Video · 2026-07-17 · 26m · 6 moments

Why Every Founder Needs a Story | Replit CEO on a16z

✦ AI generated

timeline · colored by role

Claim◆

Replit would have probably died if I wasn't telling a story that is larger than the company itself.

Amjad argues that for companies that aren't immediately commercially successful, the founder must tell a compelling narrative to survive through fundraising and recruiting.

transcript

Amjad Masad: Repl would have probably died if I wasn't telling a story that is larger than the company itself. Like the company wasn't successful commercially, but we've been very successful at like fundraising, recruiting, uh and I I think if if you build a company that's successful right out of the gate commercially, like you might not need to do all of that. But if you're trying to meme a dream into reality, I think you have to play that game.

extends · 1gives example · 2

Claim◆

Being canceled is a choice. If you're still out there, the haters kind of give up.

Amjad asserts that public figures who remain visible and continue engaging eventually outlast cancelation attempts, as audiences move on to the next controversy.

transcript

Amjad Masad: Being canceled is a choice. Uh so you can you can choose to get canceled and retreat from the public eye, but I think if you're still out there, then at some point honestly the haters kind of give up. They're like, all right, I guess I can't we can't do anything to this guy. Let's go to the next guy.

explains mechanism · 1

Example

If you're going to do PR, focus on business impact. Sometimes owning up to a mistake is the right move, not fighting.

Amjad advises that when deciding whether to respond to criticism, founders should assess actual business impact and consider owning mistakes rather than being defensive.

transcript

Amjad Masad: I think it comes down to um like business impact. Like will it actually have business on a business impact on my business? Um you know, for example, like uh last year in July we had this story with um the you know, founder of SaaStr, Jason Lemkin where... I think the right thing to do was to own own up to it

extends · 1gives example · 2

Context

Not every CEO needs to be a public influencer. It depends on the predisposition of the CEO and whether they can be good at it without being cringe.

Amjad offers a nuanced view: some CEOs like Dario Amodei succeed without social media, while others like Grok's CEO rely on a team member. The key is whether the CEO enjoys it and can do it without harming the brand.

transcript

Amjad Masad: Look, I think there's so many paths to to success. I don't think there's one. Um like yeah, there are a lot of companies where this it's not the CEO that's out there... Dario is an example where he's not playing the social media game, and kind of the product sort of speak speaks for itself... It comes down to the predisposition of the CEO. Like, do you actually enjoy it? Do you think you can be good at it?

Data

Twitter's influence is amazing for elite in-group messaging, but Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube reach the early majority.

Amjad breaks down platform strategy: X is for Silicon Valley and early adopters, while Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube reach the early majority.

transcript

Amjad Masad: Twitter's influence is amazing, but it tends to be elite kind of inside group influence. I think Instagram, Facebook still, you know, YouTube is where you get to the early majority. And I think I was late to to YouTube. Uh to sorry, to Instagram. Like um you know, I just started focusing on it in like maybe February or something like that. And we're getting insane amount of views

explains mechanism · 1extends · 1

Mechanism

The way to go viral is to dress up your arguments and worldview in the current conversation—you have to understand the meta.

Amjad explains that the hard work of going direct isn't posting itself, but understanding the larger debate so you can frame your argument within it.

transcript

Amjad Masad: You have to understand the meta. And I think that's the thing that's more time consuming than posting. Posting is not time consuming. The thing that's time consuming is understanding what is the larger debate because the way to go viral is to couch or dress up your argument, your worldview in the current conversation.

explains mechanism · 1extends · 1provides context · 1

Highlight slides

Storytelling as a Survival Strategy✦ from: Replit would have probably died if I wasn't telling a story that is larger than the company itself.When Narrative Matters Most✦ from: Replit would have probably died if I wasn't telling a story that is larger than the company itself.Cancelation Is a Choice✦ from: Being canceled is a choice. If you're still out there, the haters kind of give up.Why the Haters Give Up✦ from: Being canceled is a choice. If you're still out there, the haters kind of give up.

Related episodes

Audio · No Priors

Scaling Global Organizations in the Age of AI with ServiceNow Chairman and CEO Bill McDermott

→

Audio · All-In Podcast

Charles & Chase Koch on How They Quietly Built a $150B Empire

→

Video · Lex Fridman

The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire | Lex Fridman Podcast #498

→