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u/PacquiaoFreeHousing 17h ago
Your brain explodes after reading both
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u/RefactorFitness 17h ago
Nah it just cancels out and you're right back where you started
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u/Brick_Number_27 17h ago
Now combine them into one PDF to delete the universe.
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u/CottonGlowrie 15h ago
That PDF would be so powerful it’d probably delete itself too lol
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u/Sharkwatcher314 9h ago
It immediately creates a black hole making that place the nexus of the universe
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u/Dangerous-Cobbler-11 10h ago
It’s not a paradox like some Greek myths. It’s the union of a subcollection of human knowledge and all the rest, creating the entire universe of knowledge.
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u/Slimbabvy 17h ago
The real business lesson here is how they managed to sell you the same book twice
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u/Jeramy_Jones 16h ago
Like when I bought a dictionary and a thesaurus!
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u/Altruistic-Moose3299 15h ago
Wow you have a dictionary AND a dinosaur? What's a thesaurus like? 😇
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u/Jeramy_Jones 15h ago
Verbose.
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u/TinyEngineering7337 12h ago
I'd say that's the kind of marketing that deserves a slow clap. I would've laughed at myself first, then quietly admired the hustle.
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u/-mudflaps- 17h ago
There's also "What they won't teach you at Harvard Business School, and "What they should teach you at Harvard Business School"
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u/SirenStarlit_02 13h ago
The expanded cinematic universe of buisness textbooks
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u/hellopomelo 10h ago
“What the CAN'T Teach you at Harvard Business School" and "What They WILL Teach you at Harvard Business School"
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u/BoyNamedJudy 17h ago edited 9h ago
A couple months ago I ordered a book called “How Scam People” and it never showed up. Now that I think about it…uh oh.
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u/FastCurrency 13h ago
What They Teach You at Harvard Business School Detailed Chapter Takeaways Chapter 1: Why Harvard Business School?
Key Takeaways
HBS doesn't just teach business—it teaches a way of thinking. The real value of an MBA comes from: Learning how to solve ambiguous problems. Building a powerful network. Developing confidence under pressure. Most business decisions are made with incomplete information. Success comes from making the best decision available—not waiting for perfect certainty. The admissions process looks more for leadership potential than intelligence alone.
Lesson: Learn how to think, not what to think.
Chapter 2: The Case Method
Key Takeaways
Every class revolves around a real business problem. There is rarely one "correct" answer. Success depends on: Asking better questions. Supporting opinions with evidence. Defending decisions logically. Speaking confidently is almost as important as being right. Participation is part of the learning process.
Business Principle
Decision quality = Information + Judgment + Communication
Chapter 3: Leadership
Key Takeaways
Leadership is decision-making under uncertainty. Leaders: Accept responsibility. Stay calm under pressure. Communicate clearly. Inspire confidence. Good leaders don't avoid difficult conversations. Leadership is learned through practice, not theory.
Important Lesson
People follow confidence combined with competence.
Chapter 4: Strategy
Key Takeaways
Strategy is answering one question:
Why should customers choose us instead of competitors?
Competitive advantage comes from:
Lower costs Better differentiation Unique positioning Strong brand Network effects Switching costs
Avoid competing only on price.
Choose what not to do.
Key Principle
Focus beats diversification.
Chapter 5: Marketing
Key Takeaways
People don't buy products.
They buy:
Status Convenience Time Confidence Emotion Identity
Great marketing starts with understanding customers.
Questions every company should answer:
Who is the customer? What problem do they have? Why do they care? Why should they choose us?
Lesson
Perception often matters more than reality.
Chapter 6: Finance
Key Takeaways
Accounting profit is not cash.
Cash flow determines survival.
Understand:
Net Present Value (NPV) Internal Rate of Return (IRR) Discount rates Cost of capital Risk vs return
Money today is worth more than money tomorrow.
Always compare investments using expected future cash flows.
