Reid Hoffman

Because if they go, oh, you're right, I should totally change that, you're like, okay. You have to have some grit and persistence. But on the other hand, if they're not, like, going, oh, yeah, no, if we encounter that, Yeah, we'd have to do something about that. Like if our competitors started doing that, and maybe we'd do this, right? And so they also are learning. They have flexibility.

Because if they go, oh, you're right, I should totally change that, you're like, okay. You have to have some grit and persistence. But on the other hand, if they're not, like, going, oh, yeah, no, if we encounter that, Yeah, we'd have to do something about that. Like if our competitors started doing that, and maybe we'd do this, right? And so they also are learning. They have flexibility.

So you want that combination. Like one of the things about startups is... you have to bring kind of this dual-lensed focus of things that seemingly are a little contradictory. So like persistence, flexibility. Another one is right now, long-term, right? Now you have to do right now, but if you don't have a long-term of how you're building something that's insanely ambitious...

So you want that combination. Like one of the things about startups is... you have to bring kind of this dual-lensed focus of things that seemingly are a little contradictory. So like persistence, flexibility. Another one is right now, long-term, right? Now you have to do right now, but if you don't have a long-term of how you're building something that's insanely ambitious...

You're never going to get there. If you shoot for the hillside, you're never going to get to the moon. You have to shoot for the moon. So you're shooting for the moon, but it's me and my two friends in a garage right now. It's interesting because the middle bit, does that matter? It does, but it's a, remember like the Marines, Army, Police. Army, when you're doing the Marines, is the middle bit.

You're never going to get there. If you shoot for the hillside, you're never going to get to the moon. You have to shoot for the moon. So you're shooting for the moon, but it's me and my two friends in a garage right now. It's interesting because the middle bit, does that matter? It does, but it's a, remember like the Marines, Army, Police. Army, when you're doing the Marines, is the middle bit.

Right, okay.

Right, okay.

So it does, but it's not – by the way, and one of, again, mistakes, and that's part of the reason why there's another chapter in Startup View is AVZ planning. The mistakes is, like, you have a plan and then you have a plan B. It's like, no, no, no, you have a plan, and then you have a lot of micro plan Bs, right? So you're kind of like, well, if that doesn't work, then let's try this.

So it does, but it's not – by the way, and one of, again, mistakes, and that's part of the reason why there's another chapter in Startup View is AVZ planning. The mistakes is, like, you have a plan and then you have a plan B. It's like, no, no, no, you have a plan, and then you have a lot of micro plan Bs, right? So you're kind of like, well, if that doesn't work, then let's try this.

If that doesn't work, then let's try this. You know, and you're iterating through them. And when you know to do a major pivot – because, by the way – Many successful businesses also do major pivots. PayPal started as encryption on cell phones, right? That's where it started, right? So you do major pivots.

If that doesn't work, then let's try this. You know, and you're iterating through them. And when you know to do a major pivot – because, by the way – Many successful businesses also do major pivots. PayPal started as encryption on cell phones, right? That's where it started, right? So you do major pivots.

It's when you go, oh, my current plan, which I've iterated for my first plan, is worse than my first plan. Like the market circumstances, its chance of succeeding, those are now worse.

It's when you go, oh, my current plan, which I've iterated for my first plan, is worse than my first plan. Like the market circumstances, its chance of succeeding, those are now worse.

That's when you think about, okay, let's do a major pivot.

That's when you think about, okay, let's do a major pivot.

Yeah. Yeah. There's, call it two kinds of ideas. And frankly, by the way, you think there's over 8 billion people in the world. The fact that you think you're the one person who's thought of this idea, you may not be doing math well, right? So thinking you're the one person who's thought of the idea, that's a mistake, right?

Yeah. Yeah. There's, call it two kinds of ideas. And frankly, by the way, you think there's over 8 billion people in the world. The fact that you think you're the one person who's thought of this idea, you may not be doing math well, right? So thinking you're the one person who's thought of the idea, that's a mistake, right?

The question is, are you the person who can pull it together in the momentum

The question is, are you the person who can pull it together in the momentum