Wharton Tech Toks LinkedIn: Corporate Development
15 snips
Apr 25, 2024 
Benjamin Orthlieb, VP of Corporate Development at LinkedIn, dives deep into the world of corporate strategy. He discusses the critical build vs. buy decision-making framework and how corporate development shapes LinkedIn's strategy. Orthlieb emphasizes the importance of cultural fit during acquisitions and shares insights on Gen AI and emerging tech trends. He also provides advice on navigating careers in tech and the significance of concise communication. Finally, he highlights the qualities that make founders stand out in angel investing.
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Three Flavors Of Acquisition
- Benjamin Orthlieb defines three acquisition flavors: acqui-hires, tech-and-talent, and full business buys.
- The first internal filter is strategy fit: would you buy it for a dollar ignoring price?
Validate Culture Through Repeated Meetings
- Meet repeatedly with founders and teams to assess cultural fit and working dynamics.
- Set clear role expectations and retention terms early to ensure founders stay through integration.
Growth Drives New Product Needs
- Growth creates new product requirements and measurement needs as LinkedIn becomes more central for users.
- Gen AI and emerging LLM ops infrastructure are top themes for engagement and exploration.
