Blitzscaling 13: Shishir Mehrotra on Scaling YouTube and The 10 Things That Matter | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Shishir Mehrotra, former YouTube executive, shares valuable insights on scaling a business and managing teams effectively.

Key Insights

• 💪 Choosing a business with great tailwinds and a strong sense of purpose is crucial for scaling and navigating challenges effectively.
• ⌚ Having a unifying metric, such as watch time, helps clarify decision-making and align teams towards common goals.
• 👨‍💼 Understanding ecosystems, valuing different perspectives, and making responsible choices are essential as a business with significant impact.
• 🧑‍⚖️ Judging talent based on problem-solving, solution-finding, the how, and execution capabilities helps identify top performers and foster growth.
• 😤 Dream teams composed of the best talent are worth investing in to drive innovation and success.

Transcript

• So first off just I'll introduce myself a little bit, so I'm Shishir Mehrotra. My background, I went to school out east at MIT. Don't hold that against me here. I left school to start a company called Centrada. That was back in the 2000s cycle. I then spent a few years at Microsoft, worked on Office, then Windows, then SQL Server. Then spent six ... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: How did Jonathan Rosenberg convince Shishir Mehrotra to join YouTube?

Jonathan addressed Shishir's concerns about joining a large company instead of starting a new one and emphasized the impact they could make at YouTube. He assured Shishir that his unique perspective and ideas were valued and that he would have the support to execute them effectively.

Q: How did YouTube decide to use watch time as a unifying metric?

After experiencing a deceleration in pace and a lack of direction, YouTube's leadership team decided to focus on watch time as a key metric. They believed that increasing watch time would clarify decision-making, align teams, and drive innovation. By setting a goal of reaching a billion hours of watch time a day, they were able to reinvigorate the team and encourage bolder initiatives.

Q: How did YouTube handle the dilemma of whether to remove controversial videos?

YouTube faced a difficult decision when a video called "Innocence of Muslims" caused protests and violence. Some argued for removing the video to prevent further harm, while others argued for preserving freedom of speech. Ultimately, YouTube decided to keep the video up, but restricted access to it in certain countries. The decision was made based on the platform's policy and their commitment to freedom of expression.

Q: How did YouTube deal with cultural differences regarding freedom of speech in different countries?

YouTube acknowledges that different countries have different laws and regulations regarding freedom of speech. They try to navigate these complexities by working with governments and adhering to local laws whenever possible. However, they also support open platforms for expression and try to strike a balance between legal obligations and promoting free speech.

Summary

In this video, Shishir Mehrotra, former YouTube executive, shares lessons learned from his time at YouTube. He discusses topics such as picking businesses with great tailwinds, the importance of purpose in motivating people, the power of simple insights, the significance of a single clarifying metric, and the importance of making decisions that stick.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the importance of picking businesses with great tailwinds?

Picking businesses with great tailwinds is important because it accelerates everything you do. It allows you to do small things that become amplified and it covers up mistakes. These tailwinds make it easier to weather through challenges and have a higher chance of success.

Q: How does purpose play a role in motivating people?

Purpose is a key motivator for individuals. It creates a connection between their work and impact. According to Daniel Pink's book "Drive", purpose is one of the three elements that motivate people, along with mastery and autonomy. Purpose gives individuals a sense of direction and drive to excel in their work.

Q: What is the significance of simple insights?

Simple insights often lead to the most interesting innovations. It is important to look hard at a problem and come up with simple insights that can drive progress. These insights may take time to develop and implement, but they can ultimately lead to significant advancements in a company or industry.

Q: Why is having a single clarifying metric important?

A single clarifying metric helps in decision making and provides a clear frame of success. It helps in clarifying priorities and aligning the entire team towards a common goal. Having a single metric makes decision making faster and ensures that everyone understands the impact of their actions.

Q: How does making decisions that stick impact a company?

Making decisions that stick is important for the success of a company. It ensures that decisions are effective and lead to desired outcomes. When decisions stick, it creates clarity, consistency, and a sense of direction. People can align their actions and efforts towards common goals, leading to better overall performance.

Q: Can you provide an example of a decision that stuck at YouTube?

One example is the decision to not link out to other video websites from YouTube. The team decided that consistency in providing a complete video experience on YouTube was more important than redirecting users to other platforms. This decision impacted future decisions, such as removing embedded video players and eliminating the option for video uploaders to decide mobile device accessibility. These subsequent decisions were consistent with the initial decision and contributed to a cohesive user experience on YouTube.

Q: How did the goal of reaching a billion hours of watch time impact YouTube's direction?

The goal of reaching a billion hours of watch time became a unifying metric for decision making and motivated the entire team. It clarified priorities and created a sense of purpose. The goal also led to innovative initiatives and increased the pace of progress. It helped establish a clear direction and frame of success for the company.

Q: How did YouTube's goal compare to other platforms in terms of watch time?

At the time, YouTube was doing about 100 million hours a day of watch time. The goal of reaching a billion hours a day would have made YouTube about 20% of television's watch time. It was a significant goal that would have positioned YouTube as a major player in the video space.

Q: What are the downsides of being the leader in a market?

Being the leader in a market can lead to a loss of direction and motivation. Without a strong competitor, it becomes difficult to gauge progress and push for continuous improvement. The absence of a fast-moving competitor can result in complacency and a lack of innovation.

Q: What is the role of purpose in decision making?

Purpose provides a guiding framework for decision making. It helps individuals and teams evaluate options and prioritize actions based on alignment with their purpose. Decision making that is rooted in purpose ensures that choices are meaningful and contribute to the overall mission and values of the company.

Takeaways

The main takeaways from this video are:

• When choosing a business to work on, pick ones that have great tailwinds as they provide acceleration and cover up mistakes.
• Purpose is a powerful motivator for individuals and organizations. It creates a connection between work and impact, driving motivation and excellence.
• Simple insights often lead to the most interesting innovations. Find those simple insights and stick by them.
• Having a single clarifying metric for decision making leads to clarity, consistency, and a shared understanding of success.
• Making decisions that stick is important for the success of a company. Decisions that are effective and lead to desired outcomes provide clarity, consistency, and direction.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Shishir Mehrotra discusses his experiences and lessons learned while working at YouTube.

• He emphasizes the importance of choosing a business with great tailwinds and a strong sense of purpose to accelerate and weather challenges.

• Shishir highlights the need for a unifying metric, such as watch time, to guide decision-making and align teams.

• He shares the importance of understanding ecosystems and valuing different perspectives when making decisions. Additionally, he underscores the significance of having clear values and the responsibility that comes with managing a company with significant impact.

• Lastly, Shishir speaks about the importance of judging talent based on problem-solving, solution-finding, the how, and execution capabilities. He also discusses the concept of dream teams and the need to invest in and nurture top performers.