Grit

Guest: Jen Vescio, Chief Business Development Officer at Uber and founder of Awestruck VenturesIf you were to look at Jen Vescio’s calendar, it might look like a pack of Skittles: Every single one of her meetings is color-coded according to the Insights Color Focus system, which assigns the colors red, blue, yellow, and green based on what methods they emphasize in their work. As the chief business development officer of Uber, Jen has to work with people across that spectrum, and preps for each meeting accordingly.In this episode, Jen and Joubin discuss the pros and cons of media training, Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers, “semi-pro” soccer, how to ruin your Uber rating, the “fluorescent light” journey, working at “it” companies before they were disrupted, the art and science of business development, self-awareness vs. understanding others, Sean Bratches, what is your motive?, side letter PTSD, “speed and silence are your two worst enemies,” forced time off, getting buy-in, and why “Uber is wired for trauma.”In this episode, we cover:“Dancing in the moment” (00:54)The Olympic Development Program (03:22)Jen’s parents (08:15)DJing and music in Ubers (10:40)Talking to Uber drivers (12:48)Retiring from soccer (15:04)“The big transition” (17:22)The dotcom boom and Jen’s first jobs (20:04)Innovation and disruption (22:15)Buy, build, or partner (27:24)Understanding the “color” of others (35:27)How to talk to a “double red” (38:38)Insights Color Focus and the color of companies (41:16)The Trust Quotient (46:45)The biggest deal Jen has brokered (50:17)The pressure of big deals (51:46)The $350 million deal she botched (55:14)Getting burned out on corporate jobs (58:22)Big, shiny brands like Uber (01:00:38)Mental contracts and taking time off (01:05:07)Tough feedback (01:08:24)Developing trust internally vs. externally (01:09:48)How COVID impacted Uber (01:13:08)Where Uber is hiring and what Jen thinks of when she hears the word “Grit” (01:18:16) Links:Connect with JenTwitterLinkedInConnect with JoubinTwitterLinkedInEmail: grit@kleinerperkins.com Learn more about Kleiner PerkinsThis episode was edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod.fm

17 Apr 20231h 20min

Guest: Nikesh Arora, CEO and Chairman of Palo Alto NetworksNikesh Arora has been in the C-Suite for more than two decades, including a 10-year stint as Google’s chief business officer and — most recently — five years as Palo Alto Networks’ CEO. But the COVID-19 pandemic made him radically reconsider the gap between the executive floor and the rest of the company. “There was a tremendous amount of anxiety and fear and uncertainty,” he says, “and this person I was talking to says, ‘Listen, your job as a leader is to create certainty.’ [...] It’s simple: Tell your employees you have their back.” That’s why, for the past 30 months, Nikesh has been making time to virtually meet thousands of Palo Alto Networks employees on Zoom; he gets candid feedback, communicates company goals, and provides a safe space for everyone to bond.In this episode, Nikesh and Joubin discuss honest CEOs, not having a career plan, process vs. outcomes, remaining independent inside Google, organizational superpowers, understanding your competitors, “evergreen companies,” the ChatGPT disruption, integrating product and sales, blindfolded communication, Evian water, cloud vs. on-prem security, and problem solvers vs. problem representers.In this episode, we cover:Amazing people at Google (02:15)T-Motion and T-Mobile (04:05)“You cannot control the outcome” (07:36)Growing up in India (11:12)400+ rejection letters (14:38)Loving what you do (18:26)Joining Google (19:55)Sergey Brin and Eric Schmidt (24:16)Relocating to “the mothership” (27:01)“He’s not Googly enough” (28:26)Profit, innovation, and paranoia (31:12)Cybersecurity and AI (34:04)SoftBank CEO Masa Son (38:54)Joining Palo Alto Networks (43:04)Hiring as home-building (47:04)“Nobody comes to work to screw up” (50:25)Product and the power of marketing (53:28)Cybersecurity “swim lanes” (56:36)M&A strategy (01:01:14)The two schools of due diligence (01:05:05)Moving past problems (01:07:42)Creating certainty for employees (01:10:59)Links:Connect with NikeshTwitterLinkedInConnect with JoubinTwitterLinkedInEmail: grit@kleinerperkins.com Learn more about Kleiner PerkinsThis episode was edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod.fm

