Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Greymatter

Too often, usernames and passwords are the only thing standing between cyber criminals and an organization's data. While it seems obvious, implementing stronger identity controls has historically been a challenge for organizations because the mechanisms that cut off access to threats can also impede employees’ ability to access the systems they need to do their jobs. Opal Security was founded to solve for that tension. Opal Security CEO and co-founder Umaimah Khan spoke with Greylock partner Saam Motamedi about about the company’s mission to deliver scalable least privilege from a security-first standpoint without slowing businesses down. You can read a transcript of this interview here: https://greylock.com/greymatter/security-first-identity/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guest episode of Product-Led AI, hosted by Greylock partner Seth Rosenberg. In this episode, he speaks with AI pioneer Mustafa Suleyman, who has been at the forefront of the technology through several major leaps forward. As the co-founder of DeepMind, Google’s VP of AI Policy and Products, the co-founder of Inflection, and now the CEO of Microsoft AI, he’s seen AI’s evolution into the transformative tech it is today. He shares his perspective on AGI, autonomous agents, and opportunities for startups. You can read a transcript of this interview at https://productledaipod.com/podcasts/defining-intelligence/ You can watch the video of this interview at https://youtu.be/cNzRviY4Ei8?si=0Drr1xNbWkkbhPJf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greylock general partner Jerry Chen discusses key takeaways from his essay "The New New Moats: Why Systems of Intelligence are Still the Next Defensible Business Model." The essay is a fresh take on his "New Moats" blog from 2017, in which he postulated that startups would be able to build defensible moats using AI. With the explosion of AI activity in recent times, Chen revisited this analysis to see what holds true, what he got wrong, and what is still too early to tell. You can read the 2023 essay here: https://greylock.com/greymatter/the-new-new-moats/ You can read the original 2017 essay here: https://greylock.com/greymatter/the-new-moats/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greylock general partner Reid Hoffman and his Blitzscaling co-author Chris Yeh examine the current development of Web3, focusing on how basic human nature is driving some of the innovation. This discussion was sparked in part by an article by Bloomberg reporter Joshua Brustein, who interviewed Hoffman about his recent essay on his experience as a Web 2.0 entrepreneur and investor. In that essay, Hoffman described the ways the “wild idealism” of the era led to major advances that both positively and negatively impacted the world, and how the “seven deadly sins” of humanity form the basis of many technological pursuits. You can read a transcript of this conversation here: https://greylock.com/greymatter/vices-and-virtues-in-web3/ You can read Joshua's story here: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-01-12/web3-silicon-valley-s-new-obsession-looks-a-lot-like-last-one?sref=ojgukC4T Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greylock welcomes Mustafa Suleyman as the firm's newest venture partner. Suleyman is known for his pioneering work in the field of artificial intelligence, and joins the firm from Google, where he was Vice President of AI Product Management and AI Policy. Before that he co-founded DeepMind, the world’s leading artificial intelligence company, which was acquired by Google in 2014 for $650M. Greylock general partner Reid Hoffman and Suleyman discuss the current AI landscape, the pivotal advances that have gotten the field to this point, and where they see opportunities for startups. You can read a transcript of this conversation here: https://greylock.com/firm-news/welcome-mustafa-suleyman/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the day of their public market debut, Sonder CEO and founder Francis Davidson talks with Greylock general partner Josh McFarland about the hospitality company's wild journey from a side gig started during college to a modern, tech-enabled, design-forward accommodation platform serving travelers in 35 countries around the world. Davidson recounts the company's swift traction of the first few years, the dark days of early 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic struck and upended travel overnight, and how the company pivoted and redirected its focus in order to emerge stronger than ever. You can read a transcript of this interview here: https://greylock.com/portfolio-news/congrats-sonder/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In March 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic forced nearly every aspect of life online. Suddenly, everything was happening on Zoom. To the everyday consumer, Zoom might have seemed like an overnight success story. But Zoom CEO and founder Eric Yuan, who was founded the company in 2011 as an