Whitney Wolfe Herd | The Tim Ferriss Show (Podcast)

Key ideas

Wolfe Herd explains how online abuse led to Bumble, how she manages anxiety, and why the first hires carry culture and problems should arrive with proposed solutions.

From a machine transcript of the audio. Quotes link to the moment they are said.

1. 1

   A painful experience can set the direction

   Wolfe Herd says Bumble grew out of a period of online abuse at 24 that convinced her social networks lacked accountability. She planned a female-only network built around compliments, called Merci. Her later business partner, who ran a large dating company, tried to hire her to run marketing and pushed her to do it in dating instead, and she says the need became more apparent the more she thought about it.

2. 2

   Test a name by how people use it

   Wolfe Herd says she wanted the name Moxie but could not trademark it, and at first disliked Bumble because it sounded like fumble. She changed her mind when team members and friends started producing catchphrases from it, such as finding your honey, and took that as a sign the name was brandable.

3. 3

   Channel anxiety before it takes over

   Wolfe Herd describes anxiety that at points became physical and paralyzing, and says she still has hard days. She recalls a doctor telling her to keep doing good work, and says redirecting the energy into work that helps others does help her. She also names walks without her phone, long uninterrupted sleep, and turning the phone off from time to time.

4. 4

   Your first hires carry the culture

   Wolfe Herd calls time spent on her team her best investment, arguing one person cannot instill a vision in hundreds of employees, so the first ten have to spread it. Early on that meant weekend time, such as Saturdays at her home explaining the pain behind the company, while trying to keep boundaries. The aim, she says, is that the office runs without her for two weeks.

5. 5

   Bring solutions, and weigh experience

   Wolfe Herd says her team knows not to raise a problem without a suggested solution, ideally two options with the consequences of each. She also says she has learned to think twice before dismissing experienced people, even when she disagrees, while admitting she has often avoided asking for help for fear of imposing. On days with no clear answer, she says, what remains is your gut.

In Whitney’s words

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