Reddit CEO Steve Huffman recalls when he had to give up idealism and tell employees …

Reddit CEO Steve Huffman revealed he had to implement a culture shift when he returned to the company in 2015, pushing employees to abandon excessive idealism in favor of practical business goals and increased productivity. "Wrapped up in some of that idealism was also like, not working very hard," Huffman said on the "Prof G Pod" podcast released Sunday, describing the workplace culture he encountered upon his return as chief executive.

The Reddit co-founder diagnosed this issue as symptomatic of broader tech industry culture, particularly in the Bay Area, where he perceives an attitude of entitlement.
"In the Bay Area broadly is this, it's almost an entitlement of, 'I work at these companies but I don't have to work very hard and I'm here for myself,'" Huffman explained.

Huffman recounted telling employees: "Look, we have to work really, really hard. We're in a competitive space."
The CEO's leadership transformation came during a critical period for Reddit, which he co-founded with Alexis Ohanian in 2005 before departing and later returning in 2015 to turn the company around.
"We were really idealistic, and I think in many ways the idealism has been very good, but we were also idealistic about not being a business — which is not a great way to run a sustainable business," he said.
Huffman's strategy shift appears to have paid dividends. Reddit went public in March 2024, with its stock surging 70% on the first trading day. The company is now valued at approximately $21 billion following impressive first-quarter earnings that showed a 61% year-over-year revenue increase to $392.4 million.
"If we don't work really hard and work really smart and make this thing successful both from a user point of view and business point of view, then we don't get to do this, and we'll never achieve our mission," Huffman emphasized regarding his leadership philosophy.