enterprise service, said they were able to meet the sudden surge in demand thanks to the company's longstanding, unwavering focus on making virtual human interaction easy and accessible for anyone regardless of location, device, or technical savviness. That consistent customer-centric approach allowed the company to grow 30-fold without compromising quality, and has made Zoom a lasting everyday part of work, school, entertainment, healthcare, and everything else. This interview by Greylock general partner Sarah Guo is part of Greylock's Iconversations speaker series. You can read a transcript of the conversation here: https://greylock.com/greymatter/zoom-eric-yuan-full-screen-ahead/ ‎ You can watch the video from this event here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnsTB8Q5VgnUtQ2Yc32sqgCr_pm77YGZr Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A re-broadcast of Reid Hoffman's discussion with his Blitzscaling co-author Chris Yeh on the pros and cons of two different courses of study: the standard business school MBA, or a degree in philosophy. Hoffman, who holds a philosophy degree from Oxford, shares why he generally views pursuing an MBA as an adverse signal for entrepreneurship. This episode is the second in a two-part series on philosophy and entrepreneurship. You can read an essay from this podcast here:https://greylock.com/greymatter/philosopher-versus-mba/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A re-broadcast of Reid Hoffman's discussion with his Blitzscaling co-author Chris Yeh on the ways a philosophy degree can impact entrepreneurship. This conversation is the first in a two-part series on the subject. You can read an essay based on this podcast here: https://greylock.com/greymatter/the-philosopher-entrepreneur/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Members of Greylock's investing and specialist teams reflect on the past year, and look forward to the year ahead. They weigh in on the main startup trends, discuss sectors they are planning to spend more time on, and share personal stories about lessons learned, and plans for the coming year. You can read a transcript of this episode here: https://greylock.com/greymatter/year-in-review/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greylock general partner David Thacker talks with Eden Chen, the CEO and co-founder of backend game engine platform Pragma. As live service gaming has become a massive industry, powering that ecosystem has become increasingly complex. Like every other technology sector, there are too few software developers around to keep up with the demands of constant game development and iteration. Pragma was built to relieve that bottleneck. Along the way, the company aims to help developers focus more on the creative aspects of games that can make them a force for good. You can read a transcript of this podcast here:https://greylock.com/greymatter/game-changer/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a brief period of hiring freezes and mass layoffs early in the pandemic, business has come roaring back, and competition for talent is now higher than ever. Demand for highly-skilled employees outstrips supply, and most CEOs and hiring managers say that finding, hiring and retaining great team members is among the top concerns that keep them up at night. Greylock Talent Partner Glen Evans and Abnormal Security CEO and co-founder Evan Reiser share strategies and insights from building startup teams at a time when everyone is fighting over the same limited supply of world-class talent. This episode is part of Greymatter's Brain Trust series. You can read a transcript of this episode here: https://greylock.com/greymatter/building-your-best-team/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As software and data management systems have evolved, so too have the cybersecurity threats targeting them. How can companies, government agencies, and individuals keep their data secure when risk is at an all-time high? Greylock general partner Asheem Chandna, New York Times cybersecurity reporter Nicole Perlroth, and Rubrik CEO and co-founder Bipul Sinha discuss the current world of cybersecurity, ransomware, and the need for everyone to adopt a "zero-trust" strategy to protect their data. You can read a transcript of this podcast here: https://greylock.com/greymatter/the-zero-trust-strategy/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As anyone who has experimented with the latest artificial intelligence tools that generate human-like responses to text, every interaction with technology is increasingly becoming a conversation. Beyond pre-programmed responses based on specific key words, interacting with AI trained on large language models is beginning to feel like a natural back and forth dialogue. "In the future, I think there will be an ever-present relationship that you have with an AI that helps you to make sense of the world around you," says Inflection AI CEO and co-founder Mustafa Suleyman, whose company recently released Pi, or "personal AI", designed to listen, talk, and provide support