Reid Hoffman

One of the biggest strikes against the tech industry is too much noise and not enough signal. But does it always pay to "show, not tell," — even about the most innovative of products? Austin Russell of Luminar Technologies believes so. At just 17 years old, Austin created revolutionary tech that would unlock autonomous driving in the future, and make safer passenger cars today. Almost as startling is how he kept his breakthrough close to his chest for five years — carefully choosing trusted team members, mentors, and industry partners before revealing his tech to the wider world. In this special episode guest-hosted by master hype-ologist will.i.am, Austin sheds light on his quiet approach to scaling, and the importance of letting the technology speak for itself.

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The AI boom in 2023 left Intel chasing rival Nvidia, whose chips — and shares — have been in high demand. Like other laggards amid this year’s AI mania, Intel is now fighting back, announcing the first-ever AI PC. Intel’s CEO Pat Gelsinger sits down with Rapid Response host Bob Safian to discuss how the company is working to re-establish itself — and sharing lessons for leaders everywhere about the long-term trajectory of the AI wave and how to practically position yourself to ride it. Plus, Pat shares leadership insights from his unceremonious exit from Intel a decade ago, and how he’s applying those learnings now in his second tour of duty.

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In the five years since Scott Harrison’s first appearance on Masters of Scale with Reid Hoffman, the nonprofit organization he founded, charity: water, has scaled 5 times over. In this episode, he and host Bob Safian reflect on that journey by revisiting some of the stories and lessons from his original episode, and Scott shares new lessons of scale he's learned since.

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In our attention economy, what does it take to capture the cultural zeitgeist? VaynerMedia’s Gary Vaynerchuk – or GaryVee – joins Rapid Response host Bob Safian to preach the need for widespread empathy and fearless leadership, and he uncovers the secrets to his new platform’s unconventional scale. Plus, Vaynerchuk shares why he is the only person at his company with firing privileges, and why your happiness is worth fighting for above all else. In these trying times, it’s hard to not be inspired by Gary’s practical optimism.

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Under a harsh spotlight, how do you remain composed while fighting for your mission? Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt joins Rapid Response host Bob Safian to take us inside the story of his public row with Elon Musk. Jonathan also explains how business leaders must ignite hope in the face of hate to help build a brighter future. Plus, he shares lessons about the seasonality of business, the importance of Hollywood, and why leaders everywhere should embrace conflict.

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Amidst the fast pace of entrepreneurial life, how can we make our networking more impactful? The acclaimed film and television producer Brian Grazer argues that curiosity is the elixir for deeper human connection and cultivating a healthy network that serves as an ever-flowing well of inspiration. 

Brian joins Reid to share the unique practice that brings his healthy network to life. You’ll also hear how Brian founded Imagine Entertainment with his longtime creative partner, Ron Howard, and how iconic names like Warren Beatty and Jay-Z were injected with Brian’s curiosity. Plus, Brian shares lessons about seeking inspiration outside of your bubble, the hidden power of microexpressions, and why leaders everywhere should never turn up to a social meeting empty handed.

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How do you evolve your greatest obstacle into your greatest superpower? Shellye Archambeau, Ellevest’s Sallie Krawcheck, and Calendly’s Tope Awotona discuss the hidden advantages of strategizing like an entrepreneurial outsider. Recorded live at the Masters of Scale Summit in San Francisco, they sit down with host Bob Safian to share lessons about questioning the status quo, maintaining confidence in the face of criticism, and orchestrating a cultural turnaround. Whether you’re a budding entrepreneur or firmly established in the C-suite, the outsider’s mindset has the power to inject counterintuitive creativity and dynamism into your leadership.

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Need to Know: AI’s risks and opportunities; why Reid launched his own AI chatbot; and what Elon Musk and Sam Altman aren’t telling you. Reid Hoffman joins Bob Safian to explore how leaders everywhere should prepare for the AI revolution. Plus, Reid shares the inspiration and strategy behind co-founding his company, Inflection AI. If you’re unsure how to begin a period of experimentation and AI rollout, Reid and Bob have you covered.

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Your company's culture is the bedrock of everything you do. So you can't afford to just let your culture emerge — you need to build it with the deliberate approach of a product designer. Then you need to bring that culture to life by winning buy-in from your team.

This is exactly what Dharmesh Shah did at HubSpot — as laid out in the famed HubSpot Culture Code. This living document continues to inspire founders and business leaders to adopt a product design approach to building their own vibrant and adaptable company cultures.

In this episode, Dharmesh talks through the inspiration behind the Culture Code, and reveals how he built and rebuilt some of its most inspiring elements — all while keeping his team invested.

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Navigate today’s uncertain climate with a steadfast resolve. Recorded live at the Masters of Scale Summit in San Francisco, former Merck CEO Ken Frazier and Upwork CEO Hayden Brown talk with host Bob Safian about how leaders should trust their values when faced with social, political, and economic challenges. Brown shares how leading through the chaos of the pandemic brought new opportunities to increase diversity and productivity. Frazier details Merck’s reactionary strategy to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and offers clear advice to socially conscious leaders.

