The Architect of the Paypal Mafia: Peterson Conway

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The Architect of the Paypal Mafia: Peterson Conway

On Peter Thiel, Joe Lonsdale, & his secret to company construction

HR Heretics

Apr 26, 2024

Transcript

This week Kelli Dragovich and Nolan Church sit down with Peterson Conway, headhunter, investor, and advisor who shares insights from his epic career working closely with Silicon Valley greats like Peter Thiel, Kevin Hartz, Keith Rabois, and Joe Lonsdale. Conway has assembled talent for the founding/early teams of Xoom, Palantir, Founders Fund, and 8VC

Strap in for some crazy stories. Conway's journey highlights the significance of curiosity, optimism, and unconventional hiring practices in Silicon Valley. Conway reflects on the profile of talent he looks for and drills down to certain keywords he uses to search for seeking individuals with strong convictions and a "fight from the bottom" spirit.

HR Heretics is part of the Turpentine podcast network. Learn more: www.turpentine.co

This episode is brought to you by Attio

Attio is the next generation of CRM. It’s powerful, flexible and easily configures to the unique way your startup runs, whatever your go-to-market motion. The next era deserves a better CRM. Join Replicate, ElevenLabs, Modal and more at https://bit.ly/AttioHRHeretics

LINKS:

Zero to 1 by Peter Thiel & Blake Masters: https://www.amazon.com.au/Zero-One-Notes-Startups-Future/dp/0804139296

Butthole Notorious: https://pconway-73418.medium.com/butthole-notorious-e4ac4ff12db4

Peterson Conway: https://www.petersonconway.com/

KEEP UP WITH PETERSON, NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDIN

Peterson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petersonconway/

Nolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/

Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Preview
(01:49) Intro
(02:41) Peterson's Unconventional Path to Silicon Valley Success
(09:23) Navigating Challenges and Learning from Silicon Valley Titans
(16:18) Exploring the Magic of Silicon Valley and Beyond
(18:56) Sponsor: Attio
(24:46) The Dynamics of Connectivity, Safety, and the Future of Work
(27:37) Exploring the Intersection of Fear and Love
(27:55) The Therapeutic Journey: From Fear to Healing
(28:13) On Guilt, Shame, and Vulnerability
(29:55) Unfiltered Conversations: Embracing Discomfort
(31:42) The Power of Silence in Communication
(32:26) Team Construction and the Quest for the Right Hire
(35:04) Expanding Horizons: From Elite Schools to Grit and Determination
(39:14) The Role of HR in Shaping Company Culture
(43:36) On Unconventional Recruiting and Finding Hidden Gems
(50:19) The Art of Asking for Forgiveness, Not Permission
(50:41) Wrap

Discussion about this podcast

“HR Heretics” | How CPOs, CHROs, Founders, and Boards Build High Performing Companies

After a decade+ of “blitz-scaling” companies, HR, talent, and People leaders now face an uncertain economy that has already seen big booms and busts. What will it take to construct the next generation of incredible businesses – and where can people leaders have the most business impact?

Hosts Nolan Church and Kelli Dragovich have been through it all, the highs and the lows – IPOs, layoffs, executive turnover, board meetings, culture changes, and more. With a lineup of industry vets and experts, Nolan and Kelli break down the nitty-gritty details, trade offs, and dynamics of constructing high performing companies. Through unfiltered conversations that can only happen between seasoned practitioners – Kelli and Nolan dive deep into the kind of leadership-level strategy that often happens behind closed doors.

This show is for those who are ready to ditch conventional wisdom and figure out from first principles what works for their culture, business model, and industry, with the goal of building a resilient and enduring company. You’ll come away with real guidance for seeing around corners, building enduring companies, and carving out an impactful career – plus a newly-honed bullshit detector.

Topics frequently touched on in this season include: building high performing cultures, compensation negotiation, performance reviews, company design, equity, M&As, recruiting the best talent, and how to manage your own psychology as a people leader.

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