like a companion. Listen to Suleyman and his Inflection co-founder Reid Hoffman on the Greymatter podcast discuss how they approached building the "AI sidekick" that is Pi, and share their vision for the future of the technology. You can read the transcript of this conversation here: https://greylock.com/greymatter/inflectionai-the-ai-friend-zone/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A re-broadcast of our episode featuring Airbnb CEO and co-founder Brian Chesky. Chesky joined Greylock partner Reid Hoffman on Greylock's Iconversations speaker series to talk about how he guided Airbnb from an 80% loss within the first two months of the pandemic to a record-breaking IPO by the end of 2020; why Silicon Valley needs to redefine how it measures growth; how Chesky’s design background informs Airbnb’s business strategy; and, ultimately, the importance of putting people first. You can read a transcript of this episode here: https://greylock.com/greymatter/airbnb-brian-chesky-people-first-capitalism/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Executive search firm Daversa Partners is working to change the reality of underrepresentation in tech. The firm has focused on increasing overall diverse representation for years, and is now launching a new program called Dreamscape that is dedicated solely to ensuring there is Black leadership on the boards and executive teams of the most important companies and investing firms in technology today. Dreamscape partners with tech companies such as Robinhood, Brex, and AppLovin, and venture capital firms such as Greylock, to connect Black executives with leadership opportunities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Audio version of Greylock general partner Reid Hoffman's essay, "Human Nature in Vices and Virtues: An Adam Smith Approach to Building Internet Ecosystems and Communities," published on the Knight Foundation's website. Hoffman discusses how some of the most popular websites leverage some of humankind's less desirable attributes(e.g. "the 7 deadly sins"), and how entrepreneurs and investors can think about building based on virtuous traits. Read by Greylock marketing partner Elisa Schreiber. You can read the essay here: https://knightfoundation.org/human-nature-in-vices-and-virtues-an-adam-smith-approach-to-building-internet-ecosystems-and-communities/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the day of Nextdoor's public debut, Greylock general partner David Sze looks back on his experience working with the social networking startup. Sze knew Nextdoor co-founders Nirav Tolia, Sarah Leary, and Prakash Janakiraman before the company was formed in 2008. While he did not invest in their original concept called Fanbase, Sze was among the first investors after the company’s pivot in 2011 into what it is today. Greylock first invested in Nextdoor in March 2012, led a $21.6 million investment round in October 2012, and has been an active partner to the company since. You can read a transcript of this podcast on the Greylock web site: https://greylock.com/portfolio-news/congrats-nextdoor/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greylock marketing partner Elisa Schreiber reads general parter Asheem Chandna's latest column for Forbes. In this column, Chandna discusses the changing dynamics of recruiting, hiring, and retaining talent in one of the most competitive labor markets of our time. You can read this essay at https://www.forbes.com/sites/asheemchandna/2021/10/28/how-to-win-the-startup-war-for-talent/?sh=42ce2ac352b3 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As autonomous driving startup Aurora goes public via SPAC with Reinvent Technology Partners, Greylock general partner and Reinvent investor Reid Hoffman reflects on his experience working with the company as an investor and advisor. Hoffman joined the company's board when he co-led Greylock's Series A investment into Aurora in 2018. You can read the essay here: https://greylock.com/portfolio-news/congrats-aurora/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Salesforce President and COO Bret Taylor talks with Greylock general partner Sarah Guo on Greylock's Iconversations series. During this discussion, Bret talks about lessons learned from his career as a product developer, two-time startup founder, and an operations leader within several large tech companies. He also talks about the high-profile acquisitions he has led at Salesforce, and lays out his vision for the future of the all-digital, work-anywhere world. You can read a transcript of this interview here: https://greylock.com/greymatter/curiosity-saves-the-c-suite/ You can watch the video of this interview here: https://youtu.be/LviSiSNzhsg You can find content from all past Iconversations events at greylock.com/iconversations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar has an instinct for disruption. He first cut his teeth at Disney, helped transform Amazon in its early days, and was the founding CEO of Hulu. In aggregate, his experience represents a clear knack for jumping at opportunities