The Public Sector Show by TechTables #207: Bringing Soldiers Home to Building the Digital Identity with Blake Hall, Founder & CEO, ID.me
#207: Bringing Soldiers Home to Building the Digital Identity with Blake Hall, Founder & CEO, ID.me
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Featuring:
Blake Hall, Founder & CEO, ID.me
What You’ll Learn:
How Blake's grandfather earned a Bronze Star with Valor at Anzio and established three leadership rules that shaped three generations of soldiers
Why Roy, an Iraqi interpreter, became a life-changing mission that demonstrated the true meaning of bringing everyone home
How ID.me is building the identity layer for the internet with a digital wallet that puts consumers in control of their data
The four immutable character traits Blake screens for: optimism, kindness over niceness, fight-or-flight control, and zero tolerance for jerks
Strategic fundraising lessons from raising over $100 million while maintaining company control and avoiding liquidation preference traps
Timestamps
(01:00) Military Heritage: Three Generations of Soldiers from WWII to Iraq
(02:00) Grandfather's Bronze Star: Saving His Unit at Anzio Against Nazi Machine Guns
(04:00) The Three Family Rules: Humility, Hard Assignments, and Leadership Lessons
(05:00) Roy's Story: Meeting the Iraqi Interpreter Who Looked Like a "Water Boy"
(07:00) Combat Reality: 19 of 22 Interpreters Executed Over 24 Months
(08:00) The Promise: "I'm Going to Bring All My Guys Home"
(13:00) Combat to Civilian: "Where Do I Go on Friday to Hang Out?"
(14:00) ID.me's Mission: Building the Identity Layer for the Internet
(15:00) Digital Wallets Beyond Payments: Privacy Filters and Never Do Same Thing Twice
(21:00) Core Value #1: "Don't Be a Jerk" - Zero Tolerance Policy
(22:00) Core Value #2: "Kind vs. Nice" - Truth-Telling Over People-Pleasing
(23:00) Core Value #3: "No Pessimists" - The Apollo 13 Mindset
(25:00) Hiring Strategy: Screening for Immutable Character Traits First
(27:00) Duke Basketball Example: Coach K's "We're Gonna Win" Leadership
(31:00) Fundraising Timing: Running Experiments Before Raising Capital
(34:00) Paul Graham's Wisdom: "Love from Few vs. Lukewarm from Many"
(36:00) Founding Team Dynamics: Complementary Skills and Vesting Agreements
(39:00) Strategic Investors: USAA Partnership Without Control Strings
(40:00) Crossover Funds: Viking Global's $100M+ Rounds Without Board Control
(42:00) The Four Business Questions: Size, Frequency, Price, and Moats
(45:00) Book Recommendations: Military Leadership to Tech Innovation
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