Latest news with #TheLeanStartup
Business Insider
04-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Summer reading list for early-career high achievers, according to top CEOs
Top CEOs have shared their book recommendations. Books like "Good to Great" and "The Lean Startup" offer insights on leadership and innovation. Business leaders emphasize deep reading as a tool for career growth. Not a fan of fiction? Top CEOs have shared their favorite reads that help them navigate the world. From Bill Gates ' fascination with memoirs to Citadel founder Ken Griffin 's suggestion that you may have chosen the wrong career if you don't enjoy reading about your own field, literature could serve as your compass, especially during an era that may be less than friendly to fresh graduates. Business leaders from across the industry have emphasized the value of deep reading and have recommended a range of books, many aimed specifically at those just starting their careers. Here is your summer reading guide, according to business leaders who have reached the peak of their careers. 'Good to Great' by Jim Collins In a recent interview with S&P Global, Citadel founder Ken Griffin recommended" Good to Great," which outlines the keys to running a business, such as building a good team. The book lays out what separates good companies from truly great ones, highlighting the importance of humility in leadership and the importance of getting the right people on board with the "First Who, Then What" concept. Collins argues that great companies prioritize building a strong team first, because who you work with matters more than having the perfect plan from the start. 'Business Adventures' by John Brooks Former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates once wrote in his personal blog that Warren Buffett, the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, sent him a copy of "Business Adventures" as his favorite book, which features a collection of 12 essays about financial and corporate life in the US. The book dives into classic cases from Wall Street and corporate America — like the rise and fall of Xerox and the Ford Edsel disaster — showing how companies succeed or stumble based on leadership decisions, market forces, and human behavior. 'The Lean Startup' by Eric Ries Amazon LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman appeared on Eric Ries' podcast to recommend "The Lean Startup," a book about entrepreneurship and building a resilient business. The book teaches lessons on real-world experimentation, rapid iteration, and launching quickly with a "minimum viable product" instead of starting out with a very elaborate product. 'Chasing Hope' by Nicholas Kristof In a personal blog called Gates Notes, cofounder and former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates called "Chasing Hope" a "terrific memoir" and credited veteran journalist Nicholas Kristof for inspiring his philanthropic work. Blending personal storytelling with a deep sense of purpose and resilience, Kristoff shares his experiences as a journalist covering global crises and injustices. The book teaches valuable lessons on how ordinary people can make an extraordinary impact in the face of overwhelming circumstances, and how to maintain a sense of hope in difficult moments. 'Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World' By Adam Grant Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd recommended"Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World" during her appearance on "The Tim Ferriss Show" podcast in June 2018. The book focuses on how people can drive change without conforming to the status quo. For someone starting out, the book provides practical advice on how to express new ideas, challenge the existing standards without burning bridges, and build influence among peers who are similarly new to the field. 'High Output Management' by Andy Grove Recommended by Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky in September 2024 during his keynote at a Y Combinator event in San Francisco, "High Output Management" is where Andy Grove, the former CEO of Intel, shares his experiences on how to build and run a successful company. The book breaks down the fundamentals of effective management in clear, actionable terms and provides a practical toolkit for those new to leadership roles. Grove's approach emphasizes output over effort, which could be crucial for young entrepreneurs aiming to grow fast without losing focus or quality.
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ken Griffin says young grads who are not interested in reading books about their field have 'picked the wrong career'
Ken Griffin advises young graduates to read about their chosen fields. "If it's not interesting to you, you picked the wrong career. It's that simple," the billionaire said. He said that not all of Citadel's hires come with a mindset of reading and learning after college. If you don't like reading books about your career, you should choose another one, according to Ken Griffin. In an interview with S&P Global released on Tuesday, Citadel's founder and CEO said that young graduates need to read about the domains they are in and change careers if they don't find those books interesting. "Stay current in the body of knowledge that represents the career you've chosen," Griffin said. "And by the way, if it's not interesting to you, you picked the wrong career. It's that simple." Griffin, who founded Citadel in 1990 — a year after graduating from college — added that it's OK to experiment with your career early on. "In America in particular, that's totally fine," he said. "No one will judge you for going from one career to a radically different field throughout your 20s." Not everyone at his own investment firm enters with this mindset, Griffin said. "We hire endless numbers of really bright undergraduates. Some of them have this belief that when you graduate from college, you're done reading textbooks, and nothing can be further from the truth," he said. Citadel has $66 billion in assets under management and is among the world's largest and most successful hedge funds. The firm did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. The CEO said that his book recommendation for anyone starting their career is Jim Collins' "Good to Great" because it outlines the keys to running a business, such as how to build a good team. Business leaders across the industry have been vocal about the importance of reading intensely and have recommended several books, many specifically for those early in their careers. Bill Gates and Warren Buffett suggest reading "Business Adventures" by John Brooks, a collection of 12 essays about financial and corporate life in the US. Meta's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, and LinkedIn's founder, Reid Hoffman, recommend Eric Ries' "The Lean Startup," a book about entrepreneurship and iterating quickly. Bumble's CEO, Whitney Wolfe Herd, has suggested reading Adam Grant's "Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World," a book about how people can drive change without conforming to the status quo. Airbnb's Brian Chesky has spoken about "High Output Management" by Andy Grove, a handbook where the former CEO of Intel shares his take on how to build and run a company. Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
25-06-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Ken Griffin says young grads who are not interested in reading books about their field have 'picked the wrong career'
If you don't like reading books about your career, you should choose another one, according to Ken Griffin. In an interview with S&P Global released on Tuesday, Citadel's founder and CEO said that young graduates need to read about the domains they are in and change careers if they don't find those books interesting. "Stay current in the body of knowledge that represents the career you've chosen," Griffin said. "And by the way, if it's not interesting to you, you picked the wrong career. It's that simple." Griffin, who founded Citadel in 1990 — a year after graduating from college — added that it's OK to experiment with your career early on. "In America in particular, that's totally fine," he said. "No one will judge you for going from one career to a radically different field throughout your 20s." Not everyone at his own investment firm enters with this mindset, Griffin said. "We hire endless numbers of really bright undergraduates. Some of them have this belief that when you graduate from college, you're done reading textbooks, and nothing can be further from the truth," he said. Citadel has $66 billion in assets under management and is among the world's largest and most successful hedge funds. The firm did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. The CEO said that his book recommendation for anyone starting their career is Jim Collins' "Good to Great" because it outlines the keys to running a business, such as how to build a good team. Business leaders across the industry have been vocal about the importance of reading intensely and have recommended several books, many specifically for those early in their careers. Bill Gates and Warren Buffett suggest reading " Business Adventures" by John Brooks, a collection of 12 essays about financial and corporate life in the US. Meta's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, and LinkedIn's founder, Reid Hoffman, recommend Eric Ries' "The Lean Startup," a book about entrepreneurship and iterating quickly. Bumble's CEO, Whitney Wolfe Herd, has suggested reading Adam Grant's "Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World," a book about how people can drive change without conforming to the status quo. Airbnb's Brian Chesky has spoken about "High Output Management" by Andy Grove, a handbook where the former CEO of Intel shares his take on how to build and run a company.
