If you're in need of a motivational pep talk, there is no better person to turn to than an optimistic, well-connected mentor who is always there for you. Masters of Scale is looking for a friend to lend a hand.
The new book was co-authored this week by Hoffman and podcast executives June Cohen and DeronTriff. It was inspired by Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock partner. The book is filled with stories and practical takeaways. Its strength is directly related to the diversity of entrepreneurs represented. The book does not limit itself to tech leaders. It also includes lessons from Spanx founder Sara Blakely and Howard Schultz, founder of Starbucks, as well as Daniel Meyer, CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group. The book, like any mentor, is realistic. Mentors are able to draw universally applicable lessons and apply them to you so you can relate to their leaders.
Master of Scale changed the way I interview founders, even though press was not a major character in the book. Tristan Walker's lessons taught me to be more curious about founders and their controversial beliefs than I am about how they will spend the funding. Andrs Ruzo's note made me realize that while a startup that makes too many sense may seem like a good read, it may not be the right one to disrupt the world. In other words, I recommend that you pursue startups with too much foolish ambition as they might have the greatest stories and strides. It also confirmed my belief in the fact that honesty and humility are the most important indicators of a founder's ability to deal with the difficulties ahead.
Every good story was a wait for the pandemic. The impact of the pandemic on startup advice was mostly contained to one chapter about the art and science of the pivot. The book did not include advice on how to deal the pandemics impact upon venture capital, funding, and markets in general. Instead, it focused its attention on the cataclysmic event. This keeps the advice simple and timeless. Despite this, I feel that the book's decision to not discuss the bad aspects of startupland created an imbalance. It would have been more beneficial to talk directly about divisions. This could include how WeWorks Adam Neumann affected the way we talk of visionary founders, Brian Armstrong's Coinbase memo, and what it means in startup culture or the role of tech journalists today. The book is not journalistic and instead aims to be a cheerleading mentor.
It's not easy to write a book that is based on popular podcasts. It is a completely different medium than written text. Audio requires a lot of finesse to convey the charm and humility of vocal banter into text. Hoffman and authors shine brighter in certain stories than others. They rely heavily on a consistent, but effective storytelling arc through the text: present problem, give solutions, and share universal lessons.
The book was read over a weekend by me; it is a great choice for anyone looking to become a techie, entrepreneur or journalist in the startup world. Reid and his coauthors will connect the dots for you with over 70 entrepreneurs, but the real magic is what happens when you take a break between stories to Google a founder that resonates with you, change your interview style, or start to work on an idea that may be just scale.