10 Apr 20231h 17min

Guests: Alex Smith and Shaun Livingston, former players for the San Francisco 49ers and Golden State Warriors“I just thought, the best of my life is behind me.” That’s what former NFL quarterback Alex Smith recalls of a devastating leg fracture in 2018 that threatened to end his football career forever. Former NBA guard Shaun Livingston suffered a similar injury early in his career, and both men were told the only way forward might be leg amputation & retirement. They endured through depression, surgeries, and painful physical therapy, and both of them found their way back to pro sports. “I hopped on a bike,” Shaun says. “’Oh, I can do this!’ All right, I hopped on a treadmill. ‘Okay, I can do this.’ You give yourself these small victories that, over time, end up adding up.”In this episode, Alex, Shaun, and Joubin discuss going pro out of high school, the pressure of expectations, talking about emotions, Joe Namath, gratitude for life, military medical care and “group suck”, the D-League, competing against yourself, losing well, “rah-rah guys,” no-look slants, Tom Brady, Kevin Garnett, and the difference between winning and losing.In this episode, we cover:Alex Smith’s background (01:15)Shaun Livingston’s background (02:07)Alex on the fear of failure (03:23)Shaun on “the opportunity of a lifetime” (07:03)Imposter syndrome and burying emotions (10:44)Anxiety as motivation (13:41)Dysfunctional early seasons (16:10)Alex and Shaun’s leg injuries (18:57)Depression vs. “small victories” (23:51)Alex’s recovery process (25:45)Shaun’s stint in the NBA Development League (29:51)Teaching yourself to walk (31:58)Steph Curry and great leadership (36:19)Pat Mahomes and the “final shot” (41:05)Tough feedback (44:32)Recharging in the off-season (47:09)Daily consistency (49:41)Who Alex and Shaun think of when they hear the word “grit” (54:05)Links:Connect with ShaunTwitterLinkedInConnect with JoubinTwitterLinkedInEmail: grit@kleinerperkins.com Learn more about Kleiner PerkinsThis episode was edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod.fm

3 Apr 202355min

Guest: Andre Iguodala, forward for the Golden State WarriorsThe average professional basketball career lasts around four years. By the first time Andre Iguodala came to play for the Golden State Warriors, in 2013, he was already on year 10 in the NBA. “All I wanted to do was get somewhere where I just truly enjoy going to work every day,” he says. And on his podcast with Evan Turner, Point Forward, he doesn’t shy away from the fact that being a famous and successful player comes with trade-offs. “When you make it ... you’re lifted up, like ‘you’re here to save us all,’” he explains. “There's so many things that go on with us as athletes that people don't get a opportunity to truly understand because there's two sides.”In this episode, Andre and Joubin discuss the law of attraction, daily practice, former head coach Mark Jackson, Allen Iverson, the value of sports media, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf’s Tourette Syndrome, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, the lowest point in Andre’s career, and pivoting to stay alive.In this episode, we cover:What goes through Andre’s head when the game rests on his shoulders (01:17)Enjoying work every day and playing under head coach Steve Kerr (05:31)Avoiding the newspaper, and why he started a podcast (09:59)The trauma of success and basketball as a sanctuary (14:07)Playing against LeBron James and with Steph Curry (17:59)Being addicted to success and finding joy on the court (21:24)Kevin Durant’s work ethic (25:41)Are the wins or losses more memorable? (28:30)Being a student of the game (32:02)Why Andre’s memoir is called The Sixth Man, and what changes in the playoffs (35:34)His final season in the NBA, and being a part of the tech ecosystem (42:04)The qualities of great players, and the most memorable game of his career (45:50)Links:Connect with AndreTwitterLinkedInHis podcast, Point ForwardConnect with JoubinTwitterLinkedInEmail: grit@kleinerperkins.com Learn more about Kleiner PerkinsThis episode was edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod.fm

