Brad Feld On The Emotional Operating System of Great Leaders and Giving First

Get Brad's new book, Give First.00:00 — Cold open: “Something new is fucked up in my world every day”02:00 — The Yoda t-shirt story + the mythology of Brad Feld04:00 — “Give First” vs. “Pay it Forward”: philosophy, not obligation07:00 — Why giving isn’t altruism — and how it works in complex systems10:00 — Positive-sum vs. zero-sum: tennis, trust, and long games13:00 — Does giving create outcomes, or just energy?16:00 — Why Brad writes books: longform thinking as meaning-making20:00 — Searching for meaning through mentorship and reflection23:00 — “I hate the phrase pattern recognition” — mentorship done right28:00 — The power dynamic between founders and mentors32:00 — Management through commitment, not control35:00 — Agile as an operating system for accountability38:00 — Emotional intelligence and the role of executive coaches41:00 — Mentor vs. coach vs. therapist vs. advisor45:00 — Trust as the foundation of all high-leverage relationships47:30 — Wild story: when the second floor of Sphero’s building collapsed52:00 — “They can’t kill you and they can’t eat you” – Len Fassler’s advice55:00 — Closing thoughts on being the Bill Murray of venture capital