Kleiner Perkins Grit Podcast

This week on the Pod: George Kurian, CEO of NetApp! For nearly a decade, George has led NetApp's pivot to cloud services and shares his unique journey from Chief Product Officer to CEO. From feeling lonely at the top to seeing patterns others miss, George discusses the resilience needed to lead a global company. ?? Watch full episode: https://lnkd.in/geRaPPeh or ?? listen now on your favorite podcast platform!

AI can shakeup industries, but ignoring the realities of how they operate is a surefire way to miss the boat. Winston Weinberg, co-founder of Harvey, explains why AI companies can’t force change—and why they shouldn’t try either. Harvey AI builds systems that work with lawyers, integrating seamlessly into workflows to enhance, not undermine, legal work. For AI to succeed in bedrock industries such as law, it has to meet their standards—not the other way around. YouTube: https://lnkd.in/dqAGzysY Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/dwHZcGDP Spotify: https://lnkd.in/dUsbdXYR

Harvey is transforming industries, and in the process, changing the perception of AI-native companies. Winston Weinberg, CEO & co-founder of Harvey joins Joubin Mirzadegan and Kleiner Perkins partner & Harvey board member Ilya Fushman to discuss their path to partnering with the legal industry to provide an agentic coworker for every lawyer, and eventually for professional services. Full episode: https://lnkd.in/eU7zBWP7 or wherever you listen to podcasts!

On this week's episode, we are thrilled to welcome Miki Kuusi, Co-founder & CEO of Wolt and Head of DoorDash International. Miki shares his incredible journey from Slush to building a company in the competitive world of global food delivery. ???? Full conversation ?? https://lnkd.in/gaaBxZMS

Miki Kuusi, Wolt Co-Founder & CEO and Head of DoorDash International, joined the Kleiner Perkins Grit Podcast to share his journey from launching Slush to co-founding Wolt and now shaping the future of local commerce at DoorDash. His takeaway? It's still early, and there's so much more to build together. If you're curious about what it takes to scale a world-class company and why Miki isn't slowing down anytime soon, check out the full conversation here: https://lnkd.in/eSxEYfHV

On this episode of Grit, Joubin Mirzadegan talks with Bobby Kotick, former CEO of Activision Blizzard, and Bing Gordon. Find out their thoughts on leadership, innovation, the future of gaming and listen to some incredible stories! ??? Full episode on YouTube https://lnkd.in/gNJnyGXr or your favorite podcast app!

This week we sit down with Nick Kokonas, Co-Founder of the Alinea Group & Tock. He shares his journey from running Michelin-starred restaurants to exploring new ventures, including a unique restaurant concept with magician Nate Staniforth. Tune in to hear about his experiences, challenges, and what "grit" means to him. Listen now: https://lnkd.in/gnKp7zsY #GritPodcast #NickKokonas #Alinea #Tock #Entrepreneurship #Innovation

Rick Smith’s pay package stands in stark contrast to typical CEO compensation. While most CEOs in similar-sized companies pocket millions, Rick’s total annual compensation is around $40K, with his earnings tied directly to Axon’s performance. What sets him apart? A $246 million performance package that rewards growth, with 1% for every billion added to Axon’s market cap—contingent on reaching ambitious targets. In this episode, Rick shares how his exponential stock plan aligns employees' success with the company’s growth, letting everyone take part in the upside. Link to the full episode in the comments.

Was Steve Jobs’ leadership style rooted in brilliance or burnout? Rick Smith, CEO of Axon, doesn’t shy away from the tough questions. Reflecting on Jobs’ legacy, he acknowledges the extraordinary results but points to the human cost—broken lives and burned-out teams. As he puts it, “We’re paying for creativity and intellect, not grinding out widgets.” In this episode of Grit, he shares how disconnection, like a trip to Burning Man, fuels his best ideas and why he’d trade a smaller market cap over sacrificing his team’s well-being. Watch the full episode with the link in the comments.

? Join us as we sit down with Rick Smith, the visionary CEO of Axon! Discover how he's revolutionizing public safety with cutting-edge technology and hear his incredible journey from tasers to the cloud and beyond. ?? Full episode: https://lnkd.in/eMqRcDiH