Knowing When You Suck
The Forrest Gump of the Internet: Craig Newmark of craigslist
I don’t normally abdicate writing responsibilities to point you to a podcast, but I’m going to do exactly that this week.
And no, I’m not being lazy, I simply want to share this with you because I think there’s a lot to be gained by listening to it.
I just listened to an episode of the How I Built This with Guy Raz podcast, who interviewed Craig Newmark, founder of craigslist and Craig Newmark Philanthropies. (I took the time to listen to it twice, which NEVER happens.)
I found his story to be unlike any other I’ve heard, fresh and honest and genuine and innocent and unfiltered in his beliefs and words and tone of voice, with lots of simple wisdom and humanity sprinkled in along the way.
Here are a few highlights:
Self-awareness: “I was bad at making tough decisions. I lacked boldness of vision.”
Knowing when you suck: “Frankly, and as I like to put it, as a manager I suck. Frankly, my suckage was kind of brutal. But I’m a great customer service rep.”
(After founding the company and serving briefly as its CEO, he never held a management role again and found his bliss serving customers.)
A different profit perspective: “We went for minimal monetization…We’re one of the few remaining ungentrified sites.”
(Founded in 1995 just before the dot com boom, that’s what craigslist strived for – minimal monetization with the vibe of community. Now what other internet companies can you say the same about? And what websites can you name that haven’t changed their basic design in 30 years?)
An accidental success: “But I do realize that all of my success has to do with accidentally being in the right time, right place, accidentally making the right decisions, which makes me the Forrest Gump of the internet.”
On a lifetime of developing social skills: “I can fake social skills for as much as 90 minutes at a time.”
On his relationship to wealth: “I’m struggling with this even now because it’s been pointed out to me that arguably maybe I have elite levels of money but simultaneously I have the tastes and attitudes of a peasant.”
And philanthropy: “A trustworthy press is the immune system of democracy, and you protect the country by supporting journalism. I put a couple hundred million into it.”
(Newmark has pledged to give away virtually all his personal wealth by the time he passes. His focus areas are journalism, military veterans, and pigeon rescue 😉.)
What happens if he dies before all the money is given away: “I will exercise due diligence via a combination of séance and haunting people.”
I’d urge you to make time to give it a listen, whether you’re working out, gardening, out on a walk, or looking for some noon hour inspiration while you’re sitting at your desk. You can listen to it here.
Godspeed, friends.
Russ
💬 Think About It
"We don't accomplish anything in this world alone... and whatever happens is the result of the whole tapestry of one's life and all the weavings of individual threads from one to another that creates something." Sandra Day O'Connor
💥 Quick Hits
- The kids lost - or did they? – A couple of weeks ago I wrote about a group of kids who sued the President for instituting climate policies that threatened their health. Well, last week they lost their case when a judge dismissed it. Or did they lose? Read about the silver lining in the legal judgement here. (New York Times gift article)
- What happens when the world's nonprofits put AI to work for people, not profit? – Find out in the 2025 AI for Humanity Report. (Fast Forward)
- And just for fun – Found this cartoon on my Bluesky feed and am porting it over here...just cuz. ⬇️
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