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What You Do Is Who You Are

Page 22

by Ben Horowitz


  Intersil, 9

  interviews

  questions during, 107–9

  and selection of employees, 172–78, 189–94

  Ive, Jony, 47

  Jadaran clan, 143

  James, C. L. R., 21–22, 37, 40, 43

  Jamuka (Mongol), 143, 144, 150, 151, 157

  Japan. See bushido; samurai

  JavaScript, 106

  Jelme (follower of Genghis Khan), 149

  Jerks (culture breakers), 218–19. See also Prophets of Rage

  Jet.com, 11

  Jin people, 147–48

  job descriptions, 172–73. See also hiring profiles; talent

  Jobs, Steve, 45–48, 186, 228–29, 231

  Jordan, Jeff, 205

  Jurkin clan, 152

  justice: and samurai culture, 95

  Kalanick, Travis, 16, 78–80, 81, 82, 83–84, 85, 88, 232

  keep what works: as Louverture tactic, 30–31, 45–48

  Kelman, Ariel, 53–54

  Kereyid clan, 153

  Kerry, John, 72

  Khanna, Suressh, 190

  Khasar (brother of Genghis Khan), 142, 143, 153

  Khitan clan, 153

  Khosla Ventures, 199

  Khosrowshahi, Dara, 88, 133, 232

  kimchi problems, 239

  kinship. See family/kinship

  Lacroix, Pamphile de, 40

  layoffs, 234, 235–36

  leadership

  and assigning new meanings, 235–36

  and being yourself, 181

  and believing/living the code, 131–32

  charismatic, 114

  collaborative, 135

  culture as reflection of values of, 135–36

  and dealing with culture breakers, 216–23

  and identification of who you are, 16

  inconsistent/hypocritical, 36–38

  and Louverture tactics, 34–35, 36–38, 59–67

  meaning of, 246

  outside, 34–35, 59–67, 245

  relevance of, 127–28

  role in creating culture of, 16

  and Senghor culture, 127–28

  shortcomings of, 135–36

  values and, 36–38, 135–36

  voids in, 196

  and walk the talk, 36–38

  and what you do is who you are, 1–2

  and your culture, 235–36, 245

  See also specific person or business

  Lenin, Vladimir, 30

  LimeBike, 204

  Lincoln, Abraham, 236–37

  LISP language, 67

  London Gazette, 28–29

  Lorne, Sy, 64–65, 66

  LoudCloud, 1–3, 59–60, 77–78, 135–36, 241

  Louis XVI (king of France), 26, 76

  Louverture, Toussaint

  appearance of, 23

  arrest of, 41, 43

  blending of cultures by, 22

  character of, 23, 29, 246

  and culture as infectious, 131

  as culture model, 12, 13, 15, 16

  death of, 41

  education of, 23–24

  as embodying his own standards, 37, 246

  enduring power of, 43

  as “Father,” 40

  forgiveness of slave owners by, 71, 246

  historical impact of, 43–44

  personal background of, 13–15

  Pickering letter to, 29–30

  reprogramming of slave culture by, 21–22, 28–41

  rise of, 25–27

  as slave owner, 25

  tactics/techniques of, 16, 30–41, 45–89

  trust of, 42–43

  weakness of, 42–43, 76

  who was, 23–25

  love: and samurai culture, 97, 245

  loyalty

  and culture as universal, 133

  definition of, 150

  and Genghis Khan culture, 145, 148, 149, 150–51, 152, 173

