Notes on What You Do Is Who You Are by Ben Horowitz

I really enjoyed Ben's previous book, The Hard Thing About Hard Things (especially the rap intros to each chapter). I recently heard on Tim Ferriss's podcast about Ben's newly released book, What You Do Is Who You Are: How to Create Your Business Culture. Based on how much I liked the first book, I decided to read the new one.

I found the stories and historical anecdotes interesting, and I also enjoyed hearing more "war stories" from Ben about his previous startups. I did enjoy this second book a little less than the first; its core messages were less impactful/applicable. The beginning and end of the book were solid, but the middle didn't seem to connect and flow as well in one cohesive narrative. As a book focused on culture, it did teach some important lessons; I just was hoping it would've been weaved together as well as the first book. In any case, it was still enjoyable and instructive.

Below are some of my notes and takeaways from the book.

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​Forward

Intro
How culture is determined
If you see something off culture and ignore it, you’ve created new culture
Not about posted values or who you are by what you do

I culture and revolution
Behave the way you want employees to behave

2 application
Make ethics explicit

3 way of the warrior
Samurai code
Politeness
Veracity and sincerity
Tough calls are what define culture

4 the warrior of a different way
Shaka senghor

5 applied

6 genghis khan, master of inclusion
Meritocracy
Loyalty 
Inclusion

7 inclusion in the modern world

8 be yourself, design the culture
Good interview questions for checking culture fit
What was the last thing you learned about or for your job
What was the last thing you automated in your job

9 edge cases and object lessons

10 final thoughts
Trust
Encourage bad news
Cultural design, orientation, shocking rules
Make ethics explicit