Reid Hoffman

That is 100% correct. And look, I respect it. I understand the burn people out, like treat them as disposable assets that when they burn out, you just jettison them. And you can be very... Elon's not the only entrepreneur who is very successful doing that, right? Right.

That is 100% correct. And look, I respect it. I understand the burn people out, like treat them as disposable assets that when they burn out, you just jettison them. And you can be very... Elon's not the only entrepreneur who is very successful doing that, right? Right.

But, for example, on the other side, like if you go to Mark Zuckerberg and you talk to the people who work for him, they're like, that was great. That was the best working experience of my life. Of course I work for them again. Interesting.

But, for example, on the other side, like if you go to Mark Zuckerberg and you talk to the people who work for him, they're like, that was great. That was the best working experience of my life. Of course I work for them again. Interesting.

Well, you have to have the nature of this thing because it's, you know, you're by nature dead as a startup. Work-life balance is not the startup game. Right. So like when we started LinkedIn, we started with people who had families. So we said, sure, go home, have dinner with your family.

Well, you have to have the nature of this thing because it's, you know, you're by nature dead as a startup. Work-life balance is not the startup game. Right. So like when we started LinkedIn, we started with people who had families. So we said, sure, go home, have dinner with your family.

Then after you're done with family, open up your laptop and get back into the shared work experience and keep working.

Then after you're done with family, open up your laptop and get back into the shared work experience and keep working.

The people who think it's toxic don't understand the startup game and they're just wrong. Right. The game is intense. And by the way, if you don't do that, then eventually you're out of a job.

The people who think it's toxic don't understand the startup game and they're just wrong. Right. The game is intense. And by the way, if you don't do that, then eventually you're out of a job.

Yes. And look, that's fine. It's not that everyone has to work at startups. Working at startups is a voluntary choice. But that's the game for a startup. And so that's how we try to balance in the early days of LinkedIn. We try to balance how to be human because like a third of the company had kids, right? And so you're like, okay, like we all have to work this way.

Yes. And look, that's fine. It's not that everyone has to work at startups. Working at startups is a voluntary choice. But that's the game for a startup. And so that's how we try to balance in the early days of LinkedIn. We try to balance how to be human because like a third of the company had kids, right? And so you're like, okay, like we all have to work this way.

So we can't say, oh, you third, sure, you guys can go home and you're out of the office and then call in or whatever. We'll all go for dinner and then we'll all plan on getting back to work after dinner. So you get time with your family. You get to have dinner with your kids. It's the right human thing, right? But we're working hard. And Saturday morning, we're working.

So we can't say, oh, you third, sure, you guys can go home and you're out of the office and then call in or whatever. We'll all go for dinner and then we'll all plan on getting back to work after dinner. So you get time with your family. You get to have dinner with your kids. It's the right human thing, right? But we're working hard. And Saturday morning, we're working.

Only in two circumstances. One, it's a small startup. It's both an absence of competition. That's the general. One is it's so small, no one's really competing with you. That's fine.

Only in two circumstances. One, it's a small startup. It's both an absence of competition. That's the general. One is it's so small, no one's really competing with you. That's fine.

Yeah, that's fine. Right. Number two, you have some such intense competitive moat that people can't compete with you. Like say, for example, you have some, like the only thing that matters in this business is contracts with these three companies and you have those three contracts.

Yeah, that's fine. Right. Number two, you have some such intense competitive moat that people can't compete with you. Like say, for example, you have some, like the only thing that matters in this business is contracts with these three companies and you have those three contracts.

But absent that, that's the reason because the startups that you're – if you're in a valuable space, the startups that you're competing with, right? Like we had to make the deliberate decision. Like startups we're competing with aren't going home for dinner, right? They're serving dinner at the office. That's what we did at PayPal. We served dinner at the office at PayPal, right?

But absent that, that's the reason because the startups that you're – if you're in a valuable space, the startups that you're competing with, right? Like we had to make the deliberate decision. Like startups we're competing with aren't going home for dinner, right? They're serving dinner at the office. That's what we did at PayPal. We served dinner at the office at PayPal, right?