Built to Last
Successful Habits of Visionary Companies
About the book
Jim Collins and Jerry Porras ran a six-year study at Stanford's business school to learn what separates enduring, widely admired companies from merely successful ones. They chose eighteen visionary companies, among them 3M, Boeing, Merck, Sony and Wal-Mart, and set each beside a close rival, such as Pfizer for Merck or Ames for Wal-Mart. Since 1926 the visionary group had beaten the stock market fifteen times over, against roughly twice for the rivals. From the comparison come ideas such as a core ideology, Big Hairy Audacious Goals, managers grown from within, and building an institution rather than relying on one great leader. The authors stress that they can show correlation, not cause. It first came out in 1994.
It appears on a published list of books recommended by Jeff Bezos, and Tim O'Reilly said it shows how strong, almost cult-like values set great companies apart.
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This book has 5 recommendations
Zhang Ruimin (CEO/Haier Group)
Ruimin mentions this book in response to a question about long-term success. From Ruimin's point of view, the chief challenge is for leaders to maintain their entrepreneurial spirit, year after year. He admits it isn't easy:
Jeff Bezos (Founder/Amazon)
[From the book "The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon"]
"A core ideology guides these firms, and only those employees who embrace the central mission flourish; others are 'expunged like a virus' from the companies," Stone wrote.
Tim O'Reilly (Founder/O'Reilly Media)
Built to Last, by James Collins and Jerry Porras. The idea here is that great companies aren't afraid to have strong values. In fact, their cult-like values are what make them stand out from the norm.
Rand Fishkin (Founder/Moz)
What do companies that survive for generations do differently than those who burn out fast? Another great analysis.
Alden Mills (CEO/Perfect Fitness, Navy SEAL, Author)
Built to Last focused my daydreaming mind into what it takes to build truly great companies.
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Zhang Ruimin, Jeff Bezos, Tim O'Reilly, Rand Fishkin, Alden Mills
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Often recommended alongside
- The Lean Startup by Eric Ries (2 shared recommenders)
- Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t by Jim Collins (2 shared recommenders)
- The Innovator’s Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail by Clayton Christensen (2 shared recommenders)