It fuels me when people dismiss what I'm working on. Just means there's an opportunity others don't see yet. Many dismissed when I joined Coinbase in 2014. Feel the same joining Farcaster in 2025 with opportunity cost of running my own business. Take big swings when you see it :)

Developer ecosystem @farcaster, co-founder @bountycaster. Previously: co-founder of Scalar Capital, product at Coinbase, co-producer @ethereumfilm

i just had an employee leave for a leadership opportunity with a growing company and while he thought i would be upset (i wouldn't have), i told him that if he felt it was the right opportunity and didn't take it, then he'd regret it.

you don't know where the road will take you if you never start walking down the path.

I love this! Reminds me of how Brian and Fred treated employees leaving  to start their own companies

When I joined Coinbase I told Brian I wanted to start my own company someday

He said: great! Let’s see how we can best help you do that

Then when I started dYdX, Brian and @FEhrsam were two of the first to invest

I’ll always be grateful for my time at Coinbase &amp; their support

@AntonioMJuliano @FEhrsam Very similar story here. When I told Brian I was planning on leaving Coinbase to start something of my own his immediate reaction was excitement and support. Brian and Fred were among the first to invest and I'm extremely grateful for their support.

Linda Xie

Tech exec, board member, and advisor to startups and investment groups.  
Builds things.

I love this! Reminds me of how Brian and Fred treated employees leaving  to start their own companies https://x.com/ljxie/status/1315132414398623745

thanks for the kind words linda!   great to read that thread you shared. 

i've always felt that it was a leader's responsibility to ensure your employees could move on to better things (if they desired) and worked to ensure that my actions and review process provides them with the foundation to move to where they want to in life.  

i've never understood people that held their employees back or resented them for leaving.