Anthropic and OpenAI’s plans to go public have set off waves of speculation about the ripple effects, and how they’ll stack up to the SpaceX IPO. What’s really driving the value of these companies? Does the timing of the IPOs matter? How might they impact the AI startup ecosystem?
To process all this, Pioneers of AI phones a friend: Reid Hoffman. As co-founder of LinkedIn and Manas AI, a longtime Microsoft board member, investor in OpenAI and Anthropic, and so much more, Reid offers his take on the AI investing landscape. Rana and Reid break down the IPO headlines, sovereign wealth fund proposals for AI, and what’s defensible in AI today.
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Anish Acharya sits down with Josh Elman to discuss the future of consumer technology and Josh's decision to join a16z.
Over the past two decades, Elman has helped shape some of the most important consumer technology products and companies, including LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Robinhood, Discord, Musical.ly, TikTok, and Apple. Drawing on those experiences, he reflects on how technology has evolved from a niche industry into a central force in everyday life.
The conversation explores consumer AI, product design, distribution, social networks, creator ecosystems, and the changing relationship between technology and human behavior. They discuss why AI may unlock an entirely new generation of consumer products, how discovery and distribution are changing, and what founders can learn from previous platform shifts.
Along the way, Elman shares his views on retention, network effects, product-market fit, and the opportunities he believes remain underexplored in consumer technology.
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As global leaders disperse from the World Economic Forum, LinkedIn co-founder and tech investor Reid Hoffman joins Rapid Response to break down the biggest challenges and opportunities facing business today, from political headwinds tied to immigration and geopolitics to AI’s real-time impact on industries like music and healthcare. Hoffman also explains why fears of a tech bubble aren’t shaping his investing, what it really means to be an AI-first organization, and why this moment calls for CEOs to speak up and show courage.
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At Masters of Scale Summit in October of 2025, Reid Hoffman and Dr. Sean White, CEO of Inflection AI, discuss how to design responsible AI systems, build smarter AI-fueled businesses, and the potential for transforming everything from healthcare to education. This conversation is brought to you by Inflection AI.
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Reid Hoffman, Stacy Brown-Philpot, and Aileen Lee are three of the most successful, legendary leaders and investors in Silicon Valley. (The term “unicorn” for a startup valued at a billion dollars? Well, Aileen coined that.) This power trio sat down with journalist Van Jones live onstage at the 2025 Masters of Scale Summit, October 8 in San Francisco, to share candid snapshots of the investor’s mindset during this time of rapid change. Learn why VCs have dramatically shifted the way they invest in entrepreneurs this year, how companies can stand out in the crowded AI space, their personal green lights or red flags, and how players on all sides can adapt.
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Reid Hoffman has been at the center of every major tech shift, from co-founding LinkedIn and helping build PayPal to investing early in OpenAI. In this conversation, he looks ahead to the next transformation: how artificial intelligence will reshape work, science, and what it means to be human.
In this episode, Reid joins Erik Torenberg and Alex Rampell to talk about what AI means for human progress, where Silicon Valley’s blind spots lie, and why the biggest breakthroughs will come from outside the obvious productivity apps. They discuss why reasoning still limits today’s AI, whether consciousness is required for true intelligence, and how to design systems that augment, not replace, people.
Reid also reflects on LinkedIn’s durability, the next generation of AI-native companies, and what friendship and purpose mean in an era where machines can simulate almost anything. This is a sweeping, high-level conversation at the intersection of technology, philosophy, and humanity.
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Amid global conflict, domestic unrest, and AI’s surging impact in all corners of business, it’s getting harder than ever to decipher noise from substance. To help us navigate this challenge, Reid Hoffman returns to Rapid Response, sharing valuable insights about Trump’s public spat with Elon Musk, the crisis in the Middle East, and how his new AI healthcare startup functions in the age of RFK Jr. Plus, Hoffman assesses Meta and Apple’s recent strategy to compete with OpenAI, and whether AI is realistically poised to spark a “white collar bloodbath”.
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Reid Hoffman recently stopped by Pioneers of AI to talk with host Rana el Kaliouby, and we didn’t want you to miss their fascinating conversation on AI’s environmental impact. They discuss AI’s potential for help and harm, explore what sustainable AI could look like, and predict how it could unlock scientific solutions to climate change.
