Greymatter

Reid Hoffman | Entrepreneurship and Loneliness

Dec 15, 2020
Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn and Greylock partner, reflects on the solitude founders face and how it shaped his path. He tells personal stories from failure and success. He explains the cliff-and-airplane metaphor, choosing resilient teams and investors, and where to find practical emotional support.
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INSIGHT

Founders Experience Deeper Loneliness Than CEOs

  • Founders face deeper loneliness than CEOs because they must persuade others to jump off the cliff with them.
  • That community's wellbeing is tied to the founder's conviction while uncertainty and multi-year value shadows amplify pressure.
ANECDOTE

How SocialNet Taught Founders Cost Of Keeping People In The Boat

  • Reid used food to self-soothe during SocialNet and found early hires required constant persuasion to "stay in the boat."
  • The repeated cycles of keeping people committed distracted founders and consumed massive emotional bandwidth.
ANECDOTE

Reid Turned Around To Counsel A Stressed Executive

  • At LinkedIn Reid turned his car around mid-trip to personally support an executive who called saying "I'm out."
  • That hands-on intervention cost time but showed how founders absorb team stress directly.
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