to transform media right at the moment when people are receptive to tide-turning change. Kilar spoke with Greylock general partner David Sze as part of Greylock's Iconversations series. They discussed Kilar's 30 years in the media industry; the lessons he’s learned along the way; and what he anticipates for the future — even in a time of immense change — as someone with a track record of trailblazing. You can read the transcript of the interview here: https://greylock.com/greymatter/moving-the-world-through-story/ You can check out the entire Iconversations series here: https://greylock.com/iconversations/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is the audio version of the essay "Open Source vs Cloud Castles", by Greylock general partner Jerry Chen. In this essay (which is read by Greylock's head of content and editorial Heather Mack), Jerry continues his discussion of strategies startups can explore to compete – and win – against the Big 3 Cloud providers. This essay is part of Greylock's Castles in the Cloud project. You can find the essay here: https://greylock.com/greymatter/open-source-vs-cloud-castles/ The entire Castles in the Cloud project can be found here: https://greylock.com/castles/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Steve Bartel and Nick Bushak, co-founders of recruiting platform startup Gem, join Greylock Head of Content & Editorial Heather Mack to discuss how they are solving a crucial pain point in the modern hiring ecosystem: providing a tool to proactively search for and manage relationships with passive talent. Gem, which was launched in 2017, now works with more than 800 customers across multiple industries. The company just raised $100 million in Series C funding, valuing the company at $1.2 billion. You can read a transcript of this episode here: https://greylock.com/greymatter/searching-with-purpose/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greylock general partner Jerry Chen analyzes top trends impacting funding, company creation, product launches, and partnerships throughout the cloud ecosystem for 2022 and the first part of 2023. This analysis is based on data compiled for Greylock's Castles in the Cloud project, which maps the activity of VC-backed startups as well as that of the Big 3 cloud providers AWS, Google, and Microsoft Azure. AI, an increased focus on vertical specialization, and the expansion of security needs are all fueling activity in the cloud ecosystem.  The trends in this discussion are also examined in Greylock investor Jason Risch's recent essay, which you can read here: https://greylock.com/greymatter/three-trends-in-vc-backed-cloud/ You can find the entire Castles in the Cloud project here: greylock.com/castles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greylock executive talent partner Holly Rose Faith provides her playbook for recruiting and hiring high-level talent. Faith, who has helped land executive hires for startups such as Roblox, Nextdoor, and Databricks, says it all comes down to having a solid system in place for each step of the process. This episode is part of Greylock's Brain Trust podcast series, which provides candid lessons and business advice from the most savvy experts in their spheres of specialization. You can read the transcript of this conversation here: https://bit.ly/2Y0n61K Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greylock has raised $500 million dollars dedicated to seed investing. This is the industry’s largest pool of venture capital dedicated to backing founders at day one. Greylock Head of Editorial Heather Mack reads the audio version of our post announcing the new capital. You can read the post here: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A re-broadcast of our episode featuring fintech startup Wisetack. The company, which was incubated at Greylock and launched in 2019, recently raised a $45 million Series B round. Wisetack provides financing platform for in-person services like home or auto repair businesses, enabling them to offer customers the option to buy now and pay later. Greylock general partner and Wisetack board member Josh McFarland spoke with Wisetack co-founders Bobby Tzekin and Liz O'Donnell in February, when the company announced its Series A. You can read the blog post and transcript to this episode here: https://greylock.com/greymatter/wisetack-fintech-for-the-real-world/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Filmmaker J.J. Abrams joins Greylock general partner Reid Hoffman for a discussion on the ways science fiction and real-world technology take inspiration from one another; how to recognize a good idea when you see one; and the gravity of being behind any innovation that affects society on a large scale. This interview was part of Greylock's Iconversations virtual speaker series. You can read the essay and transcript of this episode here. https://greylock.com/greymatter/future-follows-fiction/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Audio version of the essay by Greylock investors Corinne Riley and Jerry Chen entitled "Funding