Built to Last

One of my favorite books. A must read before starting a startup. Especially lately, companies are built NOT to last. Think about the last couple of years: what companies have started that could be the next Sony, the next American Express? Companies that stood the test of time for over 100 years. This book provides a framework backed by empirical data showing why and how companies last that long through cultural and structural changes, new CEOs, changing economies. Most YC companies aren't even theoretically built to last. They're built to be sold. You can see it in the names. A company named after the atomic problem it's currently solving will never be built to last. Companies built to last follow a mission, not a problem. The data shows that companies founded by following a mission rather than a problem are more successful. Companies that follow that mission ruthlessly outperform those that follow revenue.