Podcasts Education Self-Improvement Conversations with Tyler Reid Hoffman on Systems, Levers, and Quixotic Quests

Reid Hoffman on Systems, Levers, and Quixotic Quests

Published: Jan. 15, 2020, 12:55 p.m.

When Reid Hoffman creates a handle for some new network or system, his usual choice is \u201cQuixotic.\u201d 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\u2014and how you might improve them by identifying key points of leverage.\xa0

At first, he thought he\u2019d 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 \u201cfull toolset\u201d 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\u2019s 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\u2019s needed from science fiction, and his three new ideas for board games.

Read a\xa0full transcript\xa0enhanced with helpful links.

Recorded November 2nd, 2019

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