Rob Khazzam, CEO at Float on Building a Culture of Urgency, Customer Obsession, and Risk Tolerance

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May 9, 2024

Rob Khazzam, CEO of Float and former Uber exec, shares insights on building a culture of urgency, customer obsession, and risk tolerance. He highlights the importance of talent density, resilience in hiring, transparency in leadership, and personal reflection for continuous improvement in management.

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Introduction

00:00 • 3min

Journey to Leadership at Uber

02:53 • 14min

Building a Culture of Accountability and Continuous Improvement at Uber

17:06 • 4min

Navigating Management Challenges

20:56 • 8min

Building Float: Mission, Culture, and Talent

28:37 • 13min

Discussion on Resilience in Hiring, Transparency in Leadership, and Self-Reflection for Improvement

41:11 • 4min

Rob Khazzam's tenure on Uber's first international launch team provided invaluable lessons that continue to shape his leadership as CEO of Float.

At Uber, Rob experienced an environment marked by an unwavering focus on talent, a bias for action, and relentless execution. Amidst the intense and fast-paced environment, Rob also recognized the importance of being willing to think really big and go for it.

Rob Khazzam is the CEO and Co-Founder of Float, a revolutionary fintech company helping companies simplify spending through a corporate card and spend management software. Prior to becoming a founder, Rob worked at Uber for 5 years in international expansion and general management in Eastern Europe and Canada.

In episode 4 of season 2, Rob shares his journey of intense growth from launching Uber in different countries to founding and leading Float. He emphasizes the importance of communication, organization, and reflection in becoming a better manager. Rob also discusses the culture at Float, focusing on values such as talent density, risk tolerance, urgency, customer obsession, and a culture of learning and growth. He shares his insights on hiring excellent talent and the importance of resilience and passion. Rob encourages leaders to stop coddling their teams and instead lead with transparency and context.

Tune in to hear all about Rob’s leadership journey and the lessons learned along the way!

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TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

[03:11] Going from private equity to Uber

[08:48] How to know when to seize the rocket ship

[15:20] Accountability and focus: key drivers at Uber

[19:57] The problem with unproductive meetings

[23:21] Organizational growth and improved management

[29:05] Building a culture of talent and customer obsession at Float

[33:11] Hiring for culture and continuous growth at Float

[38:24] The importance of risk tolerance in startups

👉 Check out the resources mentioned here: https://fellow.app/supermanagers/rob-khazzam-float/