The Career Advice That Ruins Lives (And What Actually Works) - Bill Gurley episode artwork

EPISODE · Mar 17, 2026 · 32 MIN

The Career Advice That Ruins Lives (And What Actually Works) - Bill Gurley

from Open Book with Anthony Scaramucci · host SALT & Goalhanger

Today on Open Book, I’m joined by legendary venture capitalist Bill Gurley, whose new book Runnin' Down a Dream challenges a lot of the career advice we give young people. Bill argues that the safest career path isn’t the “safe job” at all—it’s finding something you’re genuinely fascinated by and chasing it relentlessly. We’re going to talk about curiosity, regret, and how to build a career you actually love. Bill Gurley is a general partner at Benchmark, a leading venture capital firm in Silicon Valley. Over his venture career, he has invested in and served on the board of such companies as Nextdoor, OpenTable, Stitch Fix, Uber, and Zillow. Gurley has written about technology and other subjects on his popular blog, Above the Crowd, for over 20 years. This is a sensational book. Get your copy of Runnin' Down a Dream: How to Thrive in a Career You Actually Love here: https://amzn.to/46X4rEc Anthony Scaramucci is the founder and managing partner of SkyBridge, a global alternative investment firm, and founder and chairman of SALT, a global thought leadership forum and venture studio. Pre-order my next book, All the Wrong Moves: How Three Catastrophic Decisions Led to the Rise of Trump, out on the 17th of September in the UK and the 22nd of September in the US: ⁠https://linktr.ee/anthonyscaramucci⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today on Open Book, I’m joined by legendary venture capitalist Bill Gurley, whose new book Runnin' Down a Dream challenges a lot of the career advice we give young people. Bill argues that the safest career path isn’t the “safe job” at all—it’s finding something you’re genuinely fascinated by and chasing it relentlessly. We’re going to talk about curiosity, regret, and how to build a career you actually love. Bill Gurley is a general partner at Benchmark, a leading venture capital firm in Silicon Valley. Over his venture career, he has invested in and served on the board of such companies as Nextdoor, OpenTable, Stitch Fix, Uber, and Zillow. Gurley has written about technology and other subjects on his popular blog, Above the Crowd, for over 20 years. This is a sensational book. Get your copy of Runnin' Down a Dream: How to Thrive in a Career You Actually Love here: https://amzn.to/46X4rEc Anthony Scaramucci is the founder and managing partner of SkyBridge, a global alternative investment firm, and founder and chairman of SALT, a global thought leadership forum and venture studio. Pre-order my next book, All the Wrong Moves: How Three Catastrophic Decisions Led to the Rise of Trump, out on the 17th of September in the UK and the 22nd of September in the US: ⁠https://linktr.ee/anthonyscaramucci⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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The Career Advice That Ruins Lives (And What Actually Works) - Bill Gurley

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This episode is 32 minutes long.

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This episode was published on March 17, 2026.

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Today on Open Book, I’m joined by legendary venture capitalist Bill Gurley, whose new book Runnin' Down a Dream challenges a lot of the career advice we give young people. Bill argues that the safest career path isn’t the “safe job” at all—it’s...

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