The Tim Ferriss Show
#316: Whitney Wolfe Herd — Founder and CEO of Bumble
Episode guests
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
- Investing time and dedication into the team's first ten hires shapes the future of a company and builds a strong and passionate culture.
- Seeking guidance from experienced individuals, even if it goes against initial instincts, can lead to better decisions and navigate challenges more effectively.
- Asking for help and valuing the experiences of others is crucial in avoiding pitfalls, gaining new perspectives, and making better decisions as a founder.
Deep dives
Investing in People: The Key to Building a Strong Culture
The best investment I've made is time and dedication into my team at Bumble. I believe that the first ten hires are crucial in shaping the future of a company and instilling its values. By investing extra time, effort, and genuine care into my early hires, I was able to create a strong and passionate team. I made sure they felt like family by organizing activities outside of work and sharing my pain points and vision. This approach allowed us to build a culture rooted in the same mission and values, creating a positive and impactful work environment.
Importance of Tapping into Experience
One of the best pieces of advice I've received is to tap into the experience and expertise of others, even if it goes against my initial instincts. While I believed in doing things my own way, I realized the value of seeking guidance from people who have been through similar experiences. My business partner, who had years of experience in the dating industry, provided valuable insights and helped me make more informed decisions. Trusting the expertise of others has helped me navigate challenges and make better choices as a founder.
The Power of Asking for Help
Another valuable lesson I've learned is the importance of asking for help. In the early stages of building a company, it can feel isolating and overwhelming. However, I've come to realize that seeking advice and guidance from mentors, friends, or even strangers can be immensely beneficial. By reaching out and valuing the experiences and knowledge of others, I've gained new perspectives, avoided pitfalls, and made better decisions. It's crucial to remember that everyone is impressed by someone, and seeking help is not a sign of weakness, but a way to learn and grow.
The Power of Reading: Shantaram
During a backpacking trip in Asia, the speaker read the book 'Shantaram' which made them realize the vastness of the world and gain perspective on their own life.
Health Matters: 'The Plant Paradox'
The speaker highly recommends the book 'The Plant Paradox', which challenges conventional beliefs about health and wellness. This book influenced the speaker to prioritize their health and understand the impact of food choices on their well-being.
Whitney Wolfe Herd (@whitwolfeherd) is the founder and CEO of Bumble, one of the fastest-growing social networking apps in the world. She launched Bumble in 2014 as the only dating platform where women make the first move, and in three years, her vision has led to Bumble's growth to more than 28 million users worldwide in 144 countries.
Bumble launched Bumble BFF in 2016 as a friend-finding feature and Bumble Bizz for professional networking in 2017. Whitney was named to Forbes' "30 Under 30" list and has recently been on the covers of not just Fast Company, but also Forbes and Wired.
Please enjoy!
This podcast is brought to you by Soothe.com, the world's largest on-demand massage service. Because I've been broken so many times, I have body work done at least twice a week — so I have a high bar for this stuff. I do not accept mediocrity, and I wouldn't expect you to, either.
After much personal testing, I can affirm that Soothe delivers a hand-selected, licensed, and experienced massage therapist to you in the comfort of your own home, hotel, or office in as little as an hour. I was amazed at the quality of service and convenience. Think of it as Uber for massages, available in fifty cities worldwide. Download the app at Soothe.com and use code TIM25 to get $25 off your first massage.
This podcast is also brought to you by FreshBooks. FreshBooks is the #1 cloud bookkeeping software, which is used by a ton of the start-ups I advise and many of the contractors I work with. It is the easiest way to send invoices, get paid, track your time, and track your clients.
FreshBooks tells you when your clients have viewed your invoices, helps you customize your invoices, track your hours, automatically organize your receipts, have late payment reminders sent automatically and much more.
Right now you can get a free month of complete and unrestricted use. You do not need a credit card for the trial. To claim your free month and see how the brand new FreshBooks can change your business, go to FreshBooks.com/Tim and enter "Tim Ferriss" in the "how did you hear about us" section.
Bonus: People constantly ask me "How can I get a four-hour workweek with a service business?" I tell them to download and read Breaking the Time Barrier by FreshBooks — it's free.
***
If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. I also love reading the reviews!
For show notes and past guests, please visit tim.blog/podcast.
Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (“5-Bullet Friday”) at tim.blog/friday.
For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.
Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Please fill out the form at tim.blog/sponsor.
Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.
Follow Tim:
Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss
Instagram: instagram.com/timferriss
Facebook: facebook.com/timferriss
YouTube: youtube.com/timferriss
Past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, and many more.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts
