LinkedIn: Reid Hoffman

How I Built This · 15 Jan 2018 · 41m

What this episode covers

Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn, recounts his journey from early internet ventures like SocialNet and a stint at PayPal to building the professional network that Microsoft acquired for $26 billion. He details the strategic pivot from a dating-focused platform to a real-name professional identity network, the challenges of raising venture capital, and his role as COO during PayPal's intense competition with eBay. The episode also covers his philosophy on entrepreneurship, the importance of luck and hard work, and his transition to angel investing and board roles at companies like Airbnb and Microsoft.

Most relevant to

founders before launch, early-stage companies, companies scaling up and large enterprises

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Microsoft, PayPal, eBay, Greylock, Airbnb
Products
LinkedIn, SocialNet, Peekaboo Ponytail Hats, Masters of Scale

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