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Over the next six weeks, we’re bringing you the most unmissable moments from The Diary of a CEO, a masterclass in work, business, and entrepreneurship. These are the lessons that built some of the most iconic companies in the world, shared by the visionary CEOs behind them.
We begin with Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn. In this powerful conversation, Reid breaks down the surprising trait that separates good entrepreneurs from the greats and why ignoring it could be your biggest mistake. He shares the story of whats like working with Elon Musk, what most people get wrong about ambition, and the brutal trade-offs that come with building at scale. You’ll learn how different leadership styles create different outcomes and what it really takes to build companies that last.
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Reid Hoffman is a longtime entrepreneur, venture capitalist and author. Throughout his career, Hoffman has helped build or support some of the biggest tech companies we know today. He was one of PayPal’s first employees, a co-founder of LinkedIn and an early investor and board member for OpenAI. These days, Hoffman spends a lot of time thinking about the potential positive outcomes of AI development, which is the subject of his latest book — Superagency: What Could Possibly Go Right with our AI Future. Hoffman sits down with Oz to talk about how he formed his tech philosophy, what our AI future may look like, and why he doesn’t mind going against the political tides in Silicon Valley.
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Reid Hoffman shares the inside story this week of his bold new venture to disrupt cancer drug development: Manas AI. He chats with Jeff Berman to reflect on why he co-founded the company, the lessons he’s using to scale it, and what advice he has for fellow entrepreneurs and investors about how to make the most of AI in any industry.
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Masters of Scale brings you a special episode of Pivot with Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway featuring conversation with our show’s founding host Reid Hoffman. Together, they discuss the hype and fears around DeepSeek, why spending money on AI is a good thing and insights from Reid’s newest book: "Superagency: What Could Possibly Go Right with Our AI Future." Then, Kara and Scott discuss Meta settling with Trump for $25 million, and the White House attempt to take a page out of Elon's playbook in offering buyouts to federal employees. Plus, the contentious RFK Jr. hearings. And will Kara get a podcaster seat at the White House briefings? We hope you enjoy!
About Pivot:
Every Tuesday and Friday, tech journalist Kara Swisher and NYU Professor Scott Galloway offer sharp, unfiltered insights into the biggest stories in tech, business, and politics. They make bold predictions, pick winners and losers, and bicker and banter like no one else. After all, with great power comes great scrutiny. From New York Magazine and the Vox Media Podcast Network.
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Kara and Scott are joined by Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn, and the author of the new book: "Superagency: What Could Possibly Go Right with Our AI Future." They discuss DeepSeek hype and fears, and why spending money on AI is a good thing. Then, Meta settles with Trump for $25 million, and the White House takes a page out of Elon's playbook to offer buyouts to federal employees. Plus, the contentious (and frightening) RFK, Jr. hearings. And will Kara get a podcaster seat at the White House briefings?
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Reid Hoffman is the co-founder of LinkedIn, a legendary Silicon Valley investor, and author of the new book Superagency: What Could Possibly Go Right with Our AI Future. Hoffman joins Big Technology Podcast to discuss his optimistic case for AI, the massive investments flooding into the field, and whether they can possibly pay off. Tune in to hear Hoffman's insider perspective on OpenAI's $6.6 billion raise, the emergence of Chinese AI competitor DeepSeek, and why he believes these unprecedented investments will seem small in retrospect. We also cover the evolving Microsoft-OpenAI relationship, tech CEOs gravitating toward Trump, and Hoffman's views on AI regulation and TikTok's future. Hit play for a deep dive into AI's trajectory from one of the industry's most influential voices.
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Reid Hoffman (Superagency: What Could Possibly Go Right With our AI Future) is an internet entrepreneur, author, and co-founder of LinkedIn and Inflection AI. Reid returns to the Armchair Expert to discuss Socrates’s musing on the failings of writing, an argument for pushing back on confirmation bias, and why you can’t have science or the middle class without the printing press. Reid and Dax talk about why AI is different from other technologies that have changed our lives, how powerloom weaving in England was the original small business, and ChatGPT being an accidental mic drop. Reid explains the way we get more toward a healthy society is by establishing networks of trust, runs through some fun AI prompts, and discusses why as biological creatures we first go through what could go wrong instead of right in any given situation.
