The Ledger
Every statement that passed quotation and attribution checks. Mix any filter with any other: certainty 1/5, debate potential 5/5, or both at once.
why aren't all 13 resolved? a statement only gets an assessment when the public record can support or contradict it. opinions and what-ifs never can, and 0 checkable ones are still open, waiting for their date. predictions held up or didn't; assertions are supported or contradicted. on every card: ▮▮▮▮▮ certainty · ▮▮▮▮▮ debate potential. speakers are clickable
Cohen: Founders cannot master non-core skills in months to hire A-players
“The idea that you can become an expert in something important, something that's an entire career for someone else in a few months and then hire an A player. That's, of course, not true. So you're actually a C player at best.”
Cohen: Terminated employees have required restraining orders and committed suicide
“What if they get violent, and you have to take out a restraining order? I've had to do that. What if they get depressed afterwards and kill themselves, and you have to explain it to everybody? That has happened to me.”
Schatz: Opening International Offices Requires Relocating Top Headquarters Staff
“Part of that is invest in work permits. Invest in expat packages. Take one or two of your top people and send them over to that international office. If you don't do that, it's going to cost you so much more money in the long run because it's going to take so …”
Schatz: First International Country Managers Must Write Their Own Business Plans
“The other way to go and build trust across time zones is when you hire that first managing director or country manager, whoever that is, have them write the business plan. Don't write the business plan for themselves. Have them write it. Have them do the study…”
Schatz: WP Engine Commits to Promoting Top SDRs in Nine Months
“But for my SDRs, my commitment to them is if they come in and overachieve, exceed expectations, I will promote them in nine months.”
Schatz: Culture is the difference between showing up and volunteering your best
“The definition that I utilize is the difference between showing up for work and volunteering your best.”
Cohen: WP Engine passed $100M ARR and secured $250M from Silver Lake
“I founded WP Engine in 2010, and like I said, we now, ah, we're, we've passed a hundred million annual revenue, we just got a two hundred and fifty million dollar investment from Silver Lake, and, ah, we're worth more than SmartBear, right?”
Cohen: Founders will always get the credit without retaining executive titles
“You don't have to hold onto these things like CEO or C whatever or blah, blah, blah for ego because you'll still get the credit. Your ego is going to be fine. You're going to get the ego stuff anyway, which is cool.”
Cohen: Be General Patton on firing decisions, Mother Teresa on the exit
“Delaying only hurts everybody, everybody, you, the team, the person. Be decisive. Our CEO, Heather Bruner, has a terrific phrase about this, which is, General Patton on the decision, Mother Teresa on the exit. Be decisive, and then be kind.”
Schatz: WP Engine Hit $132M ARR After $250M Silver Lake Funding
“We're backed by Silverlake. Last year they made an investment of two hundred and fifty million into our business, and now we are doing about a hundred and thirty two million in revenue.”
Cohen: I have zero direct reports at WP Engine, like HubSpot's Dharmesh
“And now I have zero direct reports, just like Dharmesh at HubSpot.”