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Reid Hoffman

"Today: we have people search (deals, hiring, services) and job search (to connect with the right people as employers). Tomorrow: new things every couple of months... " Reid Hoffman

Here is a "Landed.fm classic interview from 2005. Actually, this is one of the first podcasts we did, with the co-founder and CEO of LinkedIn, Reid Hoffman, at the MIT Enterprise Forum in Cambridge. He gave the closing keynote.

Hoffman clearly had celebrity status in this crowd of entrepreneurs, brainy engineers, and deal makers. I'd like to share a personal observation from the MIT Forum: Anyone who has attended these kinds of affairs knows the drill. The "star keynoter" ends the session, room lights come up, and a rush to the podium immediately takes place. Anxious attendees press forward in hopes of a personal interaction -- a few words -- with the keynoter. Usually, these mob scenes last about five minutes, with the celebrity bolting out the door at the first nanosecond of opportunity. Profuse apologies trailing off the stage. Right? Here's what happened at the MIT Forum: session ends, mob scene ensues. Half-hour later, Reid is still there. 45 minutes later, Reid is still there. He personally spoke to every single individual that wanted a few words with him. No wonder his Next Big Thing was Linkedin. He has a genuine interest in people!

According to Reid Hoffman, there are 100 million professionals online. In his latest venture, Linkedin, you can facilitate "the three R's" - Relationships, Reputation, and References. "Professional" is the operative word here, Linkedin serves as a platform for developing your own personal "trusted network" -- providing both new opportunities and validation.

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