Grit

Hosted by Kleiner Perkins

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293

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Aug 2026

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About the show

Grit explores what it takes to create, build, and scale world-class organizations. It features weekly episodes highlighting the leaders who are pushing their companies to make a difference. This series is hosted by Joubin Mirzadegan, go to market operating partner at Kleiner Perkins, a venture capital firm investing in history-making founders.

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60 recent

August 24, 2026Episode 2921 hr 12 min

Data Centers in Orbit by 2028: Baiju Bhatt on His Plans After Robinhood

What kind of founder walks away from a multi-billion-dollar fintech company to start building rockets? Baiju Bhatt, co-founder of Robinhood, joins Joubin Mirzadegan to talk about life after one of the most consequential companies in modern finance, and why he's now betting on Cowboy Space Corporation, an orbital infrastructure company building AI data centers that ride to space inside its own rockets. "I still have that dog in me," he says. Baiju opens up about building alone for the first time in 15 years and what he learned about product-market fit while scaling Robinhood through its most chaotic years. Connect with Baiju: X LinkedIn Connect with Joubin: X LinkedIn Email: grit@kleinerperkins.com Follow Grit on LinkedIn X Learn more about Kleiner Perkins

August 10, 2026Episode 29150 min

Booking.com CEO on AI and the Future of Travel

"Our mission is to make it easier for everybody to experience the world." From the dot-com crash to AI, Glenn Fogel has spent nearly three decades helping Booking Holdings evolve through every major technology shift while staying true to that mission. He also shares with Joubin Mirzadegan why "you're always selling," and how Booking is using AI to amplify what every employee can accomplish. Guest: Glenn Fogel, CEO of Booking Holdings Connect with Glenn LinkedIn Connect with Joubin: X LinkedIn Email: grit@kleinerperkins.com Follow Grit LinkedIn X Learn more about Kleiner Perkins

July 27, 2026Episode 2901 hr 1 min

Ex-Twitter CEO on Why AI Needs a New Internet | Parag Agrawal

"The answer to every problem is a model." Parag Agrawal shares the ideas behind Parallel: products that continuously learn, and teams designed around versatile problem solvers. He also shares why he built an AI agent for himself, and why AI's biggest opportunity is expanding what people can achieve. Guest: Parag Agrawal, founder and CEO of Parallel, and former CEO of Twitter Connect with Parag X LinkedIn Connect with Mamoon X LinkedIn Connect with Joubin X LinkedIn Email: grit@kleinerperkins.com Follow Grit on: LinkedIn X Learn more about Kleiner Perkins

July 13, 2026Episode 2891 hr 22 min

The Sales Framework Every Founder Needs | Mark Roberge

"There's 20 fires going on at every moment in the office and you have enough water to put out four." Mark Roberge shares what it takes to build and scale a company, from finding product-market fit to knowing when it's time to grow. He also shares the framework behind his new book, The Science of Selling, and why founders should scale based on their own data, not another company's success. Guest: Mark Roberge, Founding CRO of HubSpot, HBS Professor, and Co-Founder at Stage 2 Capital Connect with Mark: X LinkedIn Connect with Joubin: X LinkedIn Email: grit@kleinerperkins.com Follow Grit on: LinkedIn X Learn more about Kleiner Perkins

June 29, 2026Episode 2881 hr 11 min

Airwallex's Jack Zhang on Fintech, Failure, and Growth

In 2020, Airwallex lost nearly half its revenue overnight. Today it's worth $11 billion. Jack Zhang reflects on the decisions that kept the company alive, raising capital during uncertainty, and leading through its toughest chapter. This episode is a candid look at why Jack chose to keep building, even when a $1.2 billion acquisition was on the table. Guest: Jack Zhang, founder and CEO, Airwallex Connect with Jack Zhang X LinkedIn Connect with Joubin X LinkedIn Email: grit@kleinerperkins.com Follow Grit on: LinkedIn X Learn more about Kleiner Perkins

June 15, 2026Episode 2871 hr 12 min

Why 80% of the Fortune 100 Chose Qualtrics | Ryan Smith

AI may change software overnight, but company building still takes time. Ryan Smith explains why, despite the pace of AI, “the race is going to be way longer than anyone thinks.” He reflects on Qualtrics surviving multiple market cycles and ultimately being acquired by SAP for $8 billion days before going public. Guest: Ryan Smith, co-founder Qualtrics Connect with Ryan Smith X LinkedIn Connect with Joubin: X LinkedIn Email: grit@kleinerperkins.com Follow Grit: LinkedIn X Learn more about Kleiner Perkins

June 1, 2026Episode 2861 hr 17 min

What It Takes to Build Software for 171,000+ Restaurants | Aman Narang

Great software companies often come from understanding pain points at a very deep level. On Grit , Aman Narang shares how Toast built trust with 171,000+ restaurant operators by helping restaurants manage everything from payments and online orders to staff scheduling and daily operations. He also reflects on lessons around product-market fit and scaling a company before it’s fully ready. Guest: Aman Narang, co-founder and CEO, Toast Connect with Aman Narang LinkedIn Connect with Toast LinkedIn Instagram X Connect with Joubin: X LinkedIn Email: grit@kleinerperkins.com Follow on LinkedIn Follow on X Learn more about Kleiner Perkins

May 18, 2026Episode 28556 min

What It Takes to Build a Generational Company | Anduril’s Trae Stephens

Founder quality becomes more important as startups become easier to build. Trae Stephens, co-founder of Anduril and partner at Founders Fund, has spent years backing founders with strong conviction, including most recently at Roadrunner. He shares why too much capital too early can hurt startups, and why the best companies are built by teams with complementary strengths. Guest: Trae Stephens, co-founder, Anduril and Partner, Founders Fund Connect with Trae Stephens X LinkedIn Connect with Joubin: X LinkedIn Email: grit@kleinerperkins.com Follow Grit on LinkedIn Follow Grit on X Learn more about Kleiner Perkins

May 4, 2026Episode 28456 min

How AIG Is Reinventing Insurance With AI | Peter Zaffino

What does it take to run a company where the business is risk itself? In conversation with Joubin Mirzadegan, Peter Zaffino shares what the role demands at AIG, including high stakes decisions, constant responsibility, and sacrifice. This episode looks at his journey as CEO ahead of his transition to Executive Chairman this June. Leading at a global scale across 200+ countries. Guest: Peter Zaffino Connect with Peter Zaffino LinkedIn Connect with Joubin: X LinkedIn Email: grit@kleinerperkins.com Follow on LinkedIn Follow on X Learn more about Kleiner Perkins

April 20, 2026Episode 2831 hr 17 min

From Airbnb to Linear: How Karri Saarinen Redefined Product Design

In a market that hadn’t changed in decades, Linear didn’t win by being faster. They won by being more thoughtful. Karri Saarinen helped shape design at Airbnb and Coinbase before building Linear around small teams and high standards. On Grit, he shares how Linear is building for a new era of software development. Guest: Karri Saarinen, co-founder and CEO of Linear Connect with Karri Saarinen X LinkedIn Connect with Josh Coyne: X LinkedIn Connect with Joubin: X LinkedIn Email: grit@kleinerperkins.com Follow on LinkedIn Follow on X Learn more about Kleiner Perkins