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As Chinese AI developers send shockwaves through Silicon Valley, and Elon Musk spats with President Trump over AI policy, Reid Hoffman returns to Rapid Response to explore today’s AI landscape, and the secrets behind a concept he calls AI ‘Superagency’. Hoffman shares his vision for what an AI-infused workday will soon look like, how we address society’s greatest fears about technology, and more. As we enter a daunting new era — politically, socially, and technologically — Hoffman urges listeners to choose curiosity over fear.
Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/
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In this episode of Bankless, Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn and author of Super Agency, explores how AI is set to transform humanity and amplify individual potential. We dive into Hoffman’s vision of “super agency,” We examine AI's potential to democratize technology and reshape society, along with an analysis of four distinct perspectives on its impact: pessimistic, cautious, ambitious, and balanced. Hoffman shares lessons from past tech revolutions, the risks of AI misuse, and how innovation can unlock a more optimistic future.
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------ ✨ Mint the episode on Zora ✨ https://zora.co/collect/base:0x4be6cd4d402fed49eb2de95fbc8e737e8ffd3e7f/22?referrer=0x077Fe9e96Aa9b20Bd36F1C6290f54F8717C5674E
------ TIMESTAMPS
00:00:00 Intro 00:09:10 Is superagency a superpower? 00:11:09 How to identify a humanoid AI agent? 00:13:28 Which people will get this AI superpower? 00:17:22 Propagation of AI 00:18:47 AI religions 00:24:31 Zoomers are e/acc? 00:25:56 Thoughts on Gloomers 00:29:09 Mainframe computers' relation with today's AI 00:37:03 Negative and positive impacts of AI 00:50:28 Benefits of AI to the average citizen 00:52:58 What if AI misuses/sells our data? 00:59:31 How AI will deliver value worth millions 01:02:17 Why innovation is safety 01:05:59 AI choices shaping our freedom? 01:10:07 America’s approach towards AI 01:12:27 Is AI overhyped? 01:14:05 Closing & Disclaimers
------ RESOURCES
Reid Hoffman https://x.com/reidhoffman
Blitzscaling https://www.blitzscaling.com/
Super Agency https://www.superagency.ai/
------ Not financial or tax advice. See our investment disclosures here: https://www.bankless.com/disclosures
Happy holidays! We’ll be sharing snippets from Latent Space LIVE! through the break bringing you the best of 2024 from friends of the pod!
For NeurIPS last year we did our standard conference podcast coverage interviewing selected papers (that we have now also done for ICLR and ICML), however we felt that we could be doing more to help AI Engineers 1) get more industry-relevant content, and 2) recap 2024 year in review from experts. As a result, we organized the first Latent Space LIVE!, our first in person miniconference, at NeurIPS 2024 in Vancouver.
For our opening keynote, we could think of no one better to cover 'The State of AI Startups' than our friend Sarah Guo (AI superinvestor, founder of Conviction, host of No Priors!) and Pranav Reddy (Conviction partner) to share their takes on how the AI landscape evolved in 2024 examine the evolving AI landscape and what it means for startups, enterprises, and the industry as a whole! They completely understood the assignment.
Recorded live with 200+ in-person and 2200+ online attendees at NeurIPS 2024, this keynote kicks off our mini-conference series exploring different domains of AI development in 2024. Enjoy!
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Reid Hoffman is one of the most impactful people in technology and startups. As a Founder he founded Paypal and Linkedin before moving to the investing side where he has led deals in Facebook, Airbnb and more.
In Today's Episode with Reid Hoffman We Discuss:
1. China and Tariffs:
Should the US ban Tiktok and other Chinese companies, given China banning US companies presence in their country?
How does Reid evaluate the rise of the Chinese car industry? What are his concerns?
How does Reid hope Trump uses tariffs to advantage the US position?
What is Reid concerned about what Trump could do with tariffs? What would be bad?
2. Elon Musk and DOGE:
What impact will Elon Musk have on the future of AI in America?
Why does Reid believe that it is impossible for DOGE to achieve it's targets?
What should Elon must be given credit for? What does he not deserve credit for?
