Grit

Guest: Greg Brown, CEO of UdemyEvery night before he goes to bed, Greg Brown makes a to-do list. He has to because, as the CEO of the online learning platform Udemy, setting his priorities helps ensure that he makes the most of the scarce time on his calendar. “If I’m meeting with employees, what’s the message I want them to walk away with?” he asks. He also wants to make sure his team isn’t getting distracted by Udemy’s stock price. “Where it be sports, or life, or in business, you’ve got to be able to block out the noise,” Greg says. “Focus on what you can control and maniacally execute against those objectives.”In this episode, Greg and Joubin discuss fitness routines, VO₂ max, multi-athletes, Webex, the dotcom bust, Gregg Coccari, streamlining, setting priorities, listening to analysts, and being intentional with family.In this episode, we cover:Cold plunges and healthspan (00:42)Finding time for fitness (07:48)Greg’s father (10:04)From sports to business (15:55)Two-year investments in companies (18:15)Achievers and motivation data (22:57)Becoming CEO of Reflektive (26:07)Why Greg joined Udemy and what it does (28:40)The distraction of a stock price (34:54)Daily to-do lists (39:20)Back to growth (41:45)Go to market CEOs (48:25)Coachability (50:49)Applying AI to customer solutions (52:16)At-home office hours (56:09)Who Udemy is hiring and what “grit” means to Greg (58:12)Links:Connect with GregLinkedInConnect with JoubinTwitterLinkedInEmail: grit@kleinerperkins.com Learn more about Kleiner PerkinsThis episode was edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod.fm

25 Sep 20231h 1min

Guest: Chris Degnan, CRO of SnowflakeChris Degnan was a teenager when his world got turned upside-down: His stockbroker father was revealed to be a serial liar & fraudster and was sent to prison; the wealth he thought his family had evaporated; and their house was foreclosed on by the IRS. The traumatic experience gave him both an “insane drive” and a slew of anxieties, which shaped the person he became as an adult ... and led him, eventually, to the C-Suite of Snowflake. “Those things have built character,” Chris says. “I’m super proud of the person I am… That’s what matters to me.” In this episode, Chris and Joubin discuss adjusting to tech fame, holding onto perspective, detecting lies, being the monster, paranoia,  talking about anxiety, fear of flying, living your values, Mike Scarpelli, trimming down meeting sizes, sales calls, being abrasive, Mike Speiser, succession plans, and Mark McLaughlin.In this episode, we cover:Defining yourself by your job (01:04)The origin of Chris’ insecurities (06:25)Passion for the sport (11:11)Dinner-table conversation (15:41)“If I stop working, I’m going to die” (17:22)Changing history (20:34)Snowflake and its competitors (24:29)Bob Muglia and hiring big-company people (27:10)Snowflake CEO Frank Slootman (31:53)Getting the truth (37:42)Denise Persson (41:58)Therapy and support systems (48:37)Bringing your friends (51:52)Links:Connect with ChrisLinkedInConnect with JoubinTwitterLinkedInEmail: grit@kleinerperkins.com Learn more about Kleiner PerkinsThis episode was edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod.fm

18 Sep 202353min

Guest: Jim Lanzone, CEO of YahooJim Lanzone doesn’t waste time thinking about what other people think of him ... or the companies he has run. After helping to rejuvenate Ask.com in the early 2000s, he has more recently served as CEO of Tinder, and now Yahoo. As an expert in brand turnarounds, he says, “don’t worry about what the world thinks ... worry about your growth versus yourself.” With a focus on people and product, Jim believes, “not only can you accomplish a lot, you’re going to make a lot of money at doing it.”In this episode, Jim and Joubin discuss being bicoastal, downtown San Francisco, supportive partners, Garret Camp and StumbleUpon, “co-opetition,” Walt Mossberg, Redpoint Ventures, Dave Goldberg, Clicker, taking punches, Apollo Global Management, loyalty to the cause, high-EQ people, and user goals vs. company goals.In this episode, we cover:Growing up in Silicon Valley (00:53)Long-lasting marriages (07:26)Jim’s first company, eTour (13:18)The Web 1.0 boom (17:33)Joining Ask.com & partnering with Google (20:40)Rejuvenating a brand (24:11)Back in the mud with Clicker (28:05)CBS All Access (34:02)14 months at Tinder (37:25)What people get wrong about Jim (39:05)Becoming the CEO of Yahoo (42:45)How Jim hires great teams (49:54)Top priorities and Yahoo’s verticals (55:10)First principles & making decisions (01:02:26)Hiring & what “grit” means to Jim (01:05:02)Links:Connect with JimLinkedInConnect with JoubinTwitterLinkedInEmail: grit@kleinerperkins.com Learn more about Kleiner PerkinsThis episode was edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod.fm

