New Delhi, Sep 2 (IANS): On his podcast "Masters of Scale", Reid Hoffman, founder of LinkedIn and investor at Greylock, sits down with the leaders of the world's most iconic companies, including Apple, Nike, Netflix, Spotify, Starbucks, Google, Instagram and Microsoft, as well as the bold, disruptive startups - from 23andMe to TaskRabbit, from the Black List to the Bevel razor - solving the problems of the 21st century.
In his book, "Masters of Scale – Surprising Truths from the World's Most Successful Entrepreneurs" (Penguin), Hoffman draws on their most riveting, revealing stories to distil the counterintuitive secrets behind the most extraordinary success stories of our times.
Through vivid storytelling and straightforward analysis, Hoffman presents a set of principles that anyone can use.
How do you find a winning idea and turn it into a scalable venture? What can you learn from a "squirmy no"? When should you stop listening to your customers? Which fires should you put out right away, and which should you let burn? And can you really make money while making the world a better place? (Answer: Yes. But you have to do the work to keep your profits and values aligned.)
Based on more than 100 interviews, and incorporating new material never aired on the podcast, the book offers a unique insider's guide, filled with insights, wisdom, and strategies that will inspire you to re-imagine how you do business today.
"Whether you're at a startup or working to drive change within a large organization, the business principles in this book will help you deploy your strategy with creativity, integrity and realism," says Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.
"Reid Hoffman has a talent for getting right to the heart of a business case and turning it into an unforgettable lesson. If you're scaling a company -- or if you just love a well-told story -- this is a book to savour," says Bob Iger, executive chair, Walt Disney Co.
"A book to take with you into battle as you build a company or a career. It's full of enjoyable stories, but the killer feature is the sharp insights Reid draws out - specific, memorable, actionable mindsets," says Reed Hastings, co-founder and CEO, Netflix,