The obsession that destroys startups

In this episode, we talk about one of the most destructive mental traps founders can fall into — and how to avoid it.

Host Robert Hackett sits down with Bryan Pellegrino, cofounder and CEO of LayerZero, one of the core infrastructure projects that enables blockchains to talk to one another. We cover why crypto went multichain, how it’s competing with legacy financial systems, and a firsthand lesson from Elon Musk.

Highlights
0:00 – Introduction
0:47 – The need for interoperability
1:04 – How crypto went multichain
2:51 – The institutional adoption of crypto
6:56 – Focus and conviction
13:19 – The nature of competition
14:43 – Elon Musk’s game-changing advice
18:48 – The importance of self-disruption
20:08 – Lightning round
22:56 – Challenges in scaling a company
26:46 – Book recommendations and productivity hacks
28:19 – Core principles and company culture

This episode is part of a special series of interviews we recorded live at our Founders Summit in October.

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As always, none of the following should be taken as investment, business, legal, or tax advice. Please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information, including a link to a list of our investments.