the Cloud Challengers." This essay, which is part of Greylock's Castles in the Cloud series, analyzes the top venture capital cloud investing trends since 2019. You can read the essay at https://greylock.com/greymatter/funding-the-cloud-challengers/, and find the entire project at greylock.com/castles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Audio version of Greylock general partner Jerry Chen's essay "How to Break Up Big Cloud's Dominance," read by Greylock Head of Editorial Heather Mack. This essay, which outlines strategies startups can take to compete with the Big 3 cloud providers, is part of our Castles in the Cloud project. You can read the essay at https://greylock.com/greymatter/how-to-break-up-big-clouds-dominance/, and find the entire project at greylock.com/castles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The audio version of Greylock general partner Jerry Chen's essay introducing Castles in the Cloud, which is Greylock’s interactive project to map multiple data points of the cloud computing ecosystem — and plots new opportunities for success. Greylock marketing partner Elisa Schreiber reads the essay. You can read the essay at https://greylock.com/greymatter/castles-in-the-cloud/, and find the entire project at greylock.com/castles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A re-broadcast of our episode featuring Ariel Investments president and co-CEO Mellody Hobson, who spoke with Greylock general partner Reid Hoffman as part of Greylock's Inconversations speaker series. Hobson is also the chair of the board of Starbucks Corporation as well as a director at JP Morgan Chase, and is an avid philanthropist and educator. Hobson, who is the only Black woman to chair a Fortune 500 company, is an ardent proponent of financial literacy and an outspoken champion for inclusivity. She shared her views on what it will take to significantly diversify the demographics of the business world; her experience as an investor and board member; and her goals for newly launched private asset management firm Ariel Alternatives, which will focus on scaling sustainable minority-owned businesses to serve as the suppliers to Fortune 500 companies. You can read a summary and transcript of the podcast here: https://greylock.com/greymatter/security-in-knowledge/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Very few startups set out to compete with the biggest leaders in their industry - let alone those who are among the biggest companies in the world. But that doesn't mean it's not possible. In 2020, Greylock investor Sridhar Ramaswamy (who joined the firm following 15 years at Google) launched Neeva, a new kind of search company. The differentiator? Neeva is an ad-free, subscription-based search engine that doesn't track users across the internet. Ramaswamy, his fellow Greylock investor Reid Hoffman, and Chris Yeh discuss how startups have made audacious bets in the most competitive markets, and what makes it possible for them to thrive. You can read the essay version of this podcast here: https://greylock.com/greymatter/taking-on-tech-titans/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

PagerDuty CEO Jennifer Tejada and Greylock general partner Sarah Guo discuss the importance of empathetic leadership, the value of automation in service of people, the effectiveness of trust and transparency as a means of corporate communication — and shares advice on how to build good relationships with your current and former employees, your executive peers, and your board of directors. This discussion was part of Greylock's Iconversations series. You can read a transcript of this podcast here. https://greylock.com/greymatter/jennifer-tejada-pagerduty-leadership-cross-training/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Audio version of Greylock investor Jason Risch's essay "Three Trends in VC-Backed Cloud." As part of our Castles in the Cloud project, which maps the activity in the venture capital-funding startup ecosystem with that of the Big 3 Cloud providers, we compile a database of fundraising at the end of each calendar year and identify trends. Although 2022 and the first part of 2023 has been marked by notable advancements in cloud technology – mostly via AI integrations – there is still considerable restraint in today’s venture capital-backed ecosystem. That figure doesn’t translate to lower activity, however. Many venture capital firms report they are just as busy as prior to the market correction, albeit with a focus on smaller checks for early-stage companies. Technological advancements, partnerships between major powerbrokers, and vertical specialization are all components of the current wave. The top three trends for this period are the rise of AI/ML in cloud, Vertical specialization (or, industry clouds), and security. You can read this essay here: https://greylock.com/greymatter/three-trends-in-vc-backed-cloud/ You can view the entire Castles in the Cloud project here: https://greylock.com/castles/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greylock investor Christine Kim