27 Mar 202349min

Guest: Al Gore, Former Vice President and chairman of The Climate Reality ProjectAl Gore has been talking about all kinds of renewable energy for decades. The former U.S. Vice President, Nobel Peace Prize winner, and star of An Inconvenient Truth says it’s “thrilling” to see things like wind power and sustainable forestry becoming the norm. But as humanity continues its struggle against the climate crisis, he says, it’s worth remembering that political will is also a renewable resource. Effective storytellers and political organizers can overcome the entrenched political power of the oil and gas industry, and young people are flocking to work for climate-conscious companies that share their values. In this episode, Al and Joubin discuss Abraham Lincoln, Silent Spring, “father of the United Nations” Cordell Hull, downhill skiing, “pursuing a grail,” Watershed, An Inconvenient Truth, the Inflation Reduction Act, trolling Newt Gingrich, former CIA director Bob Gates, “let the glory out,” and Greta Thunberg.In this episode, we cover:Which of Al’s many accomplishments is he proudest of? (01:52)What he learned from his parents, a pioneering lawyer and a U.S. Senator — and why he decided to get into politics (05:32)Being an underdog and finding the energy to fight injustice (16:15)The distinction between work and play, and commitments of the heart (19:28)The “hidden truth about human endeavors” (28:05)Becoming a great storyteller and getting instant, actionable feedback (31:25)Al’s “close as brothers” partnership with President Bill Clinton (36:44)Accepting hardship and renewing political will (48:08)How does Al renew his own energy? (53:57)Links:Connect with AlTwitterConnect with JoubinTwitterLinkedInEmail: grit@kleinerperkins.com Learn more about Kleiner PerkinsThis episode was edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod.fm

20 Mar 20231h 1min

Guest: Giancarlo “GC” Lionetti, CRO of Zapier“I live in a constant state of paranoia,” says Zapier CRO Giancarlo “GC” Lionetti, “which I guess is healthy and unhealthy.” A lifelong hard worker who shows up early and stays late, GC could have kept his job at team collaboration company Atlassian, which he joined before the company even offered stock options to employees. But his hunger for new experiences — and desire to learn things about new disciplines, like sales — took him away to unexpected new roles at Dropbox, Confluent and now Zapier. “If you asked me in every single experience what my next experience was gonna be ... I wouldn’t have guessed the one that I ended up doing,” he says.In this episode, GC and Joubin discuss in-person retreats, the problem with “hybrid” cultures, in-office perks, dyslexia and ChatGPT, Atlassian as a “mini-MBA,” re-directing energy to find happiness, self-service businesses, “fitting the mold,” the space for meetings, and dinner at home with the kids.In this episode, we cover:The Grit tip jar and being an “anti-remote” person at a fully remote company (00:47)How GC compensates for not being able to walk & talk around the office (06:13)The dying art of being early, and GC’s brand of hard work (09:03)His father’s exhausting work life, and his first summer job (16:18)Is GC a “pusher” or a “puller,” and some crucial advice from Atlassian CEO Scott Farquhar (21:15)What he thought in the early days of Atlassian’s ride to the top (27:48)What Zapier does and how it has helped GC and his wife as parents (31:29)“It was hard to take advice, because nobody understood this world” (34:25)Why did GC leave Atlassian for Dropbox? (38:04)Passing on paranoia, and is balance required for happiness? (41:16)Marketing vs. sales, and the danger of re-running the same playbook in different companies (48:46)Fitting into a box, and learning from people with different backgrounds (56:28)Why GC doesn’t like traveling very much, and  the place of meetings in Zapier’s GTM organization (01:01:09)Separating the “church and state” of work and personal life (01:07:38)Links:Connect with GCTwitterLinkedInConnect with JoubinTwitterLinkedInEmail: grit@kleinerperkins.com Learn more about Kleiner PerkinsThis episode was edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod.fm

