In this episode of "20 VC," host Harry Stebbings interviews Whitney Wolfe Herd, founder and CEO of Bumble, a platform revolutionizing the online dating scene by empowering women to make the first move. Wolfe Herd shares her journey from co-founding Tinder to transforming Bumble into a global community with over 100 million users. Despite facing online hate and personal challenges, she remained driven by the desire to create kinder digital spaces, leading to Bumble's unique approach and its public debut on NASDAQ. Wolfe Herd emphasizes the importance of listening to feedback, balancing heart with data, and the continuous learning from every interaction. Additionally, she reflects on how parenthood has made her more mindful of work-life balance and the importance of both liking and loving one's partner for a happy marriage.
"I'm thrilled to welcome Whitney Wolf heard, founder and CEO at Bumble changing the way people date, find friends, and the perception of meeting online for the better women make the first move over an incredible eight year journey, Whitney scaled Bumble to a community of over 100 million across six continents."
This quote highlights the introduction of Whitney Wolfe Herd and the significant achievements of Bumble under her leadership.
"Tigas is also providing the most flexible and highest quality way to run your own expert calls with no upfront fees or call minimums, the ability to do 30 minutes calls, and simply paying the expert's rate."
Harry Stebbings explains the benefits of using Tigus for expert calls, emphasizing flexibility and cost-effectiveness.
"I wanted to start a kinder, more civilized digital space and through the lens of women."
Whitney Wolfe Herd discusses her motivation to create a digital space that promotes kindness and empowers women, setting the stage for Bumble's unique approach.
"High performance is just waking up every day and giving it your best."
Whitney Wolfe Herd defines high performance as a commitment to consistently doing one's best, reflecting her leadership philosophy.
"The perfect balance is a healthy dose of heart and data."
This quote encapsulates Whitney Wolfe Herd's approach to decision-making by balancing emotional investment with data-driven insights.
"But the people that actually matter the most are the people using your product and telling you this doesn't work. Or, yeah, you've got a blind spot, or you're missing this."
This quote emphasizes the value of customer feedback in identifying product issues and areas for improvement. Customers using the product are often the best source of constructive criticism.
"So I would say being really diligent about listening, I think listening is the magic word."
Listening is highlighted as a key skill for leaders, implying that it is essential to be open to feedback from various sources, including customers and team members.
"When a leader stops listening is when a leader starts failing."
This quote suggests that a leader's ability to listen is directly tied to their success. Failure to listen can lead to a disconnect with the team and the market, potentially leading to poor decision-making.
"Always listen, but then really reflect and then run the analysis. And if the analysis supports it, then you can actually act on it."
The quote underscores the process of listening to feedback, reflecting on its content, and analyzing its significance before deciding whether to act on it.
"My style is just a derivative of our values and of our mission."
Whitney Wolfe Herd describes her leadership style as being derived from the core values and mission of her company, emphasizing the importance of alignment between leadership and company ethos.
"But you can be transparent about not being able to talk about it."
The quote highlights a nuanced approach to transparency, where leaders can be open about the reasons why they cannot disclose certain information, thus preserving trust without compromising privacy or strategic interests.
"I think that changed me so much. What it did was it actually said, hey, you've got nothing left to lose. Go run as fast as you can."
Whitney Wolfe Herd reflects on a pivotal moment in her career that led to a significant personal transformation, instilling a sense of fearlessness and resilience.
"Pressure makes diamonds."
This quote suggests that pressure, while challenging, can lead to positive results and personal growth if approached with the right mindset.
No direct quote provided related to risk, but the theme was discussed in the context of personal growth and leadership evolution.
"What do you have to lose? And if what we have to lose is greater than the reward, then that's how you really measure it."
This quote emphasizes the need to consider what is at risk versus the potential benefits when facing a decision that involves risk.
"Is it really the end of the world if this thing doesn't work?"
This quote suggests that people often overestimate the consequences of risks not working out, leading them to avoid taking chances that could be beneficial.
"A lot of the time, things seem very big in the moment, but very few things you will actually remember in ten years."
This quote highlights the idea that many issues that seem critical in the moment may not be significant in the long term.
"I literally make every single person my mentor."
This quote illustrates Whitney's philosophy of treating every interaction as an opportunity to learn, effectively turning everyone into a mentor.
"It's really hard to genuinely dislike someone when you've heard their story."
This quote underscores the power of personal stories in fostering understanding and reducing judgment.
"Little company, little problems, big company, big problems."
This quote draws a parallel between the size of a company and the scale of the problems it faces, suggesting that as a company grows, so do its challenges.
"I've never been more energized about bumble and its future than today."
Despite the challenges, this quote reflects Whitney's continued passion and excitement for her company's future.
"Having children has made me a better person at work because when I show up at work, I'm fresh minded."
This quote explains how the shift in focus required by parenthood can actually enhance performance at work by providing mental breaks.
"I'm a bit more mindful of people's personal lives."
This quote reveals how becoming a parent has made Whitney more considerate of her team's work-life balance.
"I probably was not the most aware of messaging or calling someone at bedtime hours or dinner time hours."
Whitney acknowledges her past oversight regarding her team's personal time and how parenthood has made her more considerate.
"I just don't think anything can ever replace the original one."
This quote conveys Whitney's appreciation for the originality and emotional impact of the first "Top Gun" movie over the sequel.
"Favorite content burnt on a lot of the digital content right now, which I would say is actually inspiring a lot of interesting things that we can do in the future."
This quote highlights Whitney's critical view of current digital content and her hope for it to inspire positive future changes.
"But I actually like the stuff coming off of the toxic side of things, which is like these good news movements and these happier platforms that highlight good things versus a barrage of bad things."
Whitney expresses her preference for positive content that contrasts the negativity often found online.
"Nothing will ever replace Shantarong."
Whitney shares her enduring affection for the book "Shantarong," suggesting its significant impact on her.
"I'm not great at paying myself compliments or identifying the strong suits, which has made me consistently motivated to do better, be better, do better, be better."
Whitney describes her self-critical nature and constant drive for self-improvement.
"I don't think you should take that out because I think it's actually very interesting."
Whitney advocates for keeping the conversation about gender differences in leadership self-perception, highlighting its importance.
"I want my children to be kind, caring individuals. I want them to see the best in others and not possess an ounce of jealousy or comparison."
Whitney outlines the traits she hopes to instill in her children, focusing on kindness and a positive outlook.
"I think you have to actually like your partner, not just love them."
Whitney differentiates between loving and liking a partner, emphasizing the importance of both for a successful relationship.
"We will sit together, and we will curate your bumble profile."
Whitney offers to help the host improve his Bumble profile, indicating a personal connection and willingness to assist.
"I hope Bumble Inc. Will just build real deep connections for people across all relationship spectrums."
Whitney shares her high-level vision for Bumble Inc., emphasizing the desire to create meaningful connections and address Internet toxicity.
"Women still just are not in control. I mean, look at America right now. We don't even have choice over our bodies and so that's really bumble Inc's entire focus right now."
Whitney highlights the importance of women's empowerment and control, which is a central focus for Bumble Inc.
"I had so much fun with you too. And candidly, I wish we weren't even on the podcast when we were like having a coffee or something in London or somewhere awesome and we could just talk for hours."
Whitney reflects on the enjoyable conversation and her wish for a more casual, in-person interaction with the host.
"I want to say huge thank you."
The host thanks Whitney for her participation and openness during the podcast, appreciating the quality of the conversation.