# Radical Candor by Kim Scott

4 Hacker News commenters recommended Radical Candor by Kim Scott and 1 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 4 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** People recommend it for a simple framework for managing people, with the first chapters most useful. Critics say it has been misused to excuse rudeness.

## Why people recommend it

- Good general management principles (1 comments): "The first chapter or two of the book is good for the general principles. I found the later chapters about big org management to be less helpful." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49825977))
- Simple framework for people management (1 comments): "radical candor is a good book that explores a simple framework for people management" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48643330))
- Readers quite like it (1 comments): "Radical Candor (which I quite like)" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46173228))
- May have helped managers (1 comments): "Radical Candor may have helped" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46550083))

## What people warn about

- Later chapters less helpful for large organizations (1 comments): "The first chapter or two of the book is good for the general principles. I found the later chapters about big org management to be less helpful." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49825977))
- Misused to justify rude behavior (1 comments): "A massively abused book that led many to justify being assholes." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48647062))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [The Unaccountability Machine by Dan Davies](https://hackerapproved.com/p/unaccountability-machine.md): 11 recommend
- [Turn the Ship Around! by L. David Marquet](https://hackerapproved.com/p/turn-the-ship-around.md): 10 recommend
- [Shape Up by Ryan Singer](https://hackerapproved.com/p/shape-up.md): 6 recommend
- [Team Topologies by Matthew Skelton and Manuel Pais](https://hackerapproved.com/p/team-topologies.md): 5 recommend
- [Peopleware by Tom DeMarco and Timothy Lister](https://hackerapproved.com/p/peopleware.md): 5 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250103517?tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)
- [Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/a/130825/9781250103512) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Radical Candor by Kim Scott", https://hackerapproved.com/p/radical-candor/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).