shares the top five lessons she learned scaling product while working at Uber. Prior to joining Greylock in 2020, Christine spent five years at the ride-hailing business. where she led the product team that launched and scaled Uber Eats. The app started as a small pilot project that quickly caught on, and Uber Eats now generates $50 billion in revenue annually. Read the essay based on this podcast at https://greylock.com/greymatter/strategy-at-scale/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greylock general partner Reid Hoffman and his Blitzscaling co-author Chris Yeh pick up their conversation from last week on how philosophical study can have a great impact on an entrepreneur's career. This week, they focus on how a philosophy degree compares to a much more conventional business background: the MBA."There are two things that need to be explained away in order for me to invest in your startup," says Hoffman, who holds an advanced degree in philosophy. "An MBA or a background in management consulting." While there are many exceptions, Hoffman believes pursuing an MBA can generally be adverse signal for entrepreneurship. Instead, he encourages prospective entrepreneurs gain real-world experience by working at a startup and pursuing other courses of study that help form fundamental critical thinking skills. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greylock general partner and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman talks with his Blitzscaling co-author Chris Yeh about how a fundamental understanding of philosophy can be a powerful tool for entrepreneurship. Hoffman, who holds a master's degree in philosophy from Oxford University, outlines how studying philosophy helps people develop new frameworks for grappling with truth, humanity and decision-making, and how it has helped him succeed in his career as an entrepreneur and investor. This episode is the first of a two-part series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If AI is to serve the collective needs of humanity, how should machine intelligence be built and designed so that it can understand human language, feelings, intentions and behaviors, and interact with nuance and in multiple dimensions? Stanford University computer science professor Dr. Fei-Fei Li and Greylock general partner Reid Hoffman discuss the ethical considerations researchers, technologists and policymakers should make when developing and deploying AI. This episode was recorded as part of Greylock's Iconversations virtual speaker series. https://greylock.com/greymatter/fei-fei-li-reid-hoffman-human-centered-ai/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A rebroadcast of our episode featuring Coda CEO and co-founder Shishir Mehrotra. The company, which saw a surge in usage during the Covid-19 pandemic and the widespread shift to remote work, recently closed $100 million Series D round. In this episode, which was recorded last year as part of Greylock general partner Sarah Guo's Work From Anywhere podcast series, Shishir talks about the way collaboration and productivity tools have created a lasting impact on the workplace, and what the office (virtual, hybrid and physical) might look like in the future. https://greylock.com/greymatter/powering-the-maker-generation/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From dealing with the notorious cold start problem of insufficient data to train models, to identifying the right business model for the product and the crucial need for early partnerships, applied ML companies grapple with an additional set of challenges from the beginning. Cresta CTO and co-founder Tim Shi and Abnormal Security Head of Machine Learning Jeshua Bratman join Greylock partner Saam Motamedi to discuss strategies for building applied ML companies. You can read a transcript from the interview here: https://greylock.com/greymatter/practical-innovation/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The second part of our two-part conversation on working with the media. Forbes senior editor Alex Konrad joins Greylock marketing partner Elisa Schreiber and Greylock director of communications Kaitlin Durkosh to discuss how startup founders should think about building relationships with journalists; how journalists see their role amid the always evolving media landscape; and what impact founders should expect from sharing their story across different forms of media. You can read a transcript of this conversation here: https://greylock.com/greymatter/startups-and-media-part-2/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Forbes senior editor Alex Konrad has been covering venture capital and startups for nearly a decade. While many founders have learned how to work well with media, the learning curve is steep, and Konrad sees persistent miscommunication, misunderstanding, and misinformation between the two. Compounding the issue, today’s startup founders have to navigate the increasingly blurred lines of journalism, marketing, social media, and company-directed content, and then try to figure out where their story fits