Reid Hoffman

But what you need to be is just like you have a strategy for your business, you need to have a strategy for how you're building your network around your business and your network around you. Like who are the people that I should be talking to? Who are the people that I should be learning from?

But what you need to be is just like you have a strategy for your business, you need to have a strategy for how you're building your network around your business and your network around you. Like who are the people that I should be talking to? Who are the people that I should be learning from?

Who are the people that I should be trying to bring into my network that I have a project that I'm creating? And how do I meet those people? Yeah.

Who are the people that I should be trying to bring into my network that I have a project that I'm creating? And how do I meet those people? Yeah.

Well, I don't think politeness and etiquette are really particularly good competitive advantages. I'm not saying the one should be rude. But like an emphasis, like if an entrepreneur is like, I'm reading my etiquette manual. It's like, don't spend your time. Like, sure, be nice. I think building a network, like entrepreneurship is a team sport. It is not an individual sport. It's a team sport.

Well, I don't think politeness and etiquette are really particularly good competitive advantages. I'm not saying the one should be rude. But like an emphasis, like if an entrepreneur is like, I'm reading my etiquette manual. It's like, don't spend your time. Like, sure, be nice. I think building a network, like entrepreneurship is a team sport. It is not an individual sport. It's a team sport.

So you need to be building your team. But you've seen entrepreneurs be successful that were bad at that, right? Not ultimately at scale. Oh, interesting. Right? Because it is a team sport. Right. Like, you know, it requires high talent people around you doing it.

So you need to be building your team. But you've seen entrepreneurs be successful that were bad at that, right? Not ultimately at scale. Oh, interesting. Right? Because it is a team sport. Right. Like, you know, it requires high talent people around you doing it.

Now, for example, you can get enough initial success going and capital that even though you're bad with your team, people will come on board because they'll go, oh, I believe this is going to go somewhere and I can make a bunch of money doing it. I'll come do it. And so, like, for example, a classic trope within Silicon Valley, which is broadly correct.

Now, for example, you can get enough initial success going and capital that even though you're bad with your team, people will come on board because they'll go, oh, I believe this is going to go somewhere and I can make a bunch of money doing it. I'll come do it. And so, like, for example, a classic trope within Silicon Valley, which is broadly correct.

And that's part of the reason you have the tropes is I want missionary, not mercenary cultures. Because the missionaries, I believe we're going to change the world. We're going to do it this way. And by the way, mostly of the big successful companies, most of them are missionary cultures. They say, oh, they're all missionary cultures. No, no, there's mercenary cultures that have gotten big too.

And that's part of the reason you have the tropes is I want missionary, not mercenary cultures. Because the missionaries, I believe we're going to change the world. We're going to do it this way. And by the way, mostly of the big successful companies, most of them are missionary cultures. They say, oh, they're all missionary cultures. No, no, there's mercenary cultures that have gotten big too.

How do you define mercenary in this context? All I care about is making money. Like the only thing that matters is I'm selling something. I'm going to make money. That's all that matters. Do you sometimes think the mission's bullshit though?

How do you define mercenary in this context? All I care about is making money. Like the only thing that matters is I'm selling something. I'm going to make money. That's all that matters. Do you sometimes think the mission's bullshit though?

There are bullshit missions that are like the, I'm just telling a story. I don't really care. Right. I'm telling a story that's incorrect. Right. There are – like the Silicon Valley TV show on HBO kind of satired this in a particular way. It was like, I am creating a reverse double encryption system to change the world. And yeah, there is BS there. Just like any other –

There are bullshit missions that are like the, I'm just telling a story. I don't really care. Right. I'm telling a story that's incorrect. Right. There are – like the Silicon Valley TV show on HBO kind of satired this in a particular way. It was like, I am creating a reverse double encryption system to change the world. And yeah, there is BS there. Just like any other –

large-scale human activity, there's a lot of BS in different places.

large-scale human activity, there's a lot of BS in different places.

Well, it's helpful. The reason why people use the BS is because that's what people want to do. People want to be in things that are changing the world. So you have to say, I'm LinkedIn. This is how I'm going to change the world. I'm OpenAI. This is how I'm going to change the world. I'm Airbnb. This is how I'm going to change the world. Because humans are emotional story animals. Exactly.

Well, it's helpful. The reason why people use the BS is because that's what people want to do. People want to be in things that are changing the world. So you have to say, I'm LinkedIn. This is how I'm going to change the world. I'm OpenAI. This is how I'm going to change the world. I'm Airbnb. This is how I'm going to change the world. Because humans are emotional story animals. Exactly.