Steven

There's a reason I love today's conversation. It is with the founder of a platform that we probably all use called LinkedIn. And the guy that made that platform is Reid Hoffman. The reality of running a small business is that switching off is never really an option. Even when you try, the ideas, the excitement and all the responsibility is always there.

And because you're always switched on, it's only fair that your hiring partner should be too. LinkedIn Jobs, who are the sponsor of this moment's episode, has been that hiring partner for me and for years because it's always working away in the background. My team can post our jobs for free, share them with our networks and reach top talent all in the same place.

And because you're always switched on, it's only fair that your hiring partner should be too. LinkedIn Jobs, who are the sponsor of this moment's episode, has been that hiring partner for me and for years because it's always working away in the background. My team can post our jobs for free, share them with our networks and reach top talent all in the same place.

So let's get into today's conversation. On all these great people you've worked with, specifically, you know, during that PayPal period of your life, one of the things I was reflecting on is they're all independently successful people, but they're all very different people. And that in and of itself is evidence that there's not one version of success. There's many different types of success.

So let's get into today's conversation. On all these great people you've worked with, specifically, you know, during that PayPal period of your life, one of the things I was reflecting on is they're all independently successful people, but they're all very different people. And that in and of itself is evidence that there's not one version of success. There's many different types of success.

Presumably, there's many different types of entrepreneur, leader. Yes. Give me a flavor of the different types of entrepreneurs you've worked with. Because I sat with Walter Isaacson, and he talked to me about Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, et cetera. And he was like, Steve's really great at hiring people. Elon's not as good at the people team building part, but he's better at this part.

Presumably, there's many different types of entrepreneur, leader. Yes. Give me a flavor of the different types of entrepreneurs you've worked with. Because I sat with Walter Isaacson, and he talked to me about Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, et cetera. And he was like, Steve's really great at hiring people. Elon's not as good at the people team building part, but he's better at this part.

He pitched it to you as an investor? Yes.

He pitched it to you as an investor? Yes.

At what point was SpaceX at when he pitched it? That was before he started it.

At what point was SpaceX at when he pitched it? That was before he started it.

Really? Well, yeah. Of course you would, yeah. My friends said that to me. I think I'd make a couple of calls just to check in. You know what I mean? Like, is Elon doing okay? He just told me about this turtle. Yes. It's like, that's not a business. Has your opinion of him changed over time in terms of his potential and ability as an entrepreneur?

Really? Well, yeah. Of course you would, yeah. My friends said that to me. I think I'd make a couple of calls just to check in. You know what I mean? Like, is Elon doing okay? He just told me about this turtle. Yes. It's like, that's not a business. Has your opinion of him changed over time in terms of his potential and ability as an entrepreneur?

People kind of excuse that, though. Of course. If you get one that's big, that's fine. On the hiring side, is he up there with the best? Or is he not a direct hire of people like Steve Jobs was?

People kind of excuse that, though. Of course. If you get one that's big, that's fine. On the hiring side, is he up there with the best? Or is he not a direct hire of people like Steve Jobs was?

What's interesting is I think these strategies fundamentally come down to what you think matters in life the most, because you could optimize, even you could optimize more for, um, building more companies or something at the expense of something else. And it's a trade-off of something else. Like you could go harder, but there's a trade-off happening here.

What's interesting is I think these strategies fundamentally come down to what you think matters in life the most, because you could optimize, even you could optimize more for, um, building more companies or something at the expense of something else. And it's a trade-off of something else. Like you could go harder, but there's a trade-off happening here.

And we often, because Elon's done these crazy things like the cars and the Neuralinks and there's tunnels and now the AI and the X and the spaceships and stuff. We go, oh my God, that's so amazing. And I do that as well as an entrepreneur. I go, one person can do that much. But we almost never talk about the trade-off.

And we often, because Elon's done these crazy things like the cars and the Neuralinks and there's tunnels and now the AI and the X and the spaceships and stuff. We go, oh my God, that's so amazing. And I do that as well as an entrepreneur. I go, one person can do that much. But we almost never talk about the trade-off.

And it's so, this goes back to the point about self-awareness. It's like, it's so tempting for the brain to go, oh my God, I want that. That's what I want. Because you're not seeing the trade-off. You're not seeing the darkness.