The Library of Minds

💬 Ask John Zimmer a question here. Create your own digital mind here. Uber had $3 billion in the bank. Lyft had 5 months of runway left.In this episode, Lyft co-founder John Zimmer sits down with host Dara to tell the untold story of how he and his team fought back, stood up for drivers, and refused to lose to the most aggressive competitor in tech.John opens up about killing his first company to start Lyft, surviving COVID, his honest take on founder mental health, the future of self-driving cars, and the real reason he walked away from the company he built.If you're a founder, operator, or anyone who loves great startup stories - this one's a masterclass.

Have your own questions for Enrique? You can ask his Delphi: http://delphi.ai/p/enrique-sYou can also create your own Delphi, free: delphi.ai/p/k9x2mqEnrique Salem has been watching cyber threats evolve for 35 years. As former CEO of Symantec and now a General Partner at Bain Capital Ventures, he has seen what happens when systems scale, when attackers adapt, and when trust breaks. In this episode, he breaks down why security is never “protect everything”, why agents create a new category of risk, and how founders should think about what actually matters from day one.

Ask Ben anything about the episode here!Create your own digital mind with Delphi here. Ben Braverman reveals why the AI industry is losing a narrative war plus how it can win, how he helped build the outbound playbook an entire generation of startups copied, and what the best founders actually look like when nobody's watching.Ben Braverman is the co-founder of Saga Ventures and former Chief Revenue Officer of Flexport, where he helped scale revenue from $100K to nearly $2 billion ARR. Before Saga, he served as head of sales at multiple YC companies and helped define the modern outbound motion.

Have your own questions for Spenser? You can ask his Delphi hereYou can create your own Delphi here.Spenser Skates reveals why software is about to become fully automated, why apps will be personalized to each user, how he pivoted from building “Siri before Siri” into Amplitude, and what it actually takes to win in the AI era.Spenser Skates is the founder and CEO of Amplitude, the company that pioneered modern product analytics and helped define how product teams measure, iterate, and scale software.

Have your own questions? Continue the conversation with Chad's Delphi: https://www.delphi.ai/chadbyersCreate your own digital mind: https://studio.delphi.ai/identityAt 26, Chad Byers bet $250k on Robinhood after 100 investors passed. That single check turned into $400M+ and helped define how Susa Ventures spots generational founders.In this episode, Chad breaks down his "spiky people" thesis for finding exceptional founders, why most fast investment decisions end up being wrong, and how to build conviction while staying calm through hype cycles. He also shares what the real startup journey looks like, how he raised Fund I with no track record, and where he's placing bets after the AI wave.

Have your own questions? Continue the conversation with Grant's Delphi: ⁠https://www.delphi.ai/grantleeCreate your own digital mind: ⁠https://studio.delphi.ai/identityAn investor told Grant Lee: “This has got to be the worst idea I’ve ever heard.” Then they hung up.A few years later, Gamma became one of the clearest AI breakouts, built with a tiny team, obsessive craft, and distribution that looked nothing like the standard playbook.In this episode of The Library of Minds, Grant breaks down how conviction compounds, why the first 30 seconds of onboarding matters more than most founders think, and the real hiring filter they use to avoid expensive mistakes.🔗 The Library of Minds is brought to you by Delphi. Create a digital version of your mind, scale your thinking, and connect with others interactively. 📺 Watch future episodes: https://libraryofminds.com

Have your own questions? Continue the conversation with Ben's Delphi: ⁠https://www.delphi.ai/ben-blumenroseCreate your own digital mind: ⁠https://studio.delphi.ai/identityBen Blumenrose joined Facebook as the 5th designer, ready to bring glossy design to a site that looked like a wireframe. Days later, Mark Zuckerberg told him: "You can't just come in here and shit on our style." That moment became the foundation for everything that followed.In this episode of The Library of Minds, Ben shares the untold stories from Facebook's design team, why he started Designer Fund when everyone thought it was crazy, and how he backed Stripe, Figma, Notion, and Linear before the world caught on. We dig into the hidden strategy behind Facebook's aesthetic, the 3% friendship cost of moving one button, and why "humanity-centered design" matters more than human-centered.📌 The Library of Minds is brought to you by Delphi - create a digital version of your mind, scale your thinking, and connect with others interactively. Learn more at https://www.delphi.ai/

Have your own questions? Continue the conversation with Nikhil's Delphi: ⁠https://www.delphi.ai/minds/nbtCreate your own digital mind: ⁠https://studio.delphi.ai/identityWhen Canva disrupted design and Hinge redefined dating, one investor saw it coming. Nikhil Basu Trivedi has backed the companies that didn't just compete, they created entirely new categories.In this episode, Nikhil shares the pattern recognition that made him one of Silicon Valley's most prescient investors. We cover why "durability genetics" matter more than vanity metrics, how Farmer's Dog scaled to billions with just 3 SKUs, the power of consumer + enterprise hybrids, and his darkest career moment that led to starting Footwork.

