In this episode of the 'Pfeffer on Power' podcast, host Jeffrey Pfeffer, a professor at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business, is joined by Sarah Friar, CFO of OpenAI and former CEO of Nextdoor.

Sarah shares her impressive career journey from engineering in Northern Ireland, to McKinsey, Goldman Sachs, and various leadership roles, notably CEO of Nextdoor and CFO at OpenAI.

Sarah offers insights into switching roles within the C-Suite, the challenges women face in tech, and the importance of networking, curiosity, and owning one's power. She discusses her transition back to a CFO role, her views on organizational culture, and practical advice for building effective teams.

Pfeffer on Power is produced by University FM.

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The power of curiosity and connections in tech

06:19: So I went to this conference. It was two days back to back, and I came back to work, and the VP said, “Where have you been?” Like, we were a bit worried about you. And I was like, “Oh, I was at this conference.” And I walked around this conference, and it was super nerdy. Like, you know, it's the nerds of the nerds. But I was there with my Goldman Sachs business card, and I would just stop at every booth and talk about what someone's technology was and who they were. And that has paid dividends so long in my career. Number one, it got me into the one space that wasn't cracking when the bubble really burst bad. It got me a pathway over into equity research, which actually became the much longer part of my Goldman career. These people that I met at that stage, many of them were young engineers, have become very senior in the technology industry over time. And it was just such a good learning moment for me. Not just that network is important, but curiosity is important. The people who don't look like you or seem like you can actually become incredibly important, interesting, and useful in your career path.

How is Sarah aligning impact with opportunity?

14:32: First and foremost, I think it's really about aligning where you can have the most impact, right? The whole, if you're going to change the world, start by giving something big a push. To me, that meant OAI or OpenAI right now at this moment in time. I think it is in the crucible of how much AI is going to change the world. And in particular, the mission statement of OpenAI around building technology that will benefit all of humanity was incredibly important to me. Like, we're not just advancing AI, we're actually shaping the future of how society will interact with intelligence itself. And so there's not many places in the world, it might be an N of 1 where I think you can go do that. So, you have to sometimes just recognize that. The role doesn't matter, the title doesn't matter, because the role itself puts you right in that moment.

Sarah's perspective on aligning personal impact with broader change

03:23: I always want to put myself where I feel like I can have maximum impact, but importantly, the thing I'm impacting will have maximum impact. There's a quote that's always stuck with me: "If you want to cause change in the world, give something big a push." And so I often try to put myself in that place.

In this episode of the 'Pfeffer on Power' podcast, host Jeffrey Pfeffer, a professor at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business, is joined by James da Costa, co-founder of Fingo Africa, and also author of the book Fintech Wars: Tech Titans, Complex Crypto and the Future of Money.

James relays his journey growing up in Sheffield, England, and studying economics. From working at McKinsey, to founding a digital banking startup in Kenya and finally joining Andreessen Horowitz as a partner.

James emphasizes the importance of boldness, continual learning, reaching out to influential figures, and the significance of generosity in networking. His story is an inspiring testament to young professionals and entrepreneurs.

Pfeffer on Power is produced by University FM.

Lessons from FinTech wars

10:31: [Jeffrey Pfeffer] So what did you learn from your research on FinTech wars? And then I'm going to ask you, what did you learn from starting the bank?

10:56:[James da Costa] I think one of the most interesting things that I saw is, number one: very often, I think the very best founders are at their best in crisis. They love it when they're thrown the most difficult challenge. I came back from David [Vélez] from Nubank again. He's at his best when the central bank is about to tell him that he's going to get shut down or that he's running out of money because he's then able to galvanize himself and every single person around him to take on that challenge. Reid Huffman compares it to great startup operators being like doctors or emergency care workers. They're used to being in these high-stress environments. And so it was amazing to see how calm and how articulate many of these people were faced with. They respond with massive action, but they often break up the stimulus to the response.

How James landed a partnership at a prestigious VC firm straight out of business school

05:07: For me, in my career, I've always followed my energy and interests. And so, on the one hand, that's meant that I've had a career that involves supporting corporates build startups in the UK and abroad. It then kind of jumps to building a digital bank myself in East Africa. And now I'm over here in the Bay Area. And so, at first look, you might kind of not see these things. But over time, I built a real knowledge and excitement for a particular industry, which was FinTech and financial services, and had the chance to just meet many, many entrepreneurs in that space and learn a lot about the space. And I think that, combined with actually being an entrepreneur myself and then, at Stanford, spending a lot of time convening other entrepreneurs around Stanford, inviting successful entrepreneurs to come back and talk to people, it meant that I was sort of in the right place at the right time, as they were looking for a new investing partner to join that team.