What are Elon's greatest strengths? What are his greatest weaknesses?
3. The US Defence Budget and Ukraine:
Why does Reid believe that the US should reduce their defence budget?
Does Reid believe the US should continue to finance the war in Ukraine?
Should the US continue to subsidise NATO's lack of defence spending?
4. NVIDIA and The Future of Chips:
Will NVIDIA be able to sustain their monopoly?
What is the biggest threat to their position?
Should both the US and Europe have their own chip sovereignty?
How does Reid evaluate potential conflict between China and Taiwan impacting chip supply?
5. Nuclear, Quantum and Climate:
Why does Reid believe nuclear fusion can solve climate change?
Does Reid believe that with the rise of global conflict and AI, the importance of climate change is reduced in the attention of the world?
Why does Reid believe that AI does more to help than harm climate change?
Why is Reid so excited for a future with quantum computing?
What are the biggest dangers of quantum that we need to be mindful of?
Reid Hoffman is the Founder of LinkedIn, founding member of Paypal, early investor in Airbnb And Facebook.He is the co-host of the ‘Possible’ Podcast and best-selling author of books such as, ‘Masters of Scale’ and ‘Blitzscaling’.
In this conversation, Reid and Steven discuss topics such as, why passion isn’t enough for success, the truth about the PayPal Mafia’s success, why Reid stepped back from LinkedIn, and how to adapt to an AI world.
00:00 Intro
02:16 How Have You Managed to Be So Successful?
07:34 What Did You Want to Be When You Were Growing Up?
08:46 Why Was Being Born in Stanford Hospital So Relevant to Your Story?
15:27 Self-Awareness as an Entrepreneur
17:38 Should Everyone Try to Be an Entrepreneur?
25:45 How Do I Know If My Business Is Good or Not?
37:06 What Was LinkedIn Like When It First Started?
39:09 Why Were So Many Successful People from the PayPal Mafia?
42:23 The Importance of Sales
49:11 How Important Is Hiring in Business?
55:16 What Are the Different Types of Entrepreneurs?
57:43 Elon Musk’s Approach to Business
01:03:17 Work-Life Balance in Startups
01:08:24 Stepping Back as CEO for LinkedIn
01:12:18 How Does Life Change When You Become a Billionaire?
01:13:58 Political Stance as a Billionaire
01:18:11 Trump’s Redeeming Qualities
01:22:32 The Shift Towards Freedom of Speech
01:25:02 Freedom of Speech as X
01:33:03 What Do You Think Social Media Will Become in the Next Decade?
01:37:58 How Should the Average Person Be Approaching AI?
01:40:12 Is the Gloom Around AI Warranted?
01:50:23 What Should the Everyday Person Be Doing with AI?
01:58:40 How Do We Learn About AI?
02:00:22 Your Early Investment in OpenAI
02:01:45 How Important Is Networking?
02:02:30 Underappreciated Qualities for a Good Entrepreneur
02:05:58 The Qualities You Look for in an Entrepreneur
02:15:21 What Is Happiness to You?
02:19:08 Marriage and Entrepreneurship
02:20:55 Should All Entrepreneurs Be Moving Fast to Build a Company?
02:28:51 How Should You Be Viewing Risk?
02:31:56 How Do We Know When to Quit?
02:34:25 LinkedIn’s Deck
02:37:44 Are You Still Interested in Building Companies?
02:40:17 Are There Any Unchecked Boxes?
02:42:28 Last Guest’s Question
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Following Donald Trump’s victory in this week’s US presidential election, Reid Hoffman (a major donor to Vice President Harris’ campaign) is figuring out where business, tech, and his own energy go from here. Hoffman joins Rapid Response host Bob Safian to share his reaction to the election and what the outcome means for Silicon Valley, the overall economy, and more. Despite being a vocal critic of Trump, Hoffman is committed to driving US prosperity over the next four years, assuring “we’re all in this boat together”.
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Reid Hoffman isn’t just one of the most influential entrepreneurs and investors in Silicon Valley — he’s also one of the most important mega-donors supporting the Democratic party. A member of the so-called PayPal Mafia, Hoffman is a VC partner at Greylock Ventures and Microsoft board member who co-founded LinkedIn and InflectionAI and was a founding investor in OpenAI. He is one of the leading voices in tech fighting against former President Donald Trump, and he puts his money where his mouth is — which doesn’t always sit well with progressives, and is even more upsetting to former friends, like Elon Musk and Peter Thiel, who have gone full MAGA.
