
- A compelling excuse for failure won’t recover investor dollars, protect jobs, or win customers.
- Dwelling on “what could have been” drains energy that could solve the problem.
Instead:
“It’s best to spend zero time on what you could have done and all of your time on what you might do. Because in the end, nobody cares, just run your company.”
The essay is a rallying cry to channel misery into action—find that “one, seemingly impossible way out” of the mess.
Why It Resonates (and Why It’s “Really Good”)
This piece stands out for its raw honesty amid the sea of polished startup advice. Horowitz, drawing from his own brutal experiences scaling Opsware (sold to HP for $1.6B after near-collapse), rejects feel-good platitudes. It’s short (under 500 words), punchy, and universally applicable—not just for tech CEOs, but anyone in high-stakes roles. Readers often cite it as a mindset reset during downturns, like market crashes or team crises.
If you’re building something ambitious, it’s a reminder: excuses are irrelevant; execution is everything.
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[Nobody Cares Andreessen Horowitz](https://a16z.com/nobody-cares/) - The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz — Book Summary
- Nobody Cares by Ben Horowitz