How to Operate with Keith Rabois (How to Start a Startup 2014: Lecture 14)

TL;DR

Building a company is harder than building a product because people are irrational. The leader’s job is to maximize organizational output by acting as an editor: simplify, ask clarifying questions, allocate resources, and ensure consistent voice.

Key insights

• The leader’s role is analogous to an editor: simplify, strike things, ask clarifying questions, allocate resources, and enforce a consistent company voice across all touchpoints.
• “Task relevant maturity” means your management style should vary per employee based on how much they’ve done that exact task before; a mixed reputation (some call you micromanager, some say you delega
• Use a 2×2 matrix (conviction vs. consequence) to decide when to delegate: low consequence + low conviction → delegate fully; high consequence + high conviction → you must intervene and explain your re