When everyone said yes, Jordan Breslow said no, and that decision kept his company out of scandal.

The longtime Silicon Valley GC (Geoworks, Opsware, Silver Spring Networks, Etsy) joins host Cecilia Ziniti to share what decades inside tech taught him about courage, integrity, and how to stand by your instincts when the pressure is high.

He tells the now-legendary story of advising Ben Horowitz not to backdate stock options just before the Silicon Valley scandal broke, explains why he sent Etsy’s IPO documents back to outside counsel to “rewrite them in English,” and reflects on how lawyers can stay human as AI reshapes their world.

Follow Jordan:

@Jordan Breslow on LinkedIn

Books, Authors & Thinkers Mentioned:
– The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz
– Adam Grant (leadership and integrity frameworks mentioned by CZ)

Other References:
– Opsware (formerly LoudCloud)
– Etsy IPO and B Corporation certification
– Andreessen Horowitz (A16Z)
– Silver Spring Networks
– ASCAP & BMI (analogy for AI creator compensation)
– Down the Rabbit Hole (band)
– Lake Tahoe residency

⁠@Cecilia Ziniti⁠ on LinkedIn

⁠@CeciliaZin⁠ on Twitter/X

⁠@GC AI⁠ on LinkedIn

@gcai_co on X

⁠gc.ai⁠ website