CEO Diaries: The Brutal Mistake That Almost Crippled Snapchat!

In this episode, Evan Spiegel, CEO and co-founder of Snapchat, highlights the critical role of hiring in building a successful company and the culture that supports creativity. He reflects on the early days of Snapchat, expressing that hiring the right people was paramount, describing his original team as talented and creative individuals who combined engineering and artistic skills. Spiegel shares insights about their hiring framework, noting that they sometimes made mistakes by prioritizing leadership experience over adaptability and creativity. He stresses the importance of fostering a supportive culture where employees feel safe sharing ideas.

Spiegel identifies Snapchat's core values: kindness, smartness, and creativity, explaining how kindness is not just about being nice but about providing constructive feedback to help others grow. He elaborates on the qualities of effective leaders, such as T-shaped leadership, which combines deep expertise and a broad understanding of different business areas. Throughout the discussion, he reflects on past decisions and emphasizes the need for quick adaptability in leadership.

Evan shares advice he would give to his younger self, focusing on the importance of making decisions and quickly correcting mistakes, while recognizing the challenges of maintaining a cohesive company culture as Snapchat grew. He notes how they imported various cultural elements from employees coming from different companies, which sometimes conflicted with Snapchat's original values. Ultimately, Spiegel advocates for clear communication of company values and behaviors to ensure a strong organizational culture.