The document outlines the author's experiences as a company builder and investor in notable tech ventures like Winamp and Facebook. Key insights include the importance of metrics, rigorous testing, and a focus on growth, with a strong cultural foundation to drive success. The author emphasizes the value of core product differentiation, high standards, and building real value in business.

1. Growth, Myths and
Anecdotes

2. About me
• Company builder
– Winamp (100MM users by 2001)
– AIM+ICQ (250MM users by 2004)
– Facebook (1B users by 2012)
• Investor
– Playdom (bought for $750M by DIS), Yammer (bought for $1.25B by MSFT)
– Box, Palantir, Integrated Plasmonics, MAD Apparel
– $127M invested; $219M realized; $566M FMV
• Husband and Father
• Poker Player
• Baller

3. GROWTH

4. What we did right
• Measured Things
• Tested Things
• Tried Things

5. How we did it
• A simple framework
– Acquisition
– Activation
– Engagement
– Virality

6. The biggest takeaway
• Eliminate Ego
• Invalidate Lore

7. MYTHS

8. The hard truth
• Most people don’t know what they are talking
about

9. Wake up!
• k != growth
• K == spam

10. A-ha
• Core product value is elusive and most
products don’t have any

11. ANECDOTES

12. Trends
• If you truly know your business you know
you’ve won before you actually win

13. Ruthless Prioritization
• Growth was the only thing we spoke about at
FB for three years

14. Culture vs Capability
• Culture wins every time
• What you value is what you will achieve

15. Values
• Very high IQ
• Strong sense of purpose
• Relentless focus on success
• Aggressive and competitive
• High quality bar bordering on perfectionism
• Likes changing and disrupting things
• New ideas on how to do things better
• High integrity
• Surrounds themselves with good people
• Cares about building real value over perception

16. Thank you