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Rapid Response with Bob Safian: Should you begin incorporating AI now or wait to see how it shakes-out for early adopters? AI pioneer Rana el Kaliouby urges business leaders to embrace their exploration mindset in order to accelerate faster. El Kaliouby takes us inside her own AI shop, Smart Eye, where she serves as deputy CEO, to share their process for adapting to the latest technology. An expert on emotional AI and its ethical boundaries, El Kaliouby argues that to succeed in the AI era, we need to focus on what makes us human. She offers key lessons about AI’s role on your core product and functions as well as the risks of overreaching. 

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How do you balance saving capital versus taking advantage of current opportunities? How do investors and founders evaluate risk differently? And how do you embrace disruptive new technology without sending the message that you’re replacing humans with robots? Reid Hoffman and Bob Safian answer these questions and more, all posed in a special live Strategy Session by entrepreneurs across many industries and stages of scale. Plus Reid shares how playing games can revolutionize the way you strategize as a leader.

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Rapid Response with Bob Safian: After an infamous fall, MoviePass co-founder Stacy Spikes is back to try again, applying hard-earned lessons and a revamped model to meet the same goal: make theater-going a habit for a new generation. As a passionate Black entrepreneur, Stacy shares the hidden powers of being an outsider and how anyone can re-take control of their narrative to spark a new and exciting chapter.  

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To change the status quo, we need to lean into whatever advantages we have. Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud of Saudi Arabia has privileges that many do not: She is a member of the royal family and Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to the United States. But she is also a woman in a traditional culture who has encountered many obstacles — as an entrepreneur, a CEO, and in government. Princess Reema has deftly maneuvered to help expand women’s rights in Saudi Arabia, in ways few predicted. Recorded live at the Masters of Scale Summit in San Francisco, Princess Reema talks with host Bob Safian about how anyone can use their advantages to push the boundary of what’s possible.

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After guiding the company through a near-death experience, Airbnb’s Brian Chesky talks with Rapid Response host Bob Safian about what he learned and how responding to a crisis both reveals your character and teaches you what’s most important. Recorded live on stage at the Masters of Scale Summit in San Francisco.

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To survive a crisis, you have to double down on who you already are as a company. This is something Ellen Kullman knows, having led DuPont through the 2008-2009 financial crisis, and taken the CEO role at 3D-printing unicorn Carbon only weeks before Covid hit. Through her years as a leader, Ellen has developed four crisis principles that allowed her to lead teams and thrive through pandemic, economic meltdown, and beyond. The key? Practicing the principles in calmer times, before crisis hits. Because as Reid says: there's no such thing as a crisis playbook. There's just your playbook. Cameos: Amy Shira Teitel (spaceflight historian), Jonah Peretti (BuzzFeed), Brian Chesky (Airbnb), Neil Blumenthal (Warby Parker), Stacy Brown-Philpot (TaskRabbit).

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Reid Hoffman and Bob Safian sit down once more to discuss how today’s hot-button stories are impacting business. And right now, there's no hotter topic than ChatGPT and the race to bring transformative AI tools into the mainstream. So in this special AI deep-dive, Reid and Bob discuss how ChatGPT has reignited the search engine wars, how we can expect AI to transform our work and leisure, ways to see through the hype, and how business leaders should get the jump on the AI inflection point.

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The carbon-capture industry notched a breakthrough in early 2023, when Climeworks became the first company to be third-party certified for taking carbon out of the air and mineralizing it underground. Climeworks co-founder and co-CEO Christoph Gebald is now racing to scale this new potential, from Iceland to Oman to the United States, by convincing investors, corporate partners, and governments to support a new pillar in the quest for net-zero goals. Christoph points to both serendipity and learning from mistakes as key in helping Climeworks navigate the steep path required in addressing climate-crisis.

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For entrepreneurs and business leaders, the path to success is littered with traps. In this special episode of Masters of Scale, we go into the trenches with leaders from Google, Uber, LinkedIn, and more for inside stories on how to identify, decode, and surmount unexpected pitfalls — from organizational jams to overcommunication, from bloated meetings to bungled succession planning. Learn how to get out of, and avoid, these traps, for yourself and the entire organization.

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While media companies from CNN to Buzzfeed have faced layoffs, one digital network focused on Black millennials has continued to forge ahead. Morgan DeBaun, CEO of Blavity, which reaches some 100 million users through brands like Travel Noire and Afrotech, has defied the odds — repeatedly. Morgan’s experience offers lessons about financial discipline and focused patience, as well as the untapped value in multicultural consumers. An adviser to big companies like American Airlines and an advocate for the Black tech community, Morgan illuminates how openness and opportunity reinforce each other, for enterprises at all scales.

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