Platform Moderation Dominates

Shaan Puri reflects on how content moderation and trust/safety issues have become an unexpected but dominant challenge for social network CEOs, despite this not being their original vision or mission.

Key Points:

• Original Vision vs Reality

  • Social networks weren't created to be public policymakers
  • CEOs like Zuckerberg now spend significant time dealing with trust and safety issues
  • The "1% of angry people" has become one of the worst parts of running these platforms

• Leadership Response

  • Leaders like Zuckerberg have managed to navigate controversies well
  • They "play the game" despite likely not caring deeply about these issues
  • Notable that they don't take more aggressive stances against internal protests

• Example of Corporate Culture Challenges

  • Shares personal experience at Twitch dealing with language policing
  • Received pushback for using the word "woke" in a meeting
  • Found that most issues don't reach the CEO level
  • CEOs often use Socratic method to exhaust controversial topics

• Leadership Strategy

  • CEOs get coaching to avoid reactive responses
  • They respond with questions rather than immediate reactions
  • Most employees are intimidated by debating with leadership
  • Leaders try to dial back their debating skills to avoid shutting people down

• Key Learning

  • Best advice received: "Don't give yourself brain damage"
  • As an entrepreneur post-acquisition, resist urge to be the challenger voice
  • Sometimes better to avoid engaging in certain corporate cultural battles