Amjad Masad is the Founder and CEO @ Replit, whose mission is to bring the next billion software creators online. With Replit, Amjad has raised over $100M from the likes of Peter Thiel, a16z, Coatue and Addition, to name a few. Before founding Replit, Amjad was a tech lead on the JavaScript infrastructure team at Facebook. Before Facebook, Amjad was #1 employee at Codecademy.
In Today's Episode with Amjad Masad We Discuss:
1.) From Troublemaker Child in Iran to Silicon Valley Founder:
- How did Amjad make his way into the world of tech and Silicon Valley having grown up as a misbehaving child in Iran?
- In what ways did Amjad show early signs of exceptionalism? Why does he always look for this in people he is hiring for Replit?
- What does Amjad know now that he wishes he had known when he started Replit?
2.) The Future: A New World with AI at the Centre:
- Why does Amjad believe we will see thousands of billionaires created from the innovation in AI?
- Why does Amjad believe AI will lead to 100 more Elon Musks?
- If Amjad were CEO of Facebook, what would he do? Why and how do they have to invest in AI?
- Will TikTok be banned in the US? How will this be resolved?
- Why does Amjad believe that 300 people control the future of AI? Is that not concerning?
3.) The Future of Society, Employment and Wages:
- Why does Amjad believe in 10 years, 1 engineer will be able to do what 100 do today?
- What will happen to the real wages of engineers?
- How does Amjad see the inclusion of universal basic income in the future?
- Is Amjad concerned about societal and civil unrest with wealth disparity widening further?
4.) Building the Replit Army:
- Why does Amjad believe that so many in tech have gotten too soft in the last few years?
- Why does Amjad release a "Why You Should Not Join Replit" page and share it with all candidates?
- How can a founder know if they have good company values or not?
- Why does Amjad feel we need a spiritual reform in company building? Why are startups and religion the same?
