Like a Marriage
Levchin: The most successful co-founding relationships are very similar to the most successful marriages. What makes a marriage successful is when you grow together — where you never wake up and say 'I've outgrown you.'
Not a day goes by that I don't think — I got to work to impress this girl. She is really smart. She could totally outpace me. I need to read a new book. She always surprises me and I always try to stay on top of my game.
Not a day goes by that I don't think — I got to work to impress her. She could outpace me.
Trying to Impress Each Other
Levchin: My relationship with Peter was one where I always wanted to make sure he thought I did the best I could. I could see he was trying extra hard to do the best he could for me.
We split responsibilities early. He said — I'm going to make sure the business survives. I'm going to raise money and drive us to the best team. You figure out the tech. My marching orders were always: if there's a tech thing to solve, make sure Peter is really impressed.
He said — I'll make sure the business survives. You figure out the tech. We each tried to impress the other.
Sharp Elbows Happen
Levchin: There was a time Peter called me from Japan and told me if I don't ship by 3 months, I can go find myself another co-founder. I hung up on him. Or he hung up on me. Plenty of moments where I was staring the guy down and he was staring right back. Sharp elbows happen.
But the flip side — you work 4 years with Russian hackers, rogue nations, crazy banks trying to put you out of business. All you try to do is the best for the other guy. It keeps working. Eventually it ends in success. That stuff is rare and important.
Peter called from Japan — ship or find another co-founder. Sharp elbows. But all you do is the best for the other guy.