AI Summary
5 min readAmjad Masad, the CEO of Replit, believes his company would not exist today if he hadn't spent years telling a story larger than the business itself. For a long stretch, Replit was not a commercial success, but Masad was able to fundraise and recruit by "memeing a dream into reality." His core argument is that for founders building something that isn't an immediate hit, going direct to the public isn't a marketing tactic—it's a prerequisite for survival.
The Path to a Public Voice
Masad’s approach to public communication was not innate. He describes arriving in New York with a terrible fear of public speaking, sweating through presentations. His solution was exposure therapy: he took improv and storytelling classes, forcing himself to make a fool of himself daily until he became desensitized. This gave him a foundation, but the real advantage was that Replit grew slowly. His personal profile grew linearly, meaning he could make communication mistakes—including a notable PR crisis on Hacker News involving an ex-intern—while the stakes were still low. He compares this to progressive overload in weightlifting: "It never gets easier, but you're able to do more and more over time." He feels for founders whose companies blow up instantly, because they are forced to learn these skills under the highest possible scrutiny.
Building in Public as a Default
Continue reading the full summary in the app — free to try.
Read Full Summary →Free • No credit card required
Never miss an episode of a16z Show
Get every new episode summarized in your inbox — free, ~5 minutes to read.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
What you'll learn
- 1 (01:43) **Replit's Go-Direct Strategy & the "Dream into Reality" Imperative** - Amjad explains why he invested in public communication long before Replit was commercially successful.
- 2 (02:51) **The Journey to Becoming a Public Communicator** - Amjad describes his deliberate path from stage fright to authentic public voice.
- 3 (04:54) **Practical Advice: Build in Public, Write Once** - How to get reps without creating extra work.
- 4 (06:14) **Authenticity vs. Polished PR** - The shift from filtered CEO communication to direct, raw public presence.
- 5 (07:55) **On PR Crises, Cancel Culture, and the "Unkillable" CEO** - Why retreating after a controversy is the only real way to get canceled.
- 6 (09:14) **The Psychological Toll of Public Scrutiny** - Acknowledging the real biological stress of online backlash.
- 7 (10:28) **Navigating High-Stakes PR Battles** - Amjad's perspective on how Anthropic and OpenAI should handle government scrutiny.
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Guests on this episode
Show Notes
Recorded live at the New Media Summit, Erik Torenberg sits down with Replit founder and CEO Amjad Masad to discuss founder-led storytelling, building in public, and the role of media in company building.
Masad reflects on Replit’s decade-long journey, including the years before the company’s recent breakout growth, and explains why communicating a vision can be just as important as executing on it. He argues that for many founders, especially those building ambitious products ahead of the market, telling a compelling story is often necessary to attract talent, capital, and early believers.
The conversation explores social media, authenticity, public communication, company-building, and how founders can develop a voice that resonates beyond their product. Along the way, Masad shares lessons from building Replit, navigating controversy, and why he believes founders should think carefully about when to go direct and what story they're trying to tell.
Resources:
Follow Amjad Masad on X: https://x.com/amasad
Follow Erik Torenberg on X: https://x.com/eriktorenberg
Stay Updated:
Find a16z on YouTube: YouTube
Find a16z on X
Find a16z on LinkedIn
Listen to the a16z Show on Spotify
Listen to the a16z Show on Apple Podcasts
Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg
Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
More from this podcast
a16z Show →