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In this episode of the 'Pfeffer on Power' podcast, host Jeffrey Pfeffer, a professor at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business, is joined by Christine Hung, VP, Head of Client Solutions - Real-world Evidence.

Christine shares her experiences as an Asian immigrant from Taiwan with an exemplary career in data science and analytics. Christine’s journey includes overcoming job discrimination and still coming out on top at prestigious companies like Apple, the New York Times, and Spotify, as well as her current role at Flatiron Health.

Jeffrey and Christine discuss the importance of visibility, networking, asking for what you want, and overcoming self-doubt. This episode provides valuable insights not just for Asian Americans or immigrants, but for anyone facing similar challenges in the workplace.

Pfeffer on Power is produced by University FM.

The advice that empowered Christine to lead with confidence

08:36: So instead of waiting to see what this person was going to do, at your encouragement, Jeff, I went to my boss, or our common boss, and said, "Hey, this just happened; it was out of the blue, but here's why I think I should continue to lead this department." My boss was very receptive, and the whole shenanigan just went away. What you did for me there, Jeff, is remind me of the value that I was bringing to the table as a leader and really pushed me to defend what I have built and what I deserve. [09:23] And with that, Jeff, I am forever grateful. And every time I run into situations like this—[09:42]I always ask myself, "What would Jeff advise me to do?" And the answer is always very obvious.

How overcoming fear of rejection helped Christine get to where she is today

19:50: I think from my experience, the hardest part was getting out of my head, right? 'Cause I think we're all just afraid of rejection, right? And I remember the night before I was going to ask Carolyn [CEO of Flatiron Health] for this opportunity, I was role-playing with my husband, right? And I was like, "Oh my God, what is this going to do?" And basically, he said to me, "Christine, what's the worst thing that's going to happen? The worst thing that's going to happen is that she says no, and you go back to your current job." I think this is something that really took me a long time to learn. I think even at this stage, 20 years out of college, I still need to catch myself when I do that. And that's why I think having taken your lesson, or having your book, your podcast, has been such a great reminder of what I need to do to really achieve my goals

Success requires more than just performance

13:30: From my experience, performance is table stakes. You need to do so much more than just performing to be successful. You need to have the right boss. You need to be hired at the right time. You need to make sure that the right people with the right power are aware of your impact. And you need to have allies and sponsors in the organization. You also need to be in the right place at the right time in order to progress.

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In this episode of the 'Pfeffer on Power' podcast, host Jeffrey Pfeffer, a professor at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business, is joined by Omar Shaya, the founder of MultiOn, an AI company that develops autonomous agents.

Omar shares his inspiring journey from growing up in Syria and studying computer science in Germany to working at top tech companies, Microsoft and Meta. He delves into the philosophy and goals behind his startup, which aims to democratize access to personal AI assistants.

Additionally, Omar discusses the importance of building a brand, forming strategic relationships, and acting with confidence. Practicing these rules of power helped Omar have successful pitches, secure investments, and build his company to where it is today.

He reflects on valuable lessons learned from Professor Pfeffer’s class, such as networking relentlessly, bringing energy to every room, and questioning conventional wisdom. Omar shares how some pivotal choices in preparing for a meeting, such as searching for commonalities and having a working product to demonstrate, open doors to conversations with pivotal people. This episode is full of power-based tips that can be incorporated into the branding and networking habits of any listener.

Pfeffer on Power is produced by University FM.

Democratization through AI

03:48: One of the things that I noticed are still exclusive is having access to a personal assistant or to an executive assistant, someone, or something that you can delegate tasks to, tasks that you do not want to do but you have to do so that you can stay focused on the things that you actually want to do. And so when I looked at that, I noticed that this is very limited to people who can afford it, or wealthy, or executive. But the rest of the population did not have access to this. And I thought AI could be the democratizing factor here, where you could give every single person on Earth an assistant that can help them be more productive that can let them delegate tasks that they do not want to do but yet have to do so that they can stay focused on the things they care about most. So that was the motivation to start this company.

On acting with power and confidence

16:42: [Jeffrey] One of the things that struck me is that you showed up with confidence and with power. You act and speak with power. Can you talk a little bit about that? Cause I suspect, I mean, you're not talking in your native language, which was, I mean, you're from Syria, and then you lived in Germany, but you show up with an enormous amount of confidence and assurance.