Associated Press
11-03-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
As Cyberattacks Surge, Harmony Intelligence Raises USD$3 Million to Build AI-Powered Cyber Defenses
SYDNEY & SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar 11, 2025-- Amid a global rise in sophisticated AI-powered cyberattacks, Harmony Intelligence today announced it has raised USD$3 million in seed funding to accelerate development of its defensive AI technology. The investment round was led by Airtree with participation from more than 30 strategic investors, including First Row Partners, Maxwell Capital, and Eric Ries (author of 'The Lean Startup'). The funding comes at a critical moment when organizations around the world are struggling to defend against increasingly sophisticated, AI-enabled threats. Over half of businesses in the U.S. and U.K. have been targets of deepfake scams, with 43% falling victim. Recent high-profile incidents include UK engineering firm Arup, where fraudsters used AI-generated deepfake technology to impersonate senior executives, leading to the theft of USD$25 million. 'We're witnessing an unprecedented growth in AI-powered attacks that can overwhelm traditional institutions and defenses,' said Soroush Pour, CEO and Co-founder of Harmony. 'Our mission is to level the playing field by building defensive technologies that stay ahead of these threats, ensuring businesses and organizations are protected as AI capabilities continue to advance at an exponential pace.' AI-Powered Defenses to Counter Emerging Cyber Threats Harmony has already established itself as a trusted safety evaluator for leading AI labs and governments, contributing to the testing of frontier models in areas such as autonomy and cybersecurity. This includes supporting the International Network of AI Safety Institutes, an international government effort, with cybersecurity testing of frontier models, as well as a recent briefing of the Australian Senate on emerging AI risks. With the new funding, Harmony will continue development of next-generation defensive AI technologies, including AI automated penetration testing systems that can continuously probe defensive systems, identify weaknesses, and strengthen security postures before attackers can exploit them. 'We're entering an era where AI-powered attacks will overwhelm traditional security measures by exploiting vulnerabilities faster than human teams can patch them,' said Alex Browne, CTO and Co-founder of Harmony. 'In this new landscape, only AI-powered defenses can move faster than AI-powered attacks.' 'We're seeing an arms race developing in AI security,' said Jax Vullinghs, Partner at Airtree Ventures. 'As AI systems become more powerful and accessible, the tools available to malicious actors are evolving at an unprecedented rate. Harmony's team combines deep AI and cyber expertise, making them exactly the kind of company we want to back.' An Experienced Team with Deep Cyber & AI Expertise Co-founded by Soroush Pour and Alex Browne, both with extensive experience in company building and cybersecurity, Harmony has assembled a team of world-class engineers and researchers across the US and Australia. Pour and Browne first met at Duke University and then worked together at Plaid, where they were among the first 20 employees as the unicorn startup scaled rapidly to serve millions of US consumers. Pour established Plaid's first cybersecurity team, protecting the company from constant cyberattacks, including attempted credential stuffing attacks and network breaches. Pour went on to serve as Head of Technology at biotech startup Vow, leading a 35-person product R&D team. Browne worked as a tech lead at 0x Labs and Edge Analytics, developing security-critical blockchain systems and ML systems for customers including Google X. Harmony is currently hiring for multiple positions, including a Software Engineer and Chief of Staff to help bolster its next phase of growth. About Harmony Intelligence Harmony builds cutting-edge defensive AI products that safeguard people and critical infrastructure around the world from AI-powered threats. Founded by experienced technologists Soroush Pour and Alex Browne, the company works with leading AI labs, enterprises, and governments to rigorously test AI systems and develop sophisticated cyber defenses capable of matching the unprecedented speed and sophistication of cyberattacks in the AI era. Harmony's world-class team of engineers and researchers operates across Australia and the US. Airtree is a venture capital firm backing Aussie and Kiwi founders, building the iconic technology companies of tomorrow. We're powered by our network, dedicating extraordinary resources to help founders shortcut company-building firsts and accelerate their journey from idea to global household name. As one of the largest and most active early-stage investors in Australia and New Zealand with $2 billion FUM, Airtree's 110+ portfolio features the region's breakout tech companies, including Canva, Go1, Employment Hero, Pet Circle, Immutable and Linktree. SOURCE: Harmony Intelligence Copyright Business Wire 2025. PUB: 03/11/2025 07:45 AM/DISC: 03/11/2025 07:47 AM