11 Sep 20231h 7min

In this special episode of Grit, Joubin looks back at what five past guests had to say about building a sales operation inside rapidly-growing companies:Intro (00:30)Stripe’s Mike Clayville on first principles & “tornado companies” (01:02)Former Paypal VP Marcy Campbell on establishing a successful sales motion (11:37)LinkedIn COO Dan Shapero on effective sales leadership during hypergrowth (20:16) Herbold Consulting CEO Jim Herbold on “unicorn meat” (32:32)CRO Chris Degnan on the pivotal moments in Snowflake’s history (50:02)Links:Connect with the guestsMike’s LinkedInMarcy’s LinkedInDan’s LinkedInJim’s LinkedInChris’ LinkedInConnect with JoubinTwitterLinkedInEmail: grit@kleinerperkins.com Learn more about Kleiner PerkinsThis episode was edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod.fm

4 Sep 20231h 7min

Guest: Yan-David Erlich, COO and CRO of Weights & BiasesAfter starting four companies, Yan-David Erlich had found happiness and success as a GP in Coatue’s venture fund — but then, after investing in the AI developer platform Weights & Biases, he realized the time was right to get back into operating. That was not a decision he made lightly, consulting with his wife before he became the startup’s COO. The challenges of entrepreneurship get easier, he explains, when you have a supportive partner in your corner. That’s why he believes he could roll with the loss of his home or his job or his money — but not her. In this episode, Yan-David and Joubin discuss Snowflake vs. Amazon, Slack vs. Microsoft Teams, Donald Trump, charting your own destiny, regret minimization, alternate selves, Michael Dearing, chips on your shoulder, Google Glass, industrial sales, the AI & ML window, hairball problems, fixing giant messes, and fighting a bear.In this episode, we cover:The advantage of speed (01:06)Competing against a massive business (05:24)Idiocy and secrets (09:45)Yan-David’s past companies (12:34)His philosophy on life (17:17)Leaving LinkedIn (22:14)Anxiety and regret (26:27)The failure of Happiness Engines (34:43)Why Yan-David left Parsable after five years (38:05)Coatue’s venture fund (46:13)Weights & Biases and the ML moment (48:08)Why AI is still underhyped (51:05)From investor to board member to COO to CRO (55:20)Being a good lieutenant (58:51)The hidden costs of operating (01:01:33)Successful entrepreneurs and happy relationships (01:05:55)Who Weights & Biases is hiring & what “grit” means to Yan-David (01:10:26)Links:Connect with Yan-DavidLinkedInConnect with JoubinTwitterLinkedInEmail: grit@kleinerperkins.com Learn more about Kleiner PerkinsThis episode was edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod.fm

28 Aug 20231h 12min

Guest: Nick Mehta, CEO of GainsightGainsight CEO Nick Mehta describes himself as “the person who goes all in, on whatever.” So when he had a personally difficult year, he didn’t just go to therapy — he also talked to a professional coach, and read about religion, and experimented with (legal) ketamine therapy. All of that led to him “better understanding the inner self ... [and] helping to find ways to suppress the exterior.” In other words, even though Gainsight’s culture is suffused with Nick’s values, he is consciously trying to unpack a “new version of myself” that is greater than his company: “There’s a lot more to me than I realized,” he says.In this episode, Nick and Joubin discuss Mike Moritz, golf clubs, Don Valentine, eclectic fashion, loneliness, Enneagram types, setting the tone, moments of vulnerability, Vista Equity Partners, talking to customers, Jack Dorsey, building others’ brands, startups as kids, Marc Benioff, and the ship of Theseus.In this episode, we cover:The mystique of Sand Hill Road (00:58)Un-measurable marketing (05:07) Launching Chipshot.com (09:17)I-banking culture and fitting in (13:14)Getting help after a rough year (19:48)Immigrant achievers and the meaning of work (21:32)Fueling success and belief in institutions (24:44)Winning while being human-first (30:19)Founder-defined values and culture (3 5:41)What happened to Chipshot? (40:46)Empathy for all entrepreneurs (44:11)Growing & selling LiveOffice (46:03)The new Nick (48:53)Selling Gainsight for $1.1 billion (51:56)Coda and time management (55:20)Ghost notes (59:01)When the spotlight goes away (01:02:17)Philosophy and science books (01:05:45)Deleting work apps every weekend (01:09:23)Who Gainsight is hiring and what “grit” means to Nick (01:10:26)Links:Connect with NickTwitterLinkedInCodaConnect with JoubinTwitterLinkedInEmail: grit@kleinerperkins.com Learn more about Kleiner PerkinsThis episode was edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod.fm