In this live interview at the Masters of Scale Summit, hosted by Hoffman in San Francisco, Kara and Reid discuss everything from the upcoming election, and the business community’s response to Trump, to Elon, Peter Thiel, Lina Khan and artificial intelligence.
Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on Instagram as @onwithkaraswisher
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(0:00) Bestie intros: Buttons are back for fall
(1:48) Reid Hoffman joins the show, reminiscing on PayPal stories with Sacks
(7:52) State of AI: Nvidia, cluster buildouts, competition
(19:51) OpenAI's corporate structure and thoughts on Elon's lawsuit
(29:09) Inflection AI's deal structure with Microsoft, Lina Khan's impact on the tech industry
(41:27) Reid's perspective on Kamala being hot swapped for Biden, funding groups that attempted to keep RFK Jr. off ballots
(52:02) Reid's thoughts on growing antisemitism
(55:03) Thoughts on Kamala's economic proposals: price caps, wealth tax, etc.
(1:04:19) How Silicon Valley views both candidates, why Reid funded legal action against Trump
(1:19:03) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. joins the show and recaps his campaign and decision to back Trump
(1:31:13) Falling out with the Democratic Party
(1:37:26) Potential role in the Trump Administration, Make America Healthy Again agenda
(1:58:01) Sacks recaps RFK Jr's campaign, RFK Jr. on Trump's legacy
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Referenced in the show:
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https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gavin-baker-ai-semiconductors-and-the-robotic-frontier/id1154105909?i=1000666758592
My guest today is Sarah Guo. Sarah is the founder and CEO of Conviction, an early-stage venture capital firm built to serve AI companies. She started Conviction in 2022 after 9 years at Greylock because she believes AI is the most important technological advancement of our lifetime. In our conversation, Sarah discusses the challenges and rewards of leaving an established investing firm to start her own venture. She shares her unique perspective on the AI landscape and reveals her predictions for what we should expect on the AI frontier. Please enjoy this great conversation with the very impressive Sarah Guo.
For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.
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Past guests include Tobi Lutke, Kevin Systrom, Mike Krieger, John Collison, Kat Cole, Marc Andreessen, Matthew Ball, Bill Gurley, Anu Hariharan, Ben Thompson, and many more.
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Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com).
Show Notes:
(00:00:00) Our Partners: Ridgeline and Tegus
(00:03:30) Welcome to Invest Like the Best
(00:04:30) Introduction & Recruiting in Venture Capital
(00:05:06) Key Traits for Early-Stage Venture Capitalists
(00:06:57) Lessons from Early Investments
(00:07:47) The Journey of Building a Company
(00:09:01) The Decision to Start Conviction
(00:11:36) Launching Conviction and Initial Steps
(00:13:43) First Investment at Conviction
(00:14:00) Evaluating AI Application Companies
(00:16:29) Challenges and Opportunities in AI Applications
(00:23:57) Minimum Viable Quality in AI Products
(00:33:19) Future of AI and Frontier Models
(00:38:56) The Unpredictable Future of AI
(00:40:16) The Importance of Efficiency in AI Models
(00:44:28) The Business of AI: Costs and Margins
(00:45:47) Infrastructure and Hardware Challenges
(00:48:54) The Competitive Landscape of AI Chips
(00:54:24) The Future of AI and Society
(00:56:34) Opportunities and Innovations in AI
(01:02:09) Concerns and Ethical Considerations
(01:03:36) Debates and Research in AI
(01:09:01) Personal Reflections and Closing Thoughts
Episode 612: Sam Parr ( https://twitter.com/theSamParr ) and Shaan Puri ( https://twitter.com/ShaanVP ) talk to Sarah Guo ( https://x.com/saranormous ) about the Ai ideas she thinks could be $1B swings.
