The Obsession That Destroys Startups (with LayerZero CEO)

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Jan 7, 2026

Bryan Pellegrino, Cofounder and CEO of LayerZero, a blockchain interoperability project, discusses the evolution of crypto into a multichain world. He shares insights from his poker background, emphasizing the importance of competition and conviction. Bryan reveals valuable lessons from Elon Musk on focusing product development over external advice. The conversation also covers the necessity for self-disruption and the challenges founders face when scaling leadership. With anecdotes and practical strategies, he guides aspiring entrepreneurs in navigating the startup landscape.

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INSIGHT

Interoperability Is Foundational

Multiple blockchains will persist because many apps and institutions want to own their own chains.
Interoperability is essential to enable commerce and large-scale applications across those chains.

INSIGHT

Institutions Shift From Hostile To Embracing

Institutions initially fought crypto but are now actively adopting it because the technology is strictly better for some uses.
This institutional shift makes room for long-term innovation and favors decentralized structures.

ANECDOTE

Bitcoin Helped Keep Online Poker Alive

Bryan first used Bitcoin to move money for online poker after US sites were shut down in 2011.
That early use case shaped his view of crypto as a practical alternative to centralized payment layers.

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with @PrimordialAA @rhackett

In this episode, host Robert Hackett sits down with Bryan Pellegrino, cofounder and CEO of LayerZero, one of the core infrastructure projects that enables blockchains to talk to one another. We talk about why crypto went multichain, what it means for crypto to compete with legacy financial systems, and a lesson Bryan took firsthand from Elon Musk. We also get into Bryan’s background as a professional poker player, and how that has shaped his views on competition, conviction, and focus.

We go deep on founder psychology:
– When founders must replace early leadership — and why no one talks about it
– Why conviction matters more than advice
– And why the hardest decisions are the ones no playbook prepares you for

Highlights
0:00 – Introduction
0:47 – The need for interoperability
1:04 – How crypto went multichain
2:51 – The institutional adoption of crypto
6:56 – Focus and conviction
13:19 – The nature of competition
14:43 – Elon Musk's game-changing advice
18:48 – The importance of self-disruption
20:08 – Lightning round
22:56 – Challenges in scaling a company
26:46 – Book recommendations and productivity hacks
28:19 – Core principles and company culture

This episode is part of a special series of interviews we recorded live at our Founders Summit in October.

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