# The Goal by Eliyahu Goldratt

Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/goal/

13 people recommended The Goal by Eliyahu Goldratt in Hacker News comments and 1 criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 7 of 12 months, in 11 threads. It meets the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** A clear introduction to process and systems thinking that applies to manufacturing and software alike; a few found it hard to get into.

Summary written by Claude from the comments below.

## Why people recommend it

- Essential business book on just-in-time (2 comments in the sample): "is a key business book for a reason" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50060421)) "classic business book on just-in-time" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49352960))
- Best intro to process and systems thinking (2 comments in the sample): "I think The Goal remains the best intro to process and systems thinking." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46348010)) "One of the clearest thinkers I had the privilege of knowing was Dr. Eli Goldratt" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46292253))
- Changes how people view management goals (2 comments in the sample): "two books that made it almost impossible for me to deal with management "goals" at large corporations anymore" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49053977)) "the goal of every firm is to make money, and everything is intermediate to that" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47417893))
- Useful beyond manufacturing, applies to software (1 comment in the sample): "I highly recommend that book to anyone, even if you've read its IT equivalent" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46263383))

## Other business books people recommend

- [The Lean Startup by Eric Ries](https://hackerapproved.com/p/lean-startup/): 28 recommend, 3 mixed, 6 criticize
- [The Gervais Principle by Venkatesh Rao](https://hackerapproved.com/p/gervais-principle/): 24 recommend, 5 mixed, 5 criticize
- [Incorruptible by Eric Ries](https://hackerapproved.com/p/incorruptible/): 20 recommend, 3 mixed, 11 criticize
- [The Innovator's Dilemma by Clayton Christensen](https://hackerapproved.com/p/innovator-s-dilemma/): 10 recommend, 0 mixed, 1 criticize

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0884272079)
- [Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/book/9780884272076)

## The badge

A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged.

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "The Goal by Eliyahu Goldratt", https://hackerapproved.com/p/goal/ (13 recommend, 0 mixed, 1 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026).

Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.