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Show Notes:
(0:00) Intro
(4:00) IDEA: AI companions
(16:00) IDEA: AI interior design / professional headshots
(22:30) IDEA: A richer version of The Sims
(25:00) The speedy way to do this if you're non-technical
(27:00) IDEA: Your Personal Seller
(32:00) IDEA: Generative Voice API for service providers, SMBs, restaurants
(38:00) IDEA: Next Gen Auto-Fill
(40:00) Software 3.0--what's coming
(42:00) Boring verticals fertile for AI: Legal and medical
(44:00) Ask: What's already being outsourced?
(47:00) Ripe for disruption: energy storage, chips,
(49:00) “Ai's $600B Question”
(52:00) Sarah Reacts: Doomsday scenarios in Ai
(56:30) If you're 22, hungry and optimistic, go west
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Links:
• Sarah Guo - https://sarahguo.com/
• Conviction - https://www.conviction.com/
• No Priors Podcast - https://www.youtube.com/@NoPriorsPodcast
• Replika - https://replika.com/
• Character.ai - https://character.ai/
• HeyGen - https://www.heygen.com/
• Icon - https://icon.me/
• Arcads - https://www.arcads.ai/
• Interior AI - https://interiorai.com/
• Aragon - https://aragon.ai/
• Chatbot App - https://chatbotapp.ai/
• Cartesia - https://cartesia.ai/
• Somewhere - https://www.somewhere.com/
• AI’s $600B Question - https://www.sequoiacap.com/article/ais-600b-question/
• Eureka Labs - https://eurekalabs.ai/
• Conviction Embed - https://embed.conviction.com/
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Check Out Shaan's Stuff:
Need to hire? You should use the same service Shaan uses to hire developers, designers, & Virtual Assistants → it’s called Shepherd (tell ‘em Shaan sent you): https://bit.ly/SupportShepherd
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Check Out Sam's Stuff:
• Hampton - https://www.joinhampton.com/
• Ideation Bootcamp - https://www.ideationbootcamp.co/
• Copy That - https://copythat.com
• Hampton Wealth Survey - https://joinhampton.com/wealth
• Sam’s List - http://samslist.co/
My First Million is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by The HubSpot Podcast Network // Production by Arie Desormeaux // Editing by Ezra Bakker Trupiano
Reid Hoffman's support for Kamala Harris and other Democrats — and distaste for former President Trump — has plunged him into headlines, in opposition to Elon Musk and others. Reid joins Rapid Response host Bob Safian to take us inside Silicon Valley’s reaction to Harris’s presidential bid, why some business leaders are embracing Trump, and what the Democratic Party is telling major donors like himself. Plus, Reid shares blitzscaling advice for the Harris campaign and explains why the number one factor guiding his vote in November is rule of law.
For more info, visit: www.rapidresponseshow.com
Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8vYI76qTZ0
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
This Week in Startups is brought to you by…
Squarespace. Turn your idea into a new website! Go to http://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST for a free trial. When you’re ready to launch, use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.
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OpenPhone. Create business phone numbers for you and your team that work through an app on your smartphone or desktop. TWiST listeners can get an extra 20% off any plan for your first 6 months at https://www.openphone.com/twist
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Todays show:
Benchmark’s Sarah Tavel joins Jason to discuss strategies for competing in a changing venture landscape (9:12), the critical role of governance and accountability in startups (19:39), the relationship between hype, investment decisions, and startup promotion (55:20). and more!
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Timestamps:
(0:00) Sarah Tavel joins Jason.