in. To demystify the world of media, Konrad joined Greylock marketing partner Elisa Schreiber and Greylock communications director Kaitlin Durkosh for a wide-ranging discussion. In the first of the two-part conversation, the three break down media basics and offer tactical advice to founders looking to effectively engage with media and tell their company story. You can read a transcript of this conversation here: https://greylock.com/greymatter/startups-and-media-pt-1/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While many CEOs choose to stay out of the public eye during times of crisis, Airbnb CEO and co-founder Brian Chesky has always opted for the opposite. It was no different during the Covid-19 pandemic, when travel came to a standstill and the company was forced to restructure. Chesky remained open, candid and transparent throughout the experience, and the company was able to navigate the crisis in stride. Chesky joined Greylock partner Reid Hoffman on Greylock's Iconversations speaker series to talk about how he guided Airbnb from an 80% loss within the first two months of the pandemic to a record-breaking IPO by the end of 2020; why Silicon Valley needs to redefine how it measures growth; how Chesky’s design background informs Airbnb’s business strategy; and, ultimately, the importance of putting people first. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greylock partner Saam Motamedi is joined by engineering team leaders to discuss the wide-reaching topic of company culture. Wade Chambers, CTO and SVP of Engineering at Grand Rounds Health; Kevin Wang, VP of engineering at Abnormal Security; and Wei Gan, the co-founder and CTO of Ribbon Home, talk about the various ways they define and apply culture; how they differentiate between company-level and team-level cultural norms; and more. You can read the transcript from this interview here: https://greylock.com/greymatter/building-company-culture/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Re-broadcast of Greylock marketing partner Elisa Schreiber's interview with CNBC Senior Media & Tech reporter Julia Boorstin. While there may be plenty of discussion about the disparity between funding for women-led startups and those led by men, women still receive just 2% of all venture capital funding. And yet, many women are still finding success as entrepreneurs. How? Boorstin dug into the stories of women entrepreneurs founding, funding, and running companies, and uncovered a variety of smart tactics and approaches. Those stories and the data are shared in her book, "When Women Lead." Boorstin and Schreiber spoke in front of a live, female-majority audience in late 2022 as part of Greylock's Iconversations speaker series. You can watch a video from the interview here: youtu.be/7moBNBLIVMA You can read a transcript here: greylock.com/greymatter/julia-b…n-when-women-lead/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stanford University economics professor Nicholas Bloom has been researching remote work and management for decades. The Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on the workplace provided a rare opportunity for a world-wide case study. Bloom joined Greylock general partner Sarah Guo on Greymatter’s Work From Anywhere podcast series to talk about the evolving workplace, what the data shows on both employee and management wellbeing, the allure of the hybrid-work model, and more. You can read a transcript of this interview here: https://greylock.com/greymatter/nicholas-bloom-stanford-what-workers-want/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When people ask Greylock general partner Reid Hoffman how he learned strategy, his answer is not that he studied in business school and earned an MBA, or that he read (and re-read) Machiavelli and Sun Tzu. His answer is this: “I played a lot of games.” The best games, Hoffman says, not only require skill and tactics, but they also incorporate uncertainty and randomness, which teaches you to be strategic in ways that match the way the world works. In conversation with Blitzscaling co-author Chris Yeh, Hoffman describes how games have been so integral to his development as a business strategist, and to the theories he's developed and deployed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To keep growth and user engagement up, most social platform avoid any features that could cause friction to the user. But Nextdoor is willing to take some risks. The company, which has taken on a greater role during the pandemic, has deployed tools that CEO Sarah Friar admits may impact growth, but are ultimately, "the right thing to do in order to build communities." These tools include the Kindness Reminder, which prompts users to stop and reconsider potentially offensive posts, as well as a more specific pop-up notification to stop racist statements. Sarah Friar joined Greylock general partner and Nextdoor board member David Sze on Greylock's Iconversations speaker series to discuss how the company strives to reflect the communities of the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices