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Wartime vs Peacetime: Ben Horowitz on Leadership

January 2, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

🎙️ The Voices & The Context

  • The Format: This conference-stage interview between a16z bio/health general partner Jorge Conde and co-founder Ben Horowitz dives into raw leadership lessons from Horowitz's career and book, blending historical anecdotes with startup wisdom amid a bio/health innovation event, delivering an inspirational and candid tone packed with unfiltered truths.
  • The Format: A structured interview with probing questions and storytelling responses.
  • The Key Players:
    • Guest: Ben Horowitz – Legendary a16z co-founder, former CEO of Opsware and Loudcloud, bestselling author of The Hard Thing About Hard Things, known for blunt advice on building companies through chaos.

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What you'll learn

  • 1 `(00:00)` **🎙️ Introduction: Ben Horowitz**
  • 2 `(02:52)` **Key Lessons from Founding and Leadership**
  • 3 `(08:07)` **Surprising Historical Leaders: Toussaint Louverture**
  • 4 `(10:49)` **Wartime vs. Peacetime CEOs**
  • 5 `(14:10)` **Defining Culture: Actions, Not Beliefs**
  • 6 `(19:54)` **Scaling and Enforcing Culture**
  • 7 `(24:42)` **Culture as Competitive Moat**

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

In this exclusive conversation from a16z’s Bio and Health BUILD Summit, founding partner Ben Horowitz sits down with general partner Jorge Conde. Originally released in August 2023, the episode covers everything from the inspiration behind Ben’s book The Hard Thing About Hard Things and how the open internet was secured, to the difference between wartime and peacetime CEOs, what it really means to scale culture, and how bio and healthcare innovation differs from other forms of technology.

Ben’s Book: https://www.amazon.com/Hard-Thing-About-Things-Building/dp/0062273205

 

Resources:

Follow Ben on Twitter: https://x.com/bhorowitz

Follow Jorge on Twitter: https://x.com/jorgecondebio

 

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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.


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