The Obsession That Destroys Startups (with LayerZero CEO)

with @PrimordialAA @rhackett

In this episode, 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 talk about why crypto went multichain, what it means for crypto to compete with legacy financial systems, and a lesson Bryan took firsthand from Elon Musk. We also get into Bryan’s background as a professional poker player, and how that has shaped his views on competition, conviction, and focus.

We go deep on founder psychology:
– When founders must replace early leadership — and why no one talks about it
– Why conviction matters more than advice
– And why the hardest decisions are the ones no playbook prepares you for

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. 

Follow a16z crypto for more...

• X: https://x.com/a16zcrypto
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/a16zcrypto/posts/
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7pMZvsNXEnb0CYcPiDQywE
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/web3-with-a16z-crypto/id1622312549
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@a16zcrypto

📩 Subscribe for more industry reports, trend updates, news analysis, builder guides, and other resources: https://a16zcrypto.substack.com/subscribe/

🎙️ Like, subscribe, comment, share the show: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/podcast/

***

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.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.