In the networked age of the 21st century, we've all witnessed the tech giants of Silicon Valley take the world by storm. Having grown one such business (LinkedIn) himself, and having invested in a number of others, Reid Hoffman is perfectly positioned to explain the architecture of the rapid growth these companies enjoyed. In order to "blitzscale," you must be willing to sacrifice efficiency in favor of speed in the face of uncertainty. As you crystallize your unique market opportunity, it is more dangerous to capture market share slowly and safely than it is to move at breakneck speed. Blitzscaling requires constant innovation, iteration, and risk-taking, but the rewards in the corporate world are extraordinary.
At the time of its unicorn acquisition by eBay in 2002, Reid was serving as PayPal's Executive Vice President. In the next year, he co-founded LinkedIn, acting as its first CEO for four years. Soon after, he became a partner at Greylock Partners, running the firm's $20 million Discovery Fund. On the 2017 Forbes list of billionaires, he was listed as #630. He has also authored the books Startup of You and The Alliance.