Reid Hoffman
Also known as Possible, AI investing
Reid Hoffman is an entrepreneur, investor and author known for co-founding LinkedIn and working at Greylock. Before LinkedIn, he served as an executive and founding board member at PayPal. He joined Greylock in 2009 and built a public body of books and podcasts about business and technology. His AI work includes Impromptu, a 2023 book developed through interaction with GPT-4, and experiments with synthetic speech and an AI version of himself. In 2025, he and Greg Beato published Superagency, which argues that widespread AI access can increase people’s ability to act. Hoffman’s public position is optimistic about AI adoption. His writing, interviews and demonstrations explain that position through specific uses and proposals.
- Works
- 10
- Citations
- 153
- h-index
- 5
Publication numbers from OpenAlex, as of 14 October 2026.
Timeline
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Before LinkedIn
Building experience at PayPal
Hoffman served as executive vice president at PayPal and was a founding member of its board. His work included external relationships. This period gave him experience in building an online business that depended on many people and organizations joining a shared service.
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2003
Co-founding LinkedIn
Hoffman co-founded LinkedIn in 2003. The professional network became a central part of his career and his thinking about businesses with network effects. His later writing and investing continued to focus on how connections among people can support the growth of large services.
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2023
Making Impromptu with GPT-4
Hoffman developed Impromptu through interaction with GPT-4. The book used conversations with a model to explore possible applications in areas such as education and work. Its creation became part of his public case for learning about AI by using it and examining the results.
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2024
Meeting an AI version of himself
Hoffman published a video conversation with an AI version of himself. The demonstration brought his AI adoption argument into a visible experiment with voice and appearance. It formed part of his public effort to explore what the tools could enable through direct use.
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January 2025 onward
Arguing for Superagency
Hoffman and Greg Beato published Superagency in January 2025. The book argues that broad access to AI can increase human capability and opportunity. It presents an optimistic position in public debate, connecting earlier demonstrations with a wider case about adoption and its possible social benefits.
Sources and credits
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