17:00: [Omar Shaya] This is also something I learned from your class, doubling down on this whole concept of acting with power. And the way I see it, it's not about me acting with power for the sake of myself only; it is a service to the audience. If I speak with confidence, if they can hear me well, if they can follow the ideas I'm talking about, if they can understand what I'm saying, I see that as my responsibility towards the audience, and not only about me asserting a certain power or something like that. And so that was also the framing of what it means to show up with power or acting with power to me.

Building strong connections through networking

16:01: Networking, to me, is about building relationships, and that's how you start getting energy from networking, versus seeing it just as a transactional act, but being curious about the other person, learning about them, seeing how you can help each other, and trying to build energy. Some sort of relationship, whether a friendship, a business relationship, or just a human connection, I think that's how you turn networking from something you don't like into something you might enjoy and get energy from.

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In this episode of the 'Pfeffer on Power' podcast, host Jeffrey Pfeffer, a professor at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business, is joined by Gina Bianchini, CEO & Co-Founder Mighty Networks.

Gina brings her expertise on how effective communication can elevate your leadership. Drawing fascinating parallels between political figures and startup founders, Gina and Jeffrey explore the importance of inspiring confidence and maintaining energy, even in the face of setbacks.

Gina reveals the significant advantages of building a dedicated community space using Mighty Networks over a Facebook group. She candidly shares the challenges and triumphs she faced while building her company, emphasizing the value of resilience and persistence in the tech world.

Gina also puts Jeffrey in the hot seat with a question of her own about the power dynamics at play on the biggest political stage possible and Jeffrey shares his thoughts on the power principles at play in the presidential race.

Pfeffer on Power is produced by University FM.

On the vision of Mighty Networks

08:09: How do we create the conditions through software, which actually scales to everybody on the planet with a phone, with a computer, with access to the digital network of the internet? How do we actually use software to make those connections so that anybody can join a community and instantly feel welcome, instantly meet the most interesting people, and certainly the people who are the most relevant to what they want to accomplish or the transition that they're in and navigating? That's our vision. And so what we do at Mighty Networks is we offer a software platform that anybody can show up and create a Mighty Network and choose a community, courses, events, challenges, being able to bring those different things together that ultimately create a network that gets more valuable to every member with each new person who joins and contributes.

The drive behind Mighty Networks

17:13: I think what has really kept me going in the context of Mighty Networks is: I very much want to live in this world. I want to live in a world where every creator, every brand, every person who wants this incredibly powerful asset to be able to make a living, to have an impact, to help people. It's too important to be set back. And it's too important to leave it up to the people that would otherwise do it. And is there ego involved in that? Probably. That's okay. Like, that's what allows me to get up tomorrow morning and move this forward, then embrace it.

On building a future of connected communities and personal growth

25:11: My main motivator is I want to live in this world where we have, brick by brick, bit by bit, created this future where people are members of amazing communities that are powered by software and AI that was not even possible six months ago. And how I define success is being surrounded every day with people who are interesting, curious, ambitious, and bring to the picnic something I can learn from.

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In this episode of the 'Pfeffer on Power' podcast, host Jeffrey Pfeffer, a professor at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business, is joined by Jed Simon, an experienced CEO with a background in the FinTech and Media industries.

First, Jed talks about Stanford’s MSx program, from which he is a recent graduate. Then, Jed takes us through his remarkable career journey, including his roles in investment banking at Morgan Stanley, corporate strategy at DreamWorks, and founding/selling a successful FinTech company.

Jed shares several stories from these experiences including a humorous interaction with powerful media billionaire David Geffen and how Jed formed his relationship-building framework via gaining entry to LA’s hottest nightclub.

Listen in and enjoy hearing about Jed’s experiences and applications of Jeffrey’s Paths to Power course, and how he used the opportunity to its maximum benefit.

Pfeffer on Power is produced by University FM.

