// Book comparison
Ego Is the Enemy vs The Hard Thing About Hard Things
Which should you read? A side-by-side comparison of Ego Is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday and The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz.
Ego Is the Enemy
by Ryan Holiday
★ 4.9/5
The Hard Thing About Hard Things
by Ben Horowitz
★ 4.9/5
At a glance
| Ego Is the Enemy | The Hard Thing About Hard Things | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ★ 4.9/5 | ★ 4.9/5 |
| Pages | 256 | 304 |
| Reading time | ~6.4 h | ~7.6 h |
| Published | 2016 | 2014 |
| Author | Ryan Holiday | Ben Horowitz |
| Category | Personal Effectiveness | Startups & Entrepreneurship |
| Publisher | Portfolio | HarperBusiness |
Choose Ego Is the Enemy if…
- → You're interested in personal effectiveness.
- → You want the higher-rated book (4.9/5).
- → You prefer a shorter read (~6.4 hours).
- → You want the more recent perspective (2016).
Choose The Hard Thing About Hard Things if…
- → You're interested in startups & entrepreneurship.
Key takeaways — Ego Is the Enemy
- ✓ Maintain a Lifelong Student Mindset by intentionally seeking out mentors and peers who challenge your strategic assumptions, preventing the 'stagnation of success'.
- ✓ Prioritize Action over Talk, recognizing that the public narrative of your achievements is often a distraction from the deep work required to sustain your organization’s competitive edge.
- ✓ Utilize the Plus, Minus, Equal framework to ensure your professional development is balanced, allowing you to learn, teach, and compete with humility and clarity.
Key takeaways — The Hard Thing About Hard Things
- ✓ Understand the difference between Peacetime and Wartime Leadership, recognizing that a crisis requires a shift from collaborative consensus to directive, high-velocity decision-making.
- ✓ Manage Your Own Psychology during 'The Struggle', recognizing that the ability to stay calm and objective when the organization is at risk is a leader's most critical strategic asset.
- ✓ Prioritize The Truth in your organizational communication, ensuring that bad news travels fast and that every employee understands the reality of the firm's strategic challenges.
The verdict
If you want the higher-rated, shorter read, start with Ego Is the Enemy. If you specifically need startups & entrepreneurship, The Hard Thing About Hard Things is the better fit. Both summaries are free — no signup required.
❓ FAQ
Is Ego Is the Enemy or The Hard Thing About Hard Things better? +
Ego Is the Enemy has the higher reader rating (4.9/5 vs 4.9/5), but "better" depends on your goal. Ego Is the Enemy focuses on personal effectiveness, while The Hard Thing About Hard Things focuses on startups & entrepreneurship. See the verdict below.
Which is shorter, Ego Is the Enemy or The Hard Thing About Hard Things? +
Ego Is the Enemy is shorter (256 pages, ~6.4 hours) compared to The Hard Thing About Hard Things (304 pages, ~7.6 hours).
Should I read Ego Is the Enemy or The Hard Thing About Hard Things first? +
If you want the quicker, higher-rated read, start with Ego Is the Enemy. Otherwise read whichever matches your current goal — both summaries are free on BookHubs.