A Missing Online Link

So the answer is IPO?
We are venture-backed, so it will likely be an IPO.

Will everyone have a LinkedIn profile?
I believe so. It's becoming so mainstream that it's just a given that a person is in this incredibly valuable and open database.

Do you recommend that LinkedIn users accept as a connection anyone who asks, to build up their network?
Absolutely not. You should only connect with people who you know and might have a reason to help. In my LinkedIn profile I have a message at the bottom that says, "Please don't reach out to connect to me unless we went to school together or worked together so that I can serve as a reference or recommend you to somebody." But I'll always accept someone who's a Hamilton College [my alma mater] grad.

What's the difference between a traditional company and a Silicon Valley operation?
When one walks into LinkedIn, you immediately see the difference. There's free food, there are scooters in the halls, there are videogames, there are beanbag chairs. We are trying our best to respect the caliber of the great people who have chosen to join us.

Why doesn't every company do that?
This is how companies will be operating going forward, because intellectual capital is so important. In my opinion, you'd be crazy not to. The cost is marginal. I can give you one example. We just started a shuttle bus to Mountain View for our San Francisco-based employees. It was a $90,000 expense. But if I can get just five people to be more productive for one hour a day, that is going to pay for the price of the shuttle.

What advice would you have for someone coming in to run a company where the founder is handing over the reins?
Make sure it's a great founder. When I was under consideration and considering this, Reid and I spent most of the time talking about the type of company we wanted to build. He did lots of reference checks on me, I did lots of reference checks on him, and then we spent our time making sure that we believed there was going to be compatibility.