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Max Levchin, Founder & CEO @ Affirm:The Biggest Surprise Scaling to $18.7BN Market Cap

Max Levchin is one of the great founders and technologists of our time. As the Founder and CEO of Affirm, he has built am $18.7BN monster in the buy no pay later space. Prior to Affirm he was one of the original co-founders of PayPal. Max is also the co-founder and Chairman of Glow, a data-driven fertility company. Max is also an immensely successful angel investor with a portfolio including the likes of Yelp, Pinterest and Evernote. ---------------------------------------------- Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (00:38) Should You Hire Brilliant but Extreme Personalities? (06:05) Balancing High Expectations vs. Realistic Effort in Teams (09:17) When Do You Have to Hire B-Team Players? (12:57) Biggest Calculated Risk – Success or Failure? (17:43) How to Build a Postmortem-Centric Culture (24:24) Reversible vs. Irreversible Decisions (27:18) Why the Quality of Invisible Work Matters (29:50) Lean Startup & MVP – Shortcut or Smart Strategy? (32:09) What Makes a Strong Writing Culture (34:42) Remote Work (37:07) Lessons on Leadership (41:59) Klarna’s the US Expansion (44:34) Is Regulation Helping or Hindering Buy Now, Pay Later? (45:36) Being the Public Company (46:55) How to Detach Mentality from Market Cap (50:03) Quick-Fire Round ---------------------------------------------- In Today’s Episode We Discuss: - How to Hire the Best People in the World - How to Manage Extreme Personalities - Biggest Lessons on Trust and What Happens When Lost - Is Grading Talent A and B Players Total BS? - How to Think About Calculated vs Uncalculated Risk - How to Create a Culture of Post Mortems: Step by Step - Why Every Person Must Write and How to Create a Writing Culture - Leadership Lessons from Layoffs - Is Affirm Losing or Beating Klarna in the US? - Peter Thiel or Elon Musk: Who Would Max Rather Start a New Company With? - Quick-fire Round ----------------------------------------------- Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3j2KMcZTtgTNBKwtZBMHvl?si=85bc9196860e4466 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-twenty-minute-vc-20vc-venture-capital-startup/id958230465 Follow Harry Stebbings on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HarryStebbings Follow Max Levchin on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mlevchin Follow 20VC on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/20vchq Follow 20VC on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@20vc_tok Visit our Website: https://www.20vc.com Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://www.thetwentyminutevc.com/contact ----------------------------------------------- #20vc #harrystebbings #maxlevchin #affirm #venturecapital #klarna #hiring #postmortem #startups #teambuilding

Max LevchinguestHarry Stebbingshost
Feb 5, 20251h 3mWatch on YouTube ↗

CHAPTERS

  1. 0:00 – 0:38

    Intro

  2. 0:38 – 6:05

    Should You Hire Brilliant but Extreme Personalities?

  3. 6:05 – 9:17

    Balancing High Expectations vs. Realistic Effort in Teams

  4. 9:17 – 12:57

    When Do You Have to Hire B-Team Players?

  5. 12:57 – 17:43

    Biggest Calculated Risk – Success or Failure?

  6. 17:43 – 24:24

    How to Build a Postmortem-Centric Culture

  7. 24:24 – 27:18

    Reversible vs. Irreversible Decisions

  8. 27:18 – 29:50

    Why the Quality of Invisible Work Matters

  9. 29:50 – 32:09

    Lean Startup & MVP – Shortcut or Smart Strategy?

  10. 32:09 – 34:42

    What Makes a Strong Writing Culture

  11. 34:42 – 37:07

    Remote Work

  12. 37:07 – 41:59

    Lessons on Leadership

  13. 41:59 – 44:34

    Klarna’s the US Expansion

  14. 44:34 – 45:36

    Is Regulation Helping or Hindering Buy Now, Pay Later?

  15. 45:36 – 46:55

    Being the Public Company

  16. 46:55 – 50:03

    How to Detach Mentality from Market Cap

  17. 50:03 – 1:03:51

    Quick-Fire Round

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