• 00:00 Introduction to Pfeffer on Power
• 01:40 Meet Jed Simon: Career Trajectory
• 05:05 Navigating Difficult Bosses
• 08:17 Rules of Power: Networking and Rule-Breaking
• 11:39 The Power of Networking
• 16:19 Lessons from the Nightclub
• 20:56 Final Thoughts and Anecdotes
• 24:04 Conclusion and Podcast Outro

The power of first impressions

20:43: You talk a lot in class about the power of a first impression. And I want to say, it's not, like, if you flub the first impression, there's no coming back. But I think it's, like, maybe a 50x effort to get back to where you could have been, had you done it right in the first place. And my company, my startup, we were a fintech company. We hadn't raised much money, I think a million or two million bucks. And we needed to get some validation. [21:11] I saw Wells Fargo Lender Finance. as, kind of, the number one lender. And I got a meeting with Andrea Petro... [21:38] she said, you know, normally we have a $25 million minimum for a loan, we're going to make an exception, I'm going to get back to you. So, they ended up offering us a $12.5 million loan, but she said she wanted us to raise some capital, and she's, like, from one of these places, I'll make the intro. So, we ended up raising $10 million from investment plus $12 and a half million from this. It was, like, that one little thing had this cascading effect. So, the first impressions are so important and we got that right.

On utilizing your network

11:40: In your class, there were different guests who talked about how they use networking, and there’s certain pieces of that which really resonated. And I talked to my power coach, and she gave me some insight as well. And look, I recognized early on coming to Stanford that one of the key components of this place is not just the academics. Academics are easy to over index on because you get graded. It's straightforward. These things are assigned. But the real magic of Stanford is the student body, the classmates in MSX and these MBAs. I mean, this is the hardest business school to get into in the world. These are the most exceptional students in the world, and they're all here. And it's a very friendly, welcoming place. So, I decided about six months ago in your class that I'm going to meet as many of these MBAs. Because I knew all my classmates, I wanted to meet as many of these MBAs as possible… [12:55] So, I think, in the last 4 or 5 months, I've done, on average, 2 to 3 a day, one-on-ones. And at this point, I've probably done one-on-ones with 80-100 MBAs. And it's really been a powerful thing.

How do you build relationships

15:27: You have to give things; you can't always be asking for them. How can I be of service? What can I provide of value? That’s how you build enduring relationships.

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In this episode of the 'Pfeffer on Power' podcast, host Jeffrey Pfeffer, a professor at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business, is joined by Amir Rubin, CEO and founding managing partner of Healthier Capital, a fund that advances healthcare by supporting innovative companies creating significant impact and value.

Amir is a trailblazing leader who has revolutionized healthcare giants like Stanford Healthcare and One Medical. Curious about how to build influence without direct control? From fixing hospital roofs to improving parking, Amir’s approach to practical issues offers valuable lessons for anyone looking to turn around underperforming departments. Learn how he fosters a supportive environment for doctors and staff, creating a culture that thrives on continuous improvement.

Discover the secrets to aligning executive skills with organizational needs, as Amir dives into the importance of understanding board expectations and leveraging lean and design thinking approaches. Amir involves patients in improvement processes and engages multidisciplinary teams to ensure sustainable success and scalability.

Pfeffer on Power is produced by University FM.

The importance of alignment, trust and empowerment from the board leadership

20:43: It's important to have that alignment, trust, and empowerment from the board in the leadership, you know, until we lose that right. And that's why cultivating that right, maintaining those relationships, and keeping people informed is very important. Because we are trying to do things with a certain philosophy and a certain approach. And it's also why showing progress, making traction, and having some early wins is also important because you want to keep building on that confidence. If you're like, no, no, no, it's coming in the future, you can lose some of the confidence of those stakeholders. So, showing, you know, that foot in the door: "Hey, wait, hold on; we're making some progress here." And showing the measurements, showing the tractions, and continuously improving is really important. And then bringing other people into this solution. Bringing clinicians, bringing staff, bringing technologists, bringing the board, bringing the patients. Let's all work on this. This is all of our mission.

The value steam processes matter

07:20: I think a great experience, whether it's for faculty, clinicians, staff, or for patients, is thinking through all those small steps of the process. And I think when we're often finding ourselves irritated with an experience, it's often something like, I can't believe nobody's thought about this. Well, you know, that's often the case. Either folks haven't thought about it or haven't put the energy or effort to think about those things. I think ultimately a great experience, whether it's for patients, customers, or consumers, or for physicians, faculty, staff, is thinking about all those things. How do we stitch these things together? The details matter. The value stream processes matter, and I don't think you can have great experience and ignore those details, whether it's for faculty, staff, or patients. I think they're kind of one in the same.

On having patient-centric approach in everything they do

19:43: We need to understand it from the patient's perspective, or if we're serving a child, the parent's perspective. And the more of those perspectives we had, the better picture we had of, ah, now I see what's going on here. If we could just stitch a few of these things together upstream, we'd make it better for the patient, the consumer, but also we wouldn't create all this downstream work for the clinician and staff that could be avoidable. That was absolutely important, and it also infused our organization with a customer experience mindset.

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