Reid Hoffman

I mean, people tell themselves that, but that's self-delusion, right? And so you have that conversation with a reference and the reference will tell you something because they're not used to saying it. So they might say, oh... You know, Susan or Bob, they're a perfectionist.

I mean, people tell themselves that, but that's self-delusion, right? And so you have that conversation with a reference and the reference will tell you something because they're not used to saying it. So they might say, oh... You know, Susan or Bob, they're a perfectionist.

He's like, oh, so they get their work done slowly because, you know, like you push them because they're trying to get the one that's actually like more. They spend too much time working. You're like, oh, that means they're unintelligent about how they do their work?

He's like, oh, so they get their work done slowly because, you know, like you push them because they're trying to get the one that's actually like more. They spend too much time working. You're like, oh, that means they're unintelligent about how they do their work?

Right. So you can push them into where they're like, yeah, they can get a little disorganized when they're stressed. Okay, great. Right, and then you can, because when you get that from reference one, then when you're calling reference two, you say, oh, I heard that the person is disorganized. Like, can you tell me a little bit about that? Mm-hmm.

Right. So you can push them into where they're like, yeah, they can get a little disorganized when they're stressed. Okay, great. Right, and then you can, because when you get that from reference one, then when you're calling reference two, you say, oh, I heard that the person is disorganized. Like, can you tell me a little bit about that? Mm-hmm.

Yes. So no entrepreneur wins at every game. Generally speaking, as an entrepreneur, you should try to play the games that you have a massive competitive edge on. Same thing is true. So some people, for example... Like take Anil Bhusri at Workday, right? He is thoughtful, intentionally cultural building, very professional. So it's a HR product for work.

Yes. So no entrepreneur wins at every game. Generally speaking, as an entrepreneur, you should try to play the games that you have a massive competitive edge on. Same thing is true. So some people, for example... Like take Anil Bhusri at Workday, right? He is thoughtful, intentionally cultural building, very professional. So it's a HR product for work.

His contrarian idea was going to the cloud and that people are going to do cloud software for the first time. I think it was 500 people that Workday hired. He would always do a cultural interview at the end to make sure that the first 500 people all kind of shared cultural things. So once you get through all the competence and all the rest of the stuff, he would make sure that was a fit.

His contrarian idea was going to the cloud and that people are going to do cloud software for the first time. I think it was 500 people that Workday hired. He would always do a cultural interview at the end to make sure that the first 500 people all kind of shared cultural things. So once you get through all the competence and all the rest of the stuff, he would make sure that was a fit.

And that's part of how you get cultural coherence. That's like one example, right? Another example, Elon is the – Like, I have a big idea and I convince myself 100% that it's absolutely going to be the case. Like, I am going to settle Mars. We're going to terraform Mars in our lifetimes, which is... No, it's impossible.

And that's part of how you get cultural coherence. That's like one example, right? Another example, Elon is the – Like, I have a big idea and I convince myself 100% that it's absolutely going to be the case. Like, I am going to settle Mars. We're going to terraform Mars in our lifetimes, which is... No, it's impossible.

No human being on the planet, including Elon, is going to do that within Elon's lifetime, right? But I'm going to go all in. I'm going to work really hard. I'm going to be technologically sophisticated. I'm going to work against the odds, right, in order to make that work. That's a... You know, Anil, very professional, understands the workplace mark.

No human being on the planet, including Elon, is going to do that within Elon's lifetime, right? But I'm going to go all in. I'm going to work really hard. I'm going to be technologically sophisticated. I'm going to work against the odds, right, in order to make that work. That's a... You know, Anil, very professional, understands the workplace mark.

Elon, like, I think I was like the second person he pitched SpaceX to. And his pitch, though, to my defense was, I'm going to send a turtle to Mars. And I'm like, that's not a business. And you're competing with national governments and like Russian subsidized rocket programs and so forth. This is not a good equity. I was wrong. He was right. There's not a good equity, you know, kind of play there.

Elon, like, I think I was like the second person he pitched SpaceX to. And his pitch, though, to my defense was, I'm going to send a turtle to Mars. And I'm like, that's not a business. And you're competing with national governments and like Russian subsidized rocket programs and so forth. This is not a good equity. I was wrong. He was right. There's not a good equity, you know, kind of play there.

So it was an idea. And I'm going to send a turtle to Mars. And then it became, I'm going to send a gelatinous cube with plant seeds in it to Mars because they'll grow. I'll be the first person who will send life to Mars. And you're like, well, okay. Right. What did you think genuinely when he said that to you? I thought he'd gone off his rocker.

So it was an idea. And I'm going to send a turtle to Mars. And then it became, I'm going to send a gelatinous cube with plant seeds in it to Mars because they'll grow. I'll be the first person who will send life to Mars. And you're like, well, okay. Right. What did you think genuinely when he said that to you? I thought he'd gone off his rocker.

No, no. I've always thought of him as one of the world's great entrepreneurs. Always? Yeah. Yeah, all the way back to PayPal days.

No, no. I've always thought of him as one of the world's great entrepreneurs. Always? Yeah. Yeah, all the way back to PayPal days.