  importance of, 242

  and inclusion in modern world, 167–72

  and prison culture, 119, 120–21

  and samurai culture, 92–93, 103–4

  and Senghor culture, 133

  and your culture, 242–44

  Lyft, 80–81, 168

  lying

  and designing your culture, 198–99

  and messed up cultures, 211

  See also honesty/truth; integrity

  Malcolm X, 114, 115

  marriage

  and Genghis Khan culture, 152, 154, 173

  and Louverture culture, 32

  Martin, Rosa J., 158, 159, 160

  Master Archer (warrior), 93

  Mayer, Marissa, 55–56

  McDaniels, Ralph, 6

  McDonald’s, 16, 157, 160–67

  McKinnon, Todd, 197–99

  McLynn, Frank, 140–41, 145, 149, 153, 155

  McMahon, John, 193–94

  meditation, 94

  meetings

  at Amazon, 53–54

  and bad news, 240–41

  and being yourself, 184

  daily, 230

  and decision making, 230

  as game, 158

  and inclusion, 158

  Melanics (prison gang), 113–17, 118–19, 137

  memorable: rules as, 48, 50

  “memory leaks,” 67–68

  meritocracy

  and building culture, 128

  and Genghis Khan culture, 13, 146–47, 148–50

  and inclusion in modern world, 167–72

  Merkid clan, 143–44, 153

  messed up culture: signs of, 209–11

  microchips (integrated circuits), 7–8

  Microsoft, 50, 51

  military

  culture and, 146–48

  See also Genghis Khan

  Million Man March, 122

  Mines, Raymond, 162, 163–64

  minority

  how to succeed as, 164–65

  See also race; women

  mission

  and assigning new meanings, 236

  and culture, 2–3, 5, 55

  and designing your culture, 186

  virtues and, 186

  mistakes: fixing and admitting, 75–76

  Money Man (prison leader), 120–21

  Mongols

  breakup of empire of, 155

  and Chinese, 154

  Genghis Khan as leader of, 144–46

  motivation for, 145

  See also Genghis Khan

  Moore, Gordon, 9

  Moorish Science Temple of America (prison gang), 113

  Morgridge, John, 104

  motivation: for Mongols, 145

  Move fast and break things rule, 54–55

  Move fast with stable infrastructure motto, 55

  mulattoes: and Louverture tactics, 34, 37, 41

  music industry: Stoute-Horowitz discussion about, 174

  my way or the highway, 223–24

  MySpace, 54, 55

  Napoleon Bonaparte, 21, 41, 42, 43

  Nas (rapper), 7, 19

  Nassib, Ryan, 50

  Nation of Islam (organization), 122

  Nation of Islam (prison gang), 113, 114, 119, 120–21

  NationBuilder, 137–38

  Netflix, 16, 68–71, 228

  Netscape Communications, 104–6

  New York Giants, 49–50

  New York Times

  and “Coughlin Time” rule, 49–50

  Huawei article in, 85–86

  NewMe, 177

  Nordstrom, 201

  Northrop, 160

  Notorious B.I.G. (rapper), 90, 127

  Noyce, Bob, 7–9, 11, 12

  oaths, Baljuna, 152–53

  object lessons

  definition of, 211–12

  and your culture, 211–16, 245

  Oedipus, 42

  Okta, 168, 197–99

  Ola (India car company), 84

  Olajuwon, Hakeem, 180–81

  Ong Khan, 143, 152

  Opsware

  and bad news, 241


  dealing with culture breakers at, 217–18

