Aravind Srinivas, co-founder and CEO of AI startup Perplexity, says the most important skill for leading a company is learning to focus on what matters most. In a recent interview at UC Berkeley Haas’ Dean’s Speaker Series, Srinivas explained that the ability to “make peace with some problems” and pick the single most critical task is essential for survival and growth in the fast-moving AI industry.
Srinivas emphasised that accepting unresolved issues as part of the entrepreneurial journey is crucial. For him, the defining skill of a successful CEO or founder is the ability to prioritise clearly.
“Anytime you ask someone, ‘What are you doing? What is the one problem you’re focusing on this week?’ they usually give you a list of five to ten things,” Srinivas said. “Then I ask, ‘OK, what is the number one thing?’ And they can’t answer. The number one skill you need as a CEO is to always know what the top priority is.”
The 80% solution for product growth
This philosophy extends to Perplexity’s approach to product development. Srinivas advocates launching solutions that are roughly 80% complete, striking a balance between usability and speed to market. Launching a product too early — at 60% completion — risks losing user engagement, while waiting for perfection slows innovation.
“You have to build products that are 80% ready. That 80% has to be enough to excite users, even if 20% isn’t perfect,” he said. This strategy allows the company to iterate continuously: “Six months from now, that 80/20 moves to 90/10, and 12 months later, it’s 95/5. That’s how you win the market over one or two years.”
Srinivas’ lessons underline the importance of focus, flexibility, and speed — prioritising the right problem and embracing imperfection as a pathway to long-term success in AI.
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