Conversations with Tyler15 Tammi 2020

Reid Hoffman on Systems, Levers, and Quixotic Quests

When Reid Hoffman creates a handle for some new network or system, his usual choice is "Quixotic." At an early age, his love of tabletop games inspired him to think of life as a heroic journey, where people come together in order to accomplish lofty things. This framing also prompted him to consider the rules and systems that guide society—and how you might improve them by identifying key points of leverage.

At first, he thought he'd become an academic and work with ideas as one of those Archimedean levers. But he ended up focusing on technology instead, helping to build PayPal, LinkedIn, and now many other ventures as an investor at Greylock Partners. But he still thinks ideas are important and tries to employ a "full toolset" when trying to shift systems.

Reid joined Tyler to talk about all these leverage points and more, including the Silicon Valley cultural meme he most disagrees with, how Wittgenstein influenced the design of LinkedIn, mystical atheism, what it was like being on Firing Line, why he's never said anything outrageous, how he and Peter Thiel interpret The Tempest differently, the most misunderstood thing about friendship, how to improve talent certification, what's needed from science fiction, and his three new ideas for board games.

Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links.

Recorded November 2nd, 2019

Other ways to connect

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram
Follow Tyler on Twitter
Follow Reid on Twitter
Email us: cowenconvos@mercatus.gmu.edu
Subscribe at our newsletter page to have the latest Conversations with Tyler news sent straight to your inbox.

Tämä jakso on lisätty Podme-palveluun avoimen RSS-syötteen kautta eikä se ole Podmen omaa tuotantoa. Siksi jakso saattaa sisältää mainontaa.

Jaksot(288)

Paula Byrne on Thomas Hardy's Women, Jane Austen's Humor, and Evelyn Waugh's Warmth

Donate to Conversations with Tyler Give Crypto Other Ways to Give What can Thomas Hardy's tortured marriages teach us about love, obsession, and second chances? In this episode, biographer, novelist,...

11 Joulu 202454min

Stephen Kotkin on Stalin, Power, and the Art of Biography

Donate to Conversations with Tyler Give Crypto Other Ways to Give In his landmark multi-volume biography of Stalin, Stephen Kotkin shows how totalitarian power worked not just through terror from abo...

4 Joulu 20241h 26min

Russ Roberts on Vasily Grossman's Life and Fate

In this crossover episode with EconTalk, Tyler joins Russ Roberts for an in-depth exploration of Vasily Grossman's Life and Fate, a monumental novel often described as the 20th-century answer to Tolst...

25 Marras 20241h 1min

Neal Stephenson on History, Spycraft, and American-Soviet Parallels

Neal Stephenson's ability to illuminate complex, future-focused ideas in ways that both provoke thought and spark wonder has established him as one of the most innovative thinkers in literature today....

13 Marras 202447min

Christopher Kirchhoff on Military Innovation and the Future of War

Christopher Kirchhoff is an expert in emerging technology who founded the Pentagon's Silicon Valley office. He's led teams for President Obama, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and CEO of Go...

30 Loka 202456min

Musa al-Gharbi on Elite Wokeness, Islam, and Social Movements

Subscribe to Pluralist Points on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts Musa al-Gharbi is a sociologist and assistant professor at Stony Brook University whose research explores how people think about, ...

16 Loka 202449min

Tom Tugendhat on Modernizing the UK and Political Reform

Tom Tugendhat has served as a Member of Parliament since 2015, holding roles such as Security Minister and chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee. Before entering Parliament, Tom served in in I...

9 Loka 202450min

Kyla Scanlon on Communicating Economic Ideas through Social Media

Kyla Scanlon has made it her personal mission to bring economics education to a larger audience through social media. She publishes daily content across TikTok, YouTube, Substack, LinkedIn and more, e...

2 Loka 20241h 5min