  feedback at, 185

  formation of, 77, 241

  and Louverture culture, 60–63, 64–66, 77–78

  and outside leadership, 60–63, 64–66

  resuscitating culture at, 77–78

  sale of, 19, 78, 195

  walking the talk at, 77–78, 185

  Oracle, 89

  Otto (Waymo spinoff), 82

  Ovitz, Michael, 58–59

  ownership: and bad news, 239, 240

  Packard, Dave, 229

  Page, Larry, 227, 228–29, 232

  Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), 228

  Parametric Technology Corporation (PTC), 193–94

  parents: and samurai culture, 91, 92

  partnerships, 50–52

  PC industry: economic structure of, 47

  peacetime decisions, 229–32

  perfection

  of culture, 180

  and dealing with culture breakers, 220–21

  and decisions, 232

  Prophets of Rage and, 220–21

  of your culture, 246

  performance reviews, 131–32

  personal appearance: and samurai culture, 93

  personal computer (PC) economics, 46

  personality

  of CEOs, 232

  and culture, 1–2, 16

  decision making and, 232

  and your culture, 233, 244

  Phat Startup, 177

  phishing attacks, 72–76

  Pickering, Thomas, 29–30

  Pinterest, 204

  pity parties, 161–62, 164

  Podesta, John, 72–76

  politeness: and samurai culture, 95, 96–97, 98, 100–101, 245

  Powell, Colin, 72

  power. See empowerment/power

  President’s Award, McDonald’s, 161–62

  principles

  breakdown of, 200–232

  and building culture, 128

  checklist of crucial, 16

  and definition of culture, 127

  of Genghis Khan, 148–55

  of Senghor, 117–18, 119–20

  universality of, 117–18

  violation of, 200–232

  See also specific principle

  priorities, 67–71, 246

  prison

  bonding in, 124

  building culture in, 110–22

  changing culture in, 14, 121–22, 123–26

  conflicts in, 123–24

  and culture as changing people, 128–29

  as culture model, 3–4, 14, 15

  drugs in, 119

  gangs in, 113–22

  leadership in, 114–22

  orientation in, 110–13

  Senghor in, 108–9, 110–26, 128–30

  unintended consequences of culture in, 118–22

  and weaponizing the code, 133–34

  See also Senghor, Shaka

  products/service

  and culture as strong force, 5

  and evolution of culture, 35

  and failed companies, 17

  and goals of companies, 34–35

  honesty about, 234

  and Louverture techniques, 46–48

  and what makes a culture work, 14

  See also specific business or product/service

  profanity, 230

  promises, breaking, 206–9

  promotion policies, 202–6

  proofs of concept (POCs), 63–64

  Prophets of Rage (culture breakers), 219–23

  PTC (company), 61

  Public Enemy (rap group), 200, 219

  Purdue University: Thompson at, 159–60

  Pure Software, 68

  Qualidyne, 9

  quality: and samurai culture, 91–92

  quality of life: questions about, 156–57

  questions

  asking wrong, 115

  and bad news, 242

  and designing your culture, 188, 194

  follow-up, 108

  and quality of life, 156–57

  See also why?