13 Mar 20231h 11min

Guest: Claire Hughes Johnson, author of Scaling People and Corporate Officer at StripeFormer Stripe COO Claire Hughes Johnson’s new book, Scaling People, is not your typical business book: Informed by her experience scaling one of the most valuable private companies in the world, it’s a tactical reference manual, “almost like a textbook,” aimed at helping managers wrestling with a variety of problems. And one of the big uniting themes is that, to solve anything, they’re going to have to look inwards. “Leadership does not start with the other people in the room,” she says. “It starts with you ... if you don’t know yourself, you are not gonna be very successful, because you have to understand your work style preferences, your habits, your blind spots.”In this episode, Claire and Joubin discuss in-demand books, Google pre-IPO, headcount as a proxy for success, paranoid mentality, self-driving cars, honoring commitments, the illusion of time, customer insights, “act like a founder,” asking for feedback, prioritizing and saying no, “steady Eddies,” imposter syndrome, fruit on the counter, layering titles, and making time for family.In this episode, we cover:Who should read Claire’s new book, Scaling People, and how she expects them to read it (00:57)The challenges of building Stripe in its early days: “It was just consumed by it” (04:51)Why she left Google to become Stripe’s COO, and what she did for them as the business was starting to take off (12:34)How Stripe hired the best people — including Claire — and how they could have done it even better (17:25)Leadership starts with self-awareness (26:05)Honest criticism that rocks your world, and taking feedback well (29:43)The “unauthorized guide” to working with Claire (36:18)Getting hired at Google by Sheryl Sandberg, and why Claire didn’t follow her to Facebook (40:26)“Pushers and pullers,” a framework for working with top talent (46:43)What entrepreneurs can learn from Condoleezza Rice about impact, passion, and ability (58:33)Putting your (imperfect) expertise out into the world (01:02:03)Implementing Stripe’s first performance feedback process, and why it still doesn’t “do” titles (01:07:06)Having a life outside of work, and the “clarifying moment” of a surprise birthday party (01:15:26)Links:Buy Scaling People: Tactics for Management and Company BuildingConnect with ClaireTwitterLinkedInConnect with JoubinTwitterLinkedInEmail: grit@kleinerperkins.com Learn more about Kleiner PerkinsThis episode was edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod.fm

6 Mar 20231h 27min

Guest: Rania Succar, CEO of Intuit MailchimpTen years out of college, and with two advanced degrees under her belt, Rania Succar knew she wanted to be an operator. Taking a job at Google taught her a lot, but she chafed under the limitations imposed on her control and personal impact. At Intuit, she finally found what she had been searching for: “We really do have a structure that's set up to give you massive amounts of accountability and responsibility.” For seven years, Rania worked across the Quickbooks team before becoming the CEO of Mailchimp in August 2022. And along the way, she also discovered the “beauty” in jointly owning some functions with her teammates: “It can actually be brilliant.”In this episode, Rania and Joubin discuss immigrant culture, boundless energy, the search for meaning, the illusion of control, getting back to equilibrium, registering your ambition, “Mailkimp,” prioritizing family, sleep experiments, passing the baton, finding problem-solvers, and meetings that give you energy.In this episode, we cover:The importance of family to Syrians, Persians, and immigrants (00:43)Navigating two cultures at the dinner table, and Rania’s entrepreneurial father (04:48)The arc of her career, and figuring out where she wanted to put her energy (08:59)What motivates & energizes her, and what takes energy away (14:28)The need to own things end to end, and the beauty of sharing the controls (18:32)What Rania has learned over seven years at Intuit, and how she pushes to do more (24:32)Mailchimp’s “genius” sponsorship of Serial, and preserving its scrappy culture (30:46)How Rania allocates her time every week, and finding “30% more efficiency” (34:13)Learning about the importance of sleep “the hard way” (38:45)Getting through the early months of COVID and being authentic with her team (43:30)Learning from leaders like Intuit’s Bill Campbell and Scott Cook, and defining the “next chapter of exceptional” (46:51)How a visual impairment became a source of strength (52:54)Setting priorities and being a prisoner of one’s calendar (57:16)Links:Connect with RaniaTwitterLinkedInConnect with JoubinTwitterLinkedInEmail: grit@kleinerperkins.com Learn more about Kleiner PerkinsThis episode was edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod.fm

27 Feb 20231h 3min