10,000 Hours with Reid Hoffman: What I Learned
In her 2011 profile of Reid Hoffman, Evelyn Rusli of the New York Times ended with a direct quote from Reid: “I’m functioning at 60% effectiveness,” he said. It was a startling final acknowledgement because the article chronicled the lengthy list of activities and accomplishments that made Reid the “King of Tech.” Given how successful he’d been over the past decade, you’d think he was operating at 150% effectiveness.
^ADJ: This is part story of how Reid went about closing the gap between 60% and 100%, and some great life lessons, management thinking and approach to life. Broken into 16 parts - this is well worth a read and taking some notes.
Redefining Speed And Trust: Inside Frances Frei And Anne Morriss' Book
To succeed in our hypercompetitive world, organizations must embrace change. Businesses have to readily adapt as technology advances, customer preferences evolve, markets get disrupted and talent becomes more selective about how they work.
But driving change isn’t easy. Consider the efforts involved in redefining a company’s vision, or taking on new initiatives and reshuffling priorities after years of business as usual.
^ADJ: Love the link here between looking after people (devotion), moving faster and avoiding the velvet coffin that plagues so many organisations.
A Tool to Help Boards Measure Cyber Resilience
During our research, we asked cybersecurity leaders, board directors and other subject matter experts about board cybersecurity discussions and the reporting given to boards in preparation for these discussions. All respondents had strong opinions about cybersecurity boardroom discussions. Generally, participants agreed that boards had a difficult time discussing cybersecurity at a meaningful level, the board needed different information, and a new approach was necessary.
^ADJ: Key takeout:
Managers focus on measures taken for cyber protection, but boards need to know about cyber resilience. Managers think their boards want to know about operational metrics, but directors really want to know the business risks the managers anticipate and what action plan is in place to mitigate the risk.
Never say “no,” but rarely say “yes.”
So the principle is straightforward: Set the conditions of “yes” such that:
If they say “yes,” you’re happy because the terms or money are so good, it more than compensates for the distraction, perhaps funding the thing you really want to do. If they say “no,” you’re happy because it wasn’t a great fit anyway; it’s not a worthwhile return on your time and effort.
Prioritization as a Superpower
As a venture capitalist, I find myself constantly evaluating founders and CEOs on their superpowers and blind spots. Whether for a new potential investment, or when working with a portfolio company, it’s critical to understand the key reasons a leader may be successful in their role, and also the areas where they may need support.
^ADJ: Really like the approach of:
- Hungry and humble.
- Know their business inside and out.
- Magnets for talent.
Tesla Optimus (video)
Tesla have made some great strides with the robot project - short video of capability that they have built is pretty amazing.