Radical Candor
Radical Candor by Kim Scottby Kim Scott
Shares rank 7 of 12 management books by recommenders
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.
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.
5 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 4
- criticize it
- 1
- approval share
- 80%
Recommended in 4 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 4 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- 4 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 4 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Good general management principles
“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.”
Comment from 24 Sep 2026 in “I don't want the details” Simple framework for people management
“radical candor is a good book that explores a simple framework for people management”
Comment from 23 Jun 2026 in “My Mathematical Regression” Readers quite like it
“Radical Candor (which I quite like)”
Comment from 6 Dec 2025 in “Why Speed Matters” May have helped managers
“Radical Candor may have helped”
Comment from 9 Jan 2026 in “Why I Left iNaturalist”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Later chapters less helpful for large organizations
“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.”
Comment from 24 Sep 2026 in “I don't want the details” Misused to justify rude behavior
“A massively abused book that led many to justify being assholes.”
Comment from 23 Jun 2026 in “My Mathematical Regression”
Other management books people recommend
The four most recommended other management books, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Unaccountability Machineby Dan Davies | 11 | 0 | 100% | 6 | — | Approved |
| Turn the Ship Around!by L. David Marquet | 10 | 0 | 100% | 5 | — | Approved |
| Shape Upby Ryan Singer | 6 | 0 | 100% | 4 | — | — |
| Team Topologiesby Matthew Skelton and Manuel Pais | 5 | 3 | 63% | 4 | — | — |
| Radical Candorby Kim ScottThis page | 4 | 1 | 80% | 4 | — | — |
What people said
All 5 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“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.”
“A massively abused book that led many to justify being assholes.”
“radical candor is a good book that explores a simple framework for people management”
“Radical Candor may have helped”
“Radical Candor (which I quite like)”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.