21 Aug 20231h 12min

Guest: Manny Medina, CEO of OutreachIn its Seattle headquarters, the sales execution platform Outreach has at least one wall covered in AI diagrams and architectural flows. CEO Manny Medina says that’s because he believes “there’s no world in which reps don’t have an assistant the way that coders do.” The AI revolution has also given Manny — who got his M.A. in computer science at Penn — a chance to be more hands-on than your average CEO of a $4 billion company. “I try not to think myself as a CEO,” he says. “I try to think myself as a team member that is doing something useful.”In this episode, Manny and Joubin discuss northern New Jersey, American opportunity, going to the future, crossing the chasm, jujitsu, Tony Robbins, winning on your own terms, shifting motivations, inspiration through transparency, Moonwalking with Einstein, Lululemon, hands-on CEOs, and “been there, done that.”In this episode, we cover:Leaving Ecuador for the US (02:21)Would Manny do it all again? (07:45)Finding product-market fit (10:09) Scaling, scarcity, and stability (14:41)AI-assisted sales reps (18:59)Winner takes most (24:20)Placing long-term bets (26:42)Imposter syndrome and chips on your shoulder (32:59)“Ten million or die” (35:15)Irrational forces (42:33)Manny’s weekly internal emails (44:17)Memorizing names and making sacrifices (48:00)Personal and professional goals (52:23)“All the other jobs were taken” (56:53)Do-overs (01:00:18)Bad and good startup advice (01:03:24)Who Outreach is hiring and what “grit” means to Manny (01:05:58)Links:Connect with MannyLinkedInConnect with JoubinTwitterLinkedInEmail: grit@kleinerperkins.com Learn more about Kleiner PerkinsThis episode was edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod.fm

14 Aug 20231h 6min

Guest: Aaron Levie, CEO of Box, and Mamoon Hamid, partner at Kleiner PerkinsWhen he was a newly minted venture capitalist at USVP, Mamoon Hamid got a tip that he should meet a young entrepreneur named Aaron Levie, and fought for the right to invest in his cloud storage startup, Box. For years after that initial investment, the two men say, Box’s fate was precarious: “We could have died any day,” Mamoon says, and Aaron recalled several times he had to be talked “down from a ledge.” Today, they tell us how Box established itself as “open for business” — a concept Mamoon hounded Aaron with in the early years — and grew into success.In this episode, Aaron, Mamoon, and Joubin discuss Box socks, authenticity at work, Josh Stein, living in the office, over-diligence, Google Platypus, the 2008 crash, nostalgia, everything is personal, the ten-person test, burnout, Dan Levin, ChatGPT, Parker Conrad, and Silicon Valley as “technology town.” In this episode, we cover:“Make mom proud, unless she’s evil” (01:59)How Mamoon and Aaron met (04:38)Mamoon’s first investment in Box (11:15) Pausing the term sheet (16:08)“We could have died any day” (19:01)What is company-building? (23:23)Open For Business (25:27)Getting to cash flow positive (27:52) Slow growth with no burn vs. fast growth, high burn (31:15)Tough feedback (34:31)Overcoming challenges around the Box IPO (36:31) Growing as CEO (38:35) The Apple Vision Pro and AI (44:15)Investing in cutting-edge companies (49:15)Using AI to re-juice growth (51:48)How Aaron educates himself (54:22)Business as a sport (57:14)Who Box is hiring and what “grit” means to Aaron (01:00:44)Links:Connect with AaronTwitterLinkedInConnect with MamoonTwitterLinkedInConnect with JoubinTwitterLinkedInEmail: grit@kleinerperkins.com Learn more about Kleiner PerkinsThis episode was edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod.fm

7 Aug 20231h 2min