Since then Scribd has kept growing.
(And yes, its still useful even thoughlibrary ebooks exist).
I was at Harvard, and I had no idea what I wanted to do.
But when it came to choosing a career path after college, starting my own company was the dream.
My cofounder and I worked on about 10 different startup ideas before landing on Scribd.
I loved the larger mission Scribd encompassed: to change the way people share the written word.
Pretty quickly I learned that startup outcomes are binary: Youre either worth a fortune or youre worth nothing.
So I just kept pushing and reinventing the company as necessary until we hit our stride.
I think that really speaks to the power of persistence and having faith in your idea.
Take us through a recent workday.
On average, Id say my job splits about 50/50 between an internal and an external role.
Internally, Im focused on strategy, product, and company culture.
Externally, I spend a lot of time working on deals with publishers and recruiting.
What apps, gadgets, or tools cant you live without?
Lots and lots of Gmail.
Whats your workspace setup like?
Its a pretty standard open office layout like youd find at most tech companies.
We have a common area where we host three meals a day for employees.
We also have a bunch of games (including a pool table and a ping pong table).
We host a monthly author speaker series, ScribdChat, in that common space as well.
How have your work habits changed in the years sinceyour last Lifehacker interview?
I rely much more on other people now.
Whats your best shortcut or life hack?
I turn off almost all push notifications on my phone and then check messages in batches.
So if it takes me a day to respond to your text message, thats why.
Take us through an interesting, unusual, or finicky process you have in place at work.
I rely on Scribds executive team and the broader team of 140+ people.
Its always amazing to me how much work gets done every day.
How do you keep track of what you have to do?
I use a Gmail draft to-do list.
How do you recharge or take a break?
I go surfing and hiking a lot.
Being immersed in nature on a regular basis is important to me, it keeps me balanced and happy.
Whats your favorite side project?
My wife Sierra started a salon, Hook & Scissor, a few years ago.
Ive been a proud investor and advisor.
What are your own reading habits like?
What are you currently reading, or what do you recommend?
I read about a book a month, or maybe a little more than that.
In this era of constantly being bombarded with information, I find that reading helps settle the mind.
I read on Scribd quite a bit, but also still love reading print books.
More recently, Ive discovered the advantages of audiobooks.
Theyre great to listen to during my morning commute.
I tend to gravitate toward non-fiction and and business books, but occasionally I sneak in a fun novel.
I just finished listening toReady Player One by Ernest Cline.
I loved the nostalgia and smart pop culture references.
Whats the best advice youve ever received?
This is one of the best ways to grow personally and form a vision.
Whats a problem youre still trying to solve?
Im still working on changing the way the world reads.