  race/color

  behavior and, 24–25

  and character, 28–29

  inclusion and, 157–67, 174, 175, 176, 177, 178

  Louverture theory/tactics and, 28, 34

  See also Haitian Revolution; Thompson, Don

  Rational Software, 68

  Raynal, Abbé, 23–24, 25

  Raytheon Semiconductor, 9

  recession: when customer obsession leads to, 200–201

  rectitude: and samurai culture, 95

  “red lines,” 86

  relationships

  and loyalty, 243–44

  See also type of relationship

  religion: and Genghis Khan culture, 154

  Research In Motion (RIM), 201

  respect

  and samurai culture, 96, 97, 98–100, 245

  and your culture, 242, 245

  responsibility

  and bad news, 239

  decisions and, 225

  and designing your culture, 192

  power and, 116

  and prison culture, 116–17

  Senghor views about, 116, 126

  retreat: of McDonald inclusion leaders, 166–67

  revenge: and Louverture tactics, 35, 37, 43

  rewards for employees, 210

  Rigaud, Andre, 37–38

  “right thing.” See do the right thing

  Ritz-Carlton, 201

  Robbins, Tony, 156

  Roberts, Lenny, 6

  Roger (flake), 217–18

  role models, 180–81

  Ross, Rick, 156

  rule of law: and Genghis Khan culture, 149

  rules

  breaking your own, 201–6

  daily encounter of, 49, 50

  and decision making, 225, 231

  impact of, 49

  of Louverture, 31–33, 48–56

  as memorable, 48, 50

  rules for writing, 48–49

  and samurai culture, 92

  shocking, 31–33, 48–56, 211, 245

  side effects of, 68

  and trust, 31–33

  why? of, 32–33, 49, 50, 51, 211, 245

  and your culture, 245

  See also specific rule or business/organization

  Russia: and Podesta-Democratic Party emails, 72–76

  Saint-Domingue

  constitution for, 27

  historical impact of, 43–44

  and reprogramming of slave culture, 28–41

  revolution in, 25–27, 28

  slavery abolished in, 27

  U.S. trade with, 29–30

  See also Haitian Revolution; Louverture, Toussaint

  sales

  and Louverture techniques, 60–63

  as subculture, 187–89

  as team sport, 63

  Salesforce.com, 197

  samurai

  application of culture of, 98–106

  cultural tenets of, 245

  as culture model, 13, 15

  and death, 91–95, 106

  and flea story, 95

  impact of, 106

  and making culture last, 100–103

  meaning of culture to, 91

  oath of, 91

  and rules, 92

  virtues of, 13

  See also bushido

  Schiltz, Shannon, 65–66

  Schmidt, Eric, 232

  Scully, John, 186

  The Secret History of the Mongols, 140, 144

  Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), 106

  self-control: and samurai culture, 95

  Senghor, Shaka

  accomplishments of, 110

  appearance of, 108

  application of culture of, 127–38

  and being yourself, 186

  and changing culture, 121–22, 123–26, 135–36, 137–38

  and changing self, 135–36

  as culture model, 3–4, 14, 15

  and Genghis Khan culture, 151


  Horowitz discussions with, 109–10

  inclusion of, 186

  and living the code, 131–32

  name changes of, 116

  Oprah interview of, 108–9

  personal background of, 107–8, 109

  post-prison life of, 126

  principles of, 117–18, 119–20

  in prison, 108–9, 110–26, 128–30, 135–36, 244–45

  strategy of, 186

  See also prison

  sexual harassment, 82–84, 85

  Sheila (marketing officer), 205–6

  shocking rules, 211, 245

  side agreements, 215–16

  Siebel Systems, 50

  Signetics, 9

  Silicon Valley

  caste system in, 167

  culture of, 9

  default culture in, 128

  See also specific person or business

  sincerity: and samurai culture, 95, 97–98

  Slack, 4, 134–35, 190–92

  slavery

  contrarian thinking about, 19–22

  as dehumanizing/brutal, 20–22

  ending of, 19–20

  and forgiveness of slave owners, 71, 246

  historical impact of, 43–44

  impact on culture of, 20–21

  and Louverture legacy, 43–44

  and reprogramming of slave culture, 21–22, 28–41

  revolutions against, 20

  tactics for transforming culture of, 30–41

  See also Haitian Revolution; Louverture, Toussaint; Saint-Domingue

  smartness: and designing your culture, 190–91

  Smith, Judy, 177

  snake story, 105–6

  Soma, Lord: family history of, 103–4

  Sony, 198–99

  Spain: and Haitian Revolution, 21, 26, 27, 44, 66

  speed: for making decisions, 225–27

  Ssu-ma Ch’ien (historian), 212

  Starkey, Chip, 63–64

  stock options, employee, 11, 12, 170

  Stoney (prisoner), 120–21

  Stop Think Practices (STP) prison program, 124–25

  stories: as defining culture, 103–6

  Stoute, Steve, 174

  strategy

  and your culture, 185–86, 233, 244

  See also specific strategy

  streaming, 69–71

  Stripe, 190, 243

  subcultures, 187–89

  success: and culture, 17

  Sun Tzu (ancient Chinese commander), 212–15, 245

  Sunni Muslims (prison gang), 113, 114

  survivorship bias, 14

  Symbolics Inc., 67–68

  T Man, 114–15

  T-Mobile, 86

  tactics

  enforcement of, 40

  of Genghis Khan, 148–55, 157, 172–73

  guerrilla, 31

  of Louverture, 30–41, 45–89

  See also principles; specific tactic

  talent

  and Genghis Khan culture, 155, 172–73, 175

  and inclusion in modern world, 173, 175–78

  Target, 159

  Tayichiud tribe, 140, 141, 142

  technology. See specific person, company, or idea

  Temujin. See Genghis Khan

  Thiel, Peter, 19

 

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