(1:38) Sarah Tavel, Benchmark Partner, on disciplined fund size and efficiency
(5:06) Benchmark's commitment to founders and investment strategy
(9:12) Strategies for competing in a changing venture landscape
(10:00) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at http://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST
(15:50) Valuations, ownership, and building deep relationships with founders
(18:30) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at https://www.linkedin.com/twist
(19:39) The critical role of governance and accountability in startups
(28:36) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at https://www.openphone.com/twist
(30:16) The power of incremental improvements and executive limitations
(34:32) Vanity metrics vs. building enduring value in startups
(43:12) The consequences of choosing status over results in startup success
(46:22) Building trust in leadership and the pressures of maintaining success
(49:03) The importance of non-consensus bets and independent thinking
(55:20) The relationship between hype, investment decisions, and startup promotion
(58:19) In-person work vs. remote work: Impact on startup productivity
(1:02:58) SaaS market challenges: Pricing, AI impact, and future models
(1:07:33) Exciting AI investments and the transformative potential of new technologies
(1:13:01) AI advancements, new use cases, and the competitive landscape
(1:17:16) How incumbents and consumers are benefiting from AI advancements
(1:19:15) Embracing AI in daily tasks and business operations
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Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com/
Check out the TWIST500: twist500.com
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Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp
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Check out Benchmark: https://www.benchmark.com/
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Follow Sarah:
X: https://x.com/sarahtavel
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahtavel/
Sarah’s Substack: https://www.sarahtavel.com/
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Follow Jason:
X: https://twitter.com/Jason
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis
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Thank you to our partners:
(10:00) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at http://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST
(18:30) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at https://www.linkedin.com/twist
(28:36) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at https://www.openphone.com/twist
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Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland
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Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis
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Follow TWiST:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups
Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com
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Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916
Two guests join us today. First up, Jessica Tarlov reports live from the RNC. We hear about the overall vibe, the aftermath of the attempted assassination of Trump, and what we need to think about leading up to the election. Follow Jessica and her reporting, @JessicaTarlov.
Afterward, we hear from Reid Hoffman about Biden’s decision to stay in the presidential race, the state of AI, and “woke-ism” and its place in American universities.
We also get an update on Scott’s whereabouts.
Algebra of Happiness™: be humble & forgive yourself.
Subscribe to No Mercy / No Malice
Buy "The Algebra of Wealth," out now.
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LlamaIndex is a data framework for building LLM applications. Check out the open-source framework or get started with the developer community, LlamaHub.
Looking for a deeper understanding of RAG? Start with our guide.
Wondering how to import `SimpleDirectoryReader` from LlamaIndex? This question has you covered.
Jerry Chen is a partner at Greylock. Connect with him on LinkedIn.
Read Jerry Liu’s posts on the LlamaIndex blog or connect with him on LinkedIn.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Reid Hoffman has been one of the most impactful people in technology over the last two decades. He is the Co-Founder of Linkedin (acq by Microsoft for $26BN) and Co-Founder of Inflection.ai. As an investor, Reid has backed the likes of Facebook, Airbnb, Zynga and more. Reid is also a Board Member @ Microsoft and was on the board of OpenAI.
In Today's Show with Reid Hoffman We Discuss:
1. Foundation Models: Commoditisation, Business Models, Incumbents:
Does Reid believe we are seeing the commoditization of foundation models?
Is it too late for new foundation models to be born today? Are they VC backable?
How will foundation models eventually make money? What will be the sustainable business model?
Does Reid believe that foundation models will be acquired by large cloud providers? Who goes first?
2. Inflection & Microsoft: What Went Down:
How did the Microsoft and Inflection deal go down? Did Satya call up one day and make it happen?
With the decay rate of models, Microsoft did not do it for the models, so why did they do it?
Was Inflection a sustainable business in it's own right?
Does this not prove that to win at this game, you have to be an incumbent with incumbent cash?
3. OpenAI: Board, Lessons and Management:
What are 1-2 of Reid's biggest lessons from being on the OpenAI board with Sam?
Why did Sam ask Reid in front of the whole company if Reid would fire him if he did not perform?
Scarlett Johannsen, super alignment team quitting, NDAs tied to equity, this is a lot in a short amount of time, how does Reid analyse this?
4. Trump is the Biggest Threat to Democracy: What Lies Ahead?
Why does Reid believe that Trump is a threat to democracy and evil?
What were Reid's biggest takeaways from a two hour lunch with Joe Biden?
How does a Trump administration change the world of AI, technology and startups?
5. The Future of TikTok:
Is TikTok a threat to US democracy? Should it be banned?
What will be the outcome of the current judicial process? Will they sell to a US entity?
How could Trump impact the future of TikTok in the US?
6. Reid Hoffman: AMA:
What are Peter Thiel's biggest strengths and weaknesses?
I believe Mark Zuckerberg is one of the most unappreciated public market CEOs, what are the core components that Reid believes makes Mark so special?
How did Reid miss out on investing in SpaceX's first round? What did he not see that he should have seen?
What do we think is crazy today but will be a no brainer and very normal in 10 years?
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