Have your own questions? Continue the conversation with Chris's Delphi:https://www.delphi.ai/chrisslowe" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"> ⁠https://www.delphi.ai/chrissloweCreate your own digital mind: ⁠https://studio.delphi.ai/identityThe CTO of Reddit shares the engineering decisions that led the platform from scrappy startup to the 6th most visited website on the internet.In this episode of The Library of Minds, we sit down with Chris Slowe, co-founder and CTO of Reddit. We dig into the reality of scaling technical teams, why "hope is not a strategy," and what it really takes to keep the front page of the internet running for two decades.📌 The Library of Minds is brought to you by Delphi - create a digital version of your mind, scale your thinking, and connect with others interactively. Learn more at https://www.delphi.ai/

Have your own questions? Continue the conversation with Shahin's Delphi: ⁠https://www.delphi.ai/shahin-farshchiCreate your own digital mind: ⁠https://studio.delphi.ai/identityWhat actually makes a startup succeed in deep tech?In this episode of The Library of Minds, we sit down with Shahin Farshchi, General Partner at Lux Capital, to unpack how elite investors evaluate founders, risk, and conviction in the hardest categories of technology.Shahin’s path - from PhD in electrical engineering, to founder, to long-time deep-tech investor -  offers a rare perspective on why most breakthroughs fail to become businesses, and why people matter more than the underlying technology.📌 The Library of Minds is brought to you by Delphi - create a digital version of your mind, scale your thinking, and connect with others interactively. Learn more at https://www.delphi.ai/

Have your own questions? Continue the conversation with Madhavan's Delphi: ⁠https://www.delphi.ai/minds/madhavansfCreate your own digital mind: ⁠https://studio.delphi.ai/identityPricing isn’t a revenue lever - it’s a growth lever. In this episode of The Library of Minds, we sit down with Madhavan Ramanujam, former Simon-Kucher partner, pricing expert, advisor to 30+ unicorns, and author of Monetizing Innovation and Scaling Innovation. We explore the art and science of pricing, when founders should delay monetization, and how pricing models can make or break a company.📌 The Library of Minds is brought to you by Delphi - create a digital version of your mind, scale your thinking, and connect with others interactively. Learn more at https://www.delphi.ai/

Have your own questions? Continue the conversation with Jason's Delphi: ⁠https://www.delphi.ai/minds/jboehmigCreate your own digital mind: ⁠https://studio.delphi.ai/identityHow does a lawyer hacking together email scripts end up building a $3B+ category-defining company?In this episode, Jason Boehmig - founder of Ironclad, the contract lifecycle platform used by L’Oréal, Mastercard, and Heineken - breaks down how curiosity, taste, and relentless customer empathy turned a side-project into the CLM category leader.

Have your own questions? Continue the conversation with Delian's Delphi: ⁠https://www.delphi.ai/delianCreate your own digital mind: ⁠https://studio.delphi.ai/identityDelian Asparouhov, Partner & Village Idiot at Founders Fund, breaks down the Benchmark beef, Varda’s FAA battle, and why most founders focus on the wrong things. This episode dives into power laws, long feedback loops, and the 2–4 decisions that actually matter each year.

Have your own questions? Continue the conversation with Kirsten's Delphi: ⁠https://www.delphi.ai/kirstengreenCreate your own digital mind: ⁠https://studio.delphi.ai/identityKirsten Green, founder of Forerunner Ventures and early backer of Oura Ring, Hims, Dollar Shave Club, and Glossier, joins The Library of Minds to break down the biggest risk in consumer: the “say/do gap.”Consumers say one thing - but their behavior tells a different story.Kirsten shares how Forerunner built a $3B consumer fund by spotting these hidden behaviors early, training intuition like a muscle, and backing founders who sense cultural shifts before the data shows it.

Have your own questions? Continue the conversation with Brian's Delphi: ⁠https://www.delphi.ai/bhalliganCreate your own digital mind: ⁠https://studio.delphi.ai/identityHubSpot Co-Founder Brian Halligan joins The Library of Minds to share how a $20B company was built on culture, not code and why AI is redefining inbound marketing. From studying The Grateful Dead’s fan-first playbook to creating one of SaaS’s most enduring brands, Brian reveals how great leaders scale values.

Have your own questions? Continue the conversation with Al's Delphi: ⁠https://www.delphi.ai/alramadanCreate your own digital mind: ⁠https://studio.delphi.ai/identityPlay Bigger author Al Ramadan - advisor to Salesforce, Qualtrics, and DocuSign - reveals why most startups fail by competing in existing markets instead of creating new ones. He breaks down how category design and AI innovation help founders capture 76% of a market’s value instead of fighting for scraps.

Have your own questions? Continue the conversation with Gokul's Delphi: ⁠https://www.delphi.ai/gokulCreate your own digital mind: ⁠https://studio.delphi.ai/identityCoinbase and Pinterest board member Gokul Rajaram has watched ex-FAANG PMs and GTM leaders crash and burn in AI-native startups. In this conversation, he explains why traditional product instincts fail in the AI age - and how curiosity, velocity, and customer obsession now matter more than credentials. Tune in to hear how one of tech’s most respected operators sees the future of product and talent in the AI era.