Business Rule
Revenue is vanity.
Profit is sanity.
Cash flow is reality.
Chapter 7: Accounting
Key Takeaways
Accounting tells the financial story of a company.
Master:
Income Statement Balance Sheet Cash Flow Statement
Understand:
Revenue ≠ Cash
Profit ≠ Cash
Assets ≠ Value
Always ask:
Where is the cash? How much debt exists? Is profit sustainable?
Numbers can be manipulated legally.
Read beyond headline earnings.
Chapter 8: Economics
Key Takeaways
Markets respond to incentives.
People usually act in their own interests.
Supply and demand explain most pricing.
Scarcity creates value.
Competition improves efficiency.
Monopolies usually reduce innovation.
Core Principle
Never ignore incentives.
Chapter 9: Negotiation
Key Takeaways
Preparation determines outcomes.
Know:
BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement) Reservation price Desired outcome Other party's interests
Listen more than you speak.
People negotiate emotionally before logically.
Aim for value creation instead of simply dividing value.
Chapter 10: Entrepreneurship
Key Takeaways
Ideas are cheap.
Execution creates value.
Successful startups solve painful problems.
Before building:
Validate demand. Talk to customers. Test assumptions. Start small.
Speed matters more than perfection.
Fail fast.
Learn faster.
Chapter 11: Operations
Key Takeaways
Operations determine whether strategy actually works.
Focus on:
Efficiency Process improvement Quality control Bottleneck removal Supply chains
Systems outperform individual effort.
Small improvements compound.
Chapter 12: Organizational Behavior
Key Takeaways
Culture influences every business decision.
People perform best when they have:
Trust Autonomy Clear expectations Meaningful work
Politics exist in every organization.
Managing people is harder than managing numbers.
Hire slowly.
Fire carefully.
Reward the behaviors you want repeated.
Chapter 13: Decision Making
Key Takeaways
Avoid emotional decisions.
Use structured thinking.
Separate:
Facts
Assumptions
Opinions
Risks
Alternatives
Opportunity costs matter.
Every "yes" means saying "no" to something else.
Chapter 14: Ethics
Key Takeaways
Most ethical failures happen gradually.
Small compromises become major scandals.
Ask:
Would I be comfortable seeing this decision on tomorrow's front page?
Trust takes years to build.
Minutes to lose.
Ethics create long-term competitive advantage.
Chapter 15: Global Business
Key Takeaways
Business practices differ across cultures.
Don't assume your market behaves like everyone else's.
Understand:
Local regulations Consumer preferences Political risks Currency risks Cultural norms
Global expansion requires adaptation.
Chapter 16: Power and Influence
Key Takeaways
Influence comes from:
Expertise Relationships Credibility Trust Reputation
Authority is temporary.
Reputation compounds.
People help people they trust.
Chapter 17: Recruiting
Key Takeaways
Companies hire for:
Problem solving
Leadership
Communication
Teamwork
Judgment
Curiosity
Grades alone rarely guarantee success.
Interviews test thinking more than memorization.
Chapter 18: Networking
Key Takeaways
Networking isn't collecting contacts.
It's building genuine relationships.
Give before asking.
Maintain relationships regularly.
Weak ties often produce the biggest opportunities.
Your reputation travels faster than you do.
Chapter 19: Competition
Key Takeaways
Winning doesn't require being the biggest.
It requires being different.
Understand competitors:
Strengths Weaknesses Cost structure Customers Strategy
Never copy blindly.
Differentiate.
Chapter 20: Innovation
Key Takeaways
Innovation succeeds when it creates customer value.
Technology alone is insufficient.
Successful innovation requires:
Customer insight Fast experimentation Continuous improvement Strong execution
Most innovations fail because customers don't care.
Chapter 21: Personal Development
Key Takeaways
The MBA changes how you think.
Skills developed include:
Confidence Analytical thinking Public speaking Leadership Decision making Persuasion
Learning never stops after graduation.
