#689: The Brothers Who Live One Life — The Incredible Adventures of David and Daniil Liberman

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Aug 24, 2023

David and Daniil Liberman share their inspiring entrepreneurial journey, from their childhood in post-Soviet Russia to innovating in the mobile app space at Snap. They discuss their philanthropic commitment through the Founders Pledge, aiming to create lasting social impact. The brothers dive into the complexities of navigating the animation industry and the challenges of financial instability. Their sibling synergy enhances their creativity and decision-making, showcasing how close partnerships can lead to greater aspirations and resilience in the ever-evolving business landscape.

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INSIGHT

Changing Direction and Failure

The Liberman brothers emphasize the importance of readily changing direction in business, especially in venture startups.
They learned from their experiences that failure can be due to external factors, not just ability.

ADVICE

Living One Life

The Liberman brothers operate as a single entity, sharing one email, social media, and even a bed until recently.
They believe this approach enhances their efficiency and creates a "superhuman" image.

ANECDOTE

Meeting Evan Spiegel and Joining Snap

The Liberman brothers met Evan Spiegel through a connection facilitated by a chance encounter with the Dalai Lama and Jerry Murdoch.
This led to their acquisition by Snap, where they worked on 3D avatars.

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David Liberman and Daniil Liberman (@DaLiberman) are visionary entrepreneurs and investors with a close partnership spanning 16 years. They gained valuable experience at Snap, contributing to projects involving avatars, bitmoji, animation, and product operations. They are currently based in Los Angeles, where their primary focus is on building Product Science, a service dedicated to optimizing mobile apps.

Moreover, the Liberman brothers have established The Libermans Company, referred to as a People Company. Through their commitment to the Founders Pledge, they have allocated all future earnings and economic value for the next three decades to LibermansCo, including founder shares of Product Science and potential returns from future investments.

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[06:59] Childhood.

[09:46] The influence of scientist parents on curious kids.

[12:42] The perils of pursuing anti-corruption innovation in post-Soviet Russia.

[18:09] Building a business with cables and crossbows.

[23:21] Lessons learned by bankrupting a gaming studio.

[29:42] Moscow-style investment recovery.

[31:07] A lucky break in the darkness of debt.

[32:07] Streamlining production through decentralization, parallelization, and a DJ connection.

[35:00] When playing the fools is the smart move.

[41:04] Coming to America.

[44:46] Building momentum with animation in Los Angeles.

[46:19] Divorce lawyer power dynamics.

[47:10] Another unforeseen financial hurdle.

[49:02] To Silicon Valley and nonprofit transparency.

[52:21] How are David and Daniil able to pivot between different ideas so quickly?

[58:12] The formation, advantages, and drawbacks of the Liberman hive mind.

[1:07:18] Separation pros and cons.

[1:08:56] How does external romance fit into this arrangement?

[1:12:12] The Dalai Lama, Jerry Murdock, and Snap.

[1:19:28] Reversing Snapchat's 2018 decline by adapting to data and fixing real problems.

[1:27:40] Applying principles of compound growth to life.

[1:33:23] How working with family has helped with logistics.

[1:37:11] The value of interdisciplinary synthesis.

[1:45:46] How the Libermans might teach people to code.

[1:52:55] A data-driven look at our current financial crisis.

[2:04:21] What's the Liberman solution?

[2:06:46] Incentivizing adoption of such a solution.

[2:10:33] A real-world test.

[2:14:08] Who/what makes for a good investment in this model?

[2:19:35] Do we reduce or elevate the potential for success by minimizing suffering?

[2:27:33] How to invest in people (and why you should).

[2:37:52] Parting thoughts.

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