Cover of Great by choice

Great by choice

by Jim Collins, Morten T. Hansen · first published 2011

6mentions
4recommended by
6HN commenters
2013–2023first – last mentioned

67% recommend33% neutral

Why HN recommends it

Case-driven look at how companies thrive under uncertainty, with real-world examples like Southwest Airlines; useful for founders and leaders building sustainable businesses, and a companion to Lean Startup ideas.

Summarised by Claude from recommending comments

The new question. Ten years after the worldwide bestseller Good to Great, Jim Collins returns with another groundbreaking work, this time to ask: Why do some companies thrive in uncertainty, even chaos, and others do not? Based on nine years of research, buttressed by rigorous analysis and infused with engaging stories, Collins and his colleague, Morten Hansen, enumerate the principles for building a truly great enterprise in unpredictable, tumultuous, and fast-moving times. The new study. Great by Choice distinguishes itself from Collins's prior work by its focus not just on performance, but

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Mentions per year

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What Hacker News says

  • wushupork · Dec 23, 2015 · Recommends

    Traction by Justin Mares, Gabriel Weinberg - would probably reread Growth Hacker Marketing by Ryan Holiday How to Fail at Almost Everything by Scott Adams - great read Scaling Up By Verne Harnish Great By Choice by Jim Collins - love the whole series The Ultimate Sales Machine by Chet Holmes - probably worth a reread How to Win at the Sport of Business By Mark Cuban - good read Elon Mush by Ashlee Vance -…

    on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2015?” ↗
  • bionhoward · Mar 28, 2021 · Recommends

    …some, even if you lose your money, you still have your life, so you haven't truly lost everything! If anyone is interested in an excellent book on antifragility for business, I recommend Jim Collins' Great by Choice. The audiobook is read by the author and he does a good job. TLDR: Antifragile is only 20% about optionality. It's 80% about how to reduce or even reverse risk. Don't tunnel vision the 20 and forget…

    on “Asymmetric Opportunities and the Cult of Optionality” ↗
  • mikeg8 · Nov 25, 2013 · Recommends

    Outliers, definitely the freakenomics books, I enjoyed Rich Dad Poor Dad, The Lean Startup, Power of Habit, Defining Decade (if your in your 20's, fantastic book), The Happiness Advantage, Great by Choice from Jim collins...

    on “Ask HN: What habit have you dropped or picked up that improved your life?” ↗
  • husseinhallak · Aug 29, 2016 · Recommends

    …run your business better, explore that. And there are always brilliant business books that can expand your thinking and ability to lead. Here are a few I recommend: Anything for Jim Collins, especially Great By Choice Anything Seth Godin, especially Tribes Anything Simon Sinek, especially Start With Why and Leaders Eat Last Anything Charles Duhigg, especially The Power of Habit I trust this is clear and helpful Wish…

    on “Ask HN: I am doing $2M annually as a solopreneur and need your help” ↗
  • espeed · Mar 21, 2014 · Mentions

    See this Charlie Rose interview with Jim Collins on his new book, Great by Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck -- Why Some Thrive Despite Them All, where Jim talks about what it takes for a genius/artist to thrive (http://www.hulu.com/watch/298461). Maybe these "always starters"…

    on “Why I Never Hire Brilliant Men (1924)” ↗
  • TrueSlacker0 · Apr 4, 2023 · Mentions

    This goes back to Jim Collins book Great by Choice and the idea of Bullets then Cannonballs. [1]"First, you fire bullets (low-cost, low-risk, low-distraction experiments) to figure out what will work—calibrating your line of sight by taking small shots.…

    on “Entrepreneurs who regret starting businesses” ↗

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