Invested at Work: Off the Cuff With Atish Davda

Summary

Atish Davda, co-founder and CEO of EquityZen, answers rapid-fire leadership and workplace questions. He discusses managing employees with and without equity compensation, making difficult people decisions, and workplace distractions. The conversation includes a personal story about a shareholder using EquityZen liquidity to fund college educations, but it contains no clear tradable investment thesis.

• Atish Davda introduces himself as co-founder and CEO of EquityZen.
• He says trusting his gut is advice that took time to internalize.
• He argues employees with an ownership stake are somewhat easier to manage because they are more aligned with the business.
• He describes difficult decisions to part with employees for business reasons rather than performance.
• He says office snack areas can be a distraction and favors walking or coffee one-on-ones.
• He recounts a shareholder using EquityZen liquidity to put 14 kids through college.
• The video is an off-the-cuff leadership interview rather than a market outlook.