Only the Paranoid Survive: How to Exploit the Crisis Points That Challenge Every Company

Working in a technology business certainly made this book very relevant. However, even if you don't, this contains quite a number of useful aspects for managers and business owners alike. Reflecting on this book made me realise just how badly managed all of my previous UK employers actually were. Reading Grove's approach to management made it clear why: in addition to those at the top not setting relevant targets, I don't think many of my managers actually had any training in management. I suspect that this is an endemic problem in UK business, so, if you're a British manager, read this book!

The strategies and decisions, and luck, Intel embraced are remarkable and to cover them all in detail in a short book would have been impossible. The fundamental essence of this book is that the only constant we can expect in business is CHANGE. How do we anticipate it? How do we prepare for that inflection point? The ones we sometimes see coming and the ones we don’t. We need to recognise what’s happening and respond appropriately and with commitment. The book is written with the flow of a story, which helps it resonate well. It also reminds us that many decisions involve agonising analysis and reasoning, and are extremely personal. The book is full of Groves’ war stories which are really interesting and relevant as we lived through many of these events. A good point that I remember from the book is when Andrew Grove recollects his darkest moment when he realised that not only were the Japanese cheaper in manufacturing memory chips, but their quality levels were at levels that Intel didn’t even think possible. Intel’s move away from memory to microprocessors was traumatic and the inflection “point” was not so much a point as a long drawn out and painful affair. The backdrop to that inflection point and others make the book a great learning experience.

Book description excellent.

Great book

Part business memoir and part corporate-strategy guide, Andrew S. Grove's insightful book gives the reader an inside look at how microprocessor giant Intel prospered in one of the most competitive industries on earth. Grove writes candidly about the moments when he had to admit his company was simply failing to keep up with the competition. His response: to undertake drastic changes in his organization. Grove writes about what it is like to lead a company out of the wilderness of change and into safer, more secure markets. He also introduces useful tools and ideas that will help the next generation of corporate scions stay ahead in times of rapid change. Face it: Someone, somewhere is plotting right now how to outperform your company in the marketplace. That's why getAbstract heartily recommends this book for those who are paranoid - and for those who ought to be.

Although the title may be over-dramatic, it is a fascinating read and insight into the world of commerce and high finance. Although not every business leader will admit to it and may have the “affliction” to a lesser degree, being aware of and beating competition and staying as a market leader is what this book is about.

In my opinion this book should read once a year because you can find appropriate approaches for enhancing your professional careers.Amazing book for all managers.

In dem Buch beschreibt Andy Grove die Schwierigkeiten die Intel hatte von einem Speicherchip und Transistorhersteller zu einer "microcomputer company" zu werden. Wenn man damit klarkommt, daß das Buch vor 25 Jahren geschrieben worden ist, ist dies vermutlich das Beste Business Buch aller Zeiten ! Die Vorraussichten die postuliert werden, und heute auch eingetroffen sind, sind bemerkenswert. Die Erfahrungen die er hier teilt sind unschlagbar zutreffend auch in der heutigen Zeit. Eine Fa. zu führen heisst eben nicht nur "we're gonna be a billion dollar company by the year xyz" zu postuliueren ( Frei nach "wir schaffen das" :-). In einer Zeit, in der "Manager" die meisten Chefetagen verseuchen präsentiert er wie wichtig "Leadership" mit klaren Prioritätsvorgaben auch bei großen unternehmen ist. Da reichen ein Paar aus Umfrageergebnissen destillierte "Corporate Values" bei weitem nicht aus.Die meisten "Corporate Values" und "Mission Statements" sind so trivial generisch und nichtssagend, daß sie für jede Schuhfabrik als auch alle Würstelbuden zutreffen würden. --- Kurz: Lesenswert ! ---- (Der aktuelle Preis von 16 Eur für die Taschenbuchausgabe ist für den gebotenen Inhalt ein Schnäpchen.)

Ha sido una gran lectura, en donde te hace pensar, recapacitar de que aunque las cosas vayan muy bien, siempre hay que estar atento a todo.

Écrit il y a plus de vingt ans et tout est encore 100% d’actualité. Un des meilleurs livres business que j’ai lu

I’ve wanted to read this book for many years, finally ordered a copy and was not disappointed. “Only the Paranoid Survive” was published in 1996 during Andy Grove’s tenure as CEO of Intel. At the time Intel was reaping the benefits of their strategic shift from memory chips to microprocessors. Mr. Grove describes the challenges that Intel faced when it became apparent to him that the profitability and viability of their core memory chip business was threatened by lower cost competitors. The situation exemplified what Mr. Grove terms a “strategic inflection point”, when a fundamental change in the business environment forces a company to make substantial changes to survive. Mr. Grove uses his experience navigating the transformation from memory chips to microprocessors to illustrate the multifaceted challenges posed by strategic inflection points. Further he explains how to mobilize an organization and lead through the uncertainty (referred to as “the valley of death”) to achieve transformation. Chapter 9 discusses the growth of the Internet and considers if the Internet will pose a strategic inflection point for Intel’s business. Mr. Grove anticipated the potential for the Internet to transform the media and telecommunications industries, and the opportunities that the Internet would create for Intel’s business (for example the need for more powerful microprocessors to enable PCs to replace televisions). The last Chapter was written in 1999 after Mr. Grove stepped down from his CEO role. This chapter applies the strategic inflection point concept to career management, asserting that the reader is the CEO of their career, and urging vigilance and preparedness to effectively respond to changes in the business environment that could threaten their career. This chapter resonated with my own experience working in technology-based industries for the past 30 years. Mr. Grove’s clear and candid writing style makes this book an enjoyable and enlightening read. His ability to analyze a problem holistically and draw on diverse perspectives from across his organization is well demonstrated. The need for clear messaging and decisive action is also emphasized. I found “Only the Paranoid Survive” to be an engaging and informative read, still relevant twenty-five years after publication.