Have your own questions? Continue the conversation with Jess's Delphi: ⁠https://www.delphi.ai/jessleeCreate your own digital mind: ⁠https://studio.delphi.ai/identitySequoia Capital Chief Product Officer & Partner Jess Lee shares the hard-won product and leadership lessons shaped across three chapters of her life: building early at Google, cold-emailing her way into Polyvore (eventually becoming CEO and selling to Yahoo), and now backing founders and scaling product at Sequoia.What you’ll learn in this conversation:Why Jess only hires “spiky” people - and the 4Q framework (EQ / IQ / PQ / JQ) she uses to evaluate foundersVelocity as the #1 signal of product-market fit - and how Sequoia measures it internallyThe biggest mistake she made as CEO: picking the wrong market and business modelHow empathy helped her lead - but also held her back when she avoided firing fastWhy storytelling is now a critical founder superpower, not a soft skillHow Polyvore built cult-level community loyalty with emotional product designThe difference between horizontal vision and solving painful user problemsJess’s belief that AI will spark a new consumer waveWhether you’re a founder, PM, designer, or investor, this episode offers a product-first lens into how Sequoia evaluates people, companies, and the future of consumer AI.📌 The Library of Minds is brought to you by Delphi - create a digital version of your mind, scale your thinking, and connect with others interactively. Learn more at https://www.delphi.ai/📺 Watch future episodes: delphi.ai/jesslee

Have your own questions? Continue the conversation with Stanley's Delphi: ⁠https://www.delphi.ai/stanleytangCreate your own digital mind: ⁠https://studio.delphi.ai/identityDoorDash Co-Founder and Head of Labs Stanley Tang shares the unfiltered story of turning a fake Stanford class project into one of the world’s biggest delivery platforms. From refunding 40 % of their cash to protect customer trust to surviving near-collapse, Tang reveals how “doing things that don’t scale” shaped DoorDash’s culture of speed and obsession with customer love. A masterclass in resilience and iteration for any founder or operator navigating chaos.📌 The Library of Minds is brought to you by Delphi - create a digital version of your mind, scale your thinking, and connect with others interactively. Learn more at ⁠https://www.delphi.ai/⁠📺 Watch future episodes: ⁠https://libraryofminds.com

Have your own questions? Continue the conversation with Soleio's Delphi: ⁠https://www.delphi.ai/soleioCreate your own digital mind: ⁠https://studio.delphi.ai/identityThe Like button was rejected for two year - until one designer proved it could change how people connect online. In this episode, Facebook and Dropbox veteran Soleio reveals how speed, ownership, and experimentation shaped the early culture that built social media’s most iconic feature. He also shares what the next era of design looks like in an AI-native world - and why 80 % of products failing was actually a sign of success.📌 The Library of Minds is brought to you by Delphi - create a digital version of your mind, scale your thinking, and connect with others interactively. Learn more at ⁠⁠https://www.delphi.ai/⁠⁠📺 Watch future episodes: ⁠⁠https://libraryofminds.com⁠

Have your own questions? Continue the conversation with Roelof's Delphi: ⁠https://www.delphi.ai/roelofbothaCreate your own digital mind: ⁠https://studio.delphi.ai/identitySequoia Managing Partner Roelof Botha on surviving PayPal’s near-collapse to shaping companies like Square and YouTube, this episode unpacks how enduring companies are built-not by hype, but by discipline and clarity. Discover how existential threat forges resilience, why delayed gratification is the ultimate founder edge, and how to think like an actuary when the market turns. A rare look inside the operating philosophy that’s guided Silicon Valley’s most iconic firms for two decades.📌 The Library of Minds is brought to you by Delphi - create a digital version of your mind, scale your thinking, and connect with others interactively. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠https://www.delphi.ai/⁠⁠⁠📺 Watch future episodes: ⁠⁠⁠https://libraryofminds.com⁠

Have your own questions? Continue the conversation with Keith's Delphi: ⁠https://www.delphi.ai/keith-raboisCreate your own digital mind: ⁠https://studio.delphi.ai/identityPayPal Mafia veteran and Opendoor Co-Founder Keith Rabois breaks down why speed is the ultimate strategy in the AI era and what real moats still exist when the cost of building has collapsed. He reveals the hidden signals he studies inside startups, the tension between vision and A/B tests (“shoot the movie, then sell tickets”), and why Slack kills ownership. A masterclass in velocity, standards, and leadership from one of Silicon Valley’s most contrarian minds.📌 The Library of Minds is brought to you by Delphi - create a digital version of your mind, scale your thinking, and connect with others interactively. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.delphi.ai/⁠⁠⁠⁠📺 Watch future episodes: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://libraryofminds.com⁠⁠