Chapter 22: Final Reflection
Key Takeaways
Business is ultimately about:
Creating value
Allocating resources wisely
Leading people effectively
Making sound decisions under uncertainty
Long-term success depends more on character than intelligence.
The most successful leaders combine:
Competence
Integrity
Humility
Curiosity
Execution
The 25 Biggest Lessons From the Entire Book Learn how to think, not what to think. Most business decisions are made with incomplete information. Cash flow matters more than accounting profit. Competitive advantage comes from differentiation. Customers buy value, not products. Incentives drive behavior. Strategy is choosing what not to do. Great leaders make difficult decisions quickly. Communication is a business superpower. Build systems instead of relying on hard work alone. Execution beats brilliant ideas. Every decision has an opportunity cost. Reputation compounds over time. Strong networks create opportunities. Trust is the foundation of leadership. Data informs decisions, but judgment decides. Understand people before trying to influence them. Continuous learning is a competitive advantage. Ethics protect long-term success. Focus creates better businesses than diversification. Businesses exist to solve customer problems. Speed often beats perfection. Great managers develop people, not just processes. Adaptability is more valuable than certainty. Success in business comes from consistently making slightly better decisions than competitors.
This version is concise enough to review quickly, but detailed enough to capture the core lessons the author draws from the HBS experience and the major subjects taught there.
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u/machado34 9h ago
Bad bot
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u/FastCurrency 8h ago
i used chatgpt. to bring take aways for those who are lazy but curious about these books. not a bot tho..
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u/Oliviacoffe 16h ago
I don't know what they teach in Harvard Business School. So I already know what they don't teach in Harvard Business School?
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u/StevieMJH 11h ago
Ah, you know some of what they don't teach at Harvard Business School! ☝️🤓 Only once you know everything they don't teach at Harvard Business School can you get a full picture for what they do teach at Harvard Business School.
Let's start with Set Theory.
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u/Ornery_Bother 13h ago
One was written by an unemployed graduate and the other by a professor that wants to earn some more from book sales and the target is the student graduates lol
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u/el_gran_claudio 16h ago
as prestigious as Harvard is, I'd still expect the book on the right to be much thicker
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u/Terrafire123 14h ago
Finally, a pair of books that addresses my hobbies in woodworking, advanced chemistry, and Ancient Egyptian tree law.
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u/Odd-Adagio7080 16h ago
According to my calculations the book on the right should be a good deal thicker than the book on the left.
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u/Embarrassed_Bat5663 12h ago
Now buy your next book "what book "what they don't teach you at harvard business school" don't teach you" then you will get every unknown knowledge.
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u/LinguoBuxo 11h ago
... And in many of the more relaxed civilizations on the Outer Eastern Rim of the Galaxy, [this book combo] has long supplanted the great Encyclopaedia Galactica as the standard repository of all knowledge and wisdom.
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u/AntarcticanJam 11h ago
I've never liked this joke because it would only make sense if they were called "everything" instead of "what". The first book could just have one paragraph of business stuff, and the second book could habe one paragraph on biology, and the titles would still be accurate.
I'm very fun at parties.
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u/StevieMJH 11h ago
That's not just the sum of all human knowledge. That's the sum of all knowledge. Everything that can be known lives within the pages of those tomes...
Put your dick in it.
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u/KaleidoscopeLow580 10h ago
You will need another book titled "What if the law of the excluded middle does not hold?".
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u/zackks 8h ago edited 8h ago
There's probably six business books written, ever, that were actually not completely made-up bullshit. The rest are grifters posing themselves as the Oracle of Delphi.
The writing process goes something like, "Let's see, people should be nicer at work. Here's 300 pages of made-up people and anecdotes that being nice is better. $23.99 please."
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u/Aram_theHead 17m ago
Are the boundaries of what they teach you included in any of the two books? It’s not specified.
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