Managing Disruptive Technology Companies -- Back to the Future with Andy Grove

I'm a baby boomer who first came to Silicon Valley in the late 1990s. A few days ago I was sitting with my millennial generation CFO, Kira, and GC, Rob. We were discussing employee development and I asked them if they had ever read Andy Grove's High Output Management (I had gotten a copy back in the late 1990s when I joined a Mike Moritz/Sequoia and Bob Kagle/Benchmark backed start-up). They hadn't -- so I amazoned copies to them as well as myself. The most recent 2015 edition has a foreword by current Silicon Valley VC superstar Ben Horowitz (of Andreesen Horowitz) -- which tells me that the current Silicon Valley companies and investors still find it relevant. Hence, I re-read it and it is totally relevant (as I told my team this morning). Many paragraphs stick out -- but this one especially resonates in today's world of celebrity executives -- "The role of the manager here is clear: it is that of a coach. First, an ideal coach takes no personal credit for the success of his team, and because of that his players trust him. Second, he's tough on his team. By being critical, he tries to get the best performance his team members can provide. Third, a good coach was likely a good player himself at one time. And having played the game well, he also understands it well." It is a short book and worth reading by anyone involved in leading and developing technology company teams. #leadership #management #andygrove #benhorowitz