Podcast Summary: People I (Mostly) Admire
Episode 5: Susan Wojcicki: “Hey, Let’s Go Buy YouTube!”
Date: January 31, 2026
Host: Steve Levitt
Guest: Susan Wojcicki, CEO of YouTube
Episode Overview
In this episode, Steve Levitt sits down (virtually, during COVID lockdown) with Susan Wojcicki, the CEO of YouTube and one of tech's most influential leaders. Together, they explore Wojcicki’s unconventional path from a humanities student to Silicon Valley executive, her pivotal role in building Google’s advertising business, the landmark acquisition of YouTube, and the immense societal responsibilities that come with leading one of the world’s largest platforms. The discussion is candid, insightful, and full of practical advice for both aspiring technologists and anyone interested in the real stories behind tech’s biggest decisions.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Susan Wojcicki's Unlikely Journey into Tech
- Grew up on Stanford’s campus; daughter of a Stanford physics professor and a high school teacher.
- Studied history and literature at Harvard; nearly pursued a PhD in economics before choosing tech.
“I could have continued and really enjoyed being an economist, but technology just seemed like it was taking off… I looked down both paths and I chose the technology one.”
(Susan, 03:07) - Emphasizes the agony of her career choice, describing literally crying on the day she made the decision to switch to tech.
2. The Garage That Launched Google
- To help with her mortgage, Wojcicki rented out her garage to two grad students—Sergey Brin and Larry Page, founders of Google.
- She joined Google as employee #16, initially working as a marketing manager.
“I was probably young and naive enough to just say sure and really quickly move from marketing to product development and creating products.”
(Susan, 05:07) - Discusses the lack of women in tech, attributing it to early education disparities and advocating for universal computer science education in middle schools.
3. Building Google’s Ad Business
- Early Google had no advertising expertise; their first attempts at ads were failures.
- The breakthrough: measuring ad performance by clicks (CPC) and user engagement rather than just price.
“The really big change… was when we started looking at the click through, how the ads performed and having it be a CPC based solution.”
(Susan, 13:00) - Levitt and Wojcicki discuss the elegance and efficiency of Google’s ad auction system.
“To an economist, it makes our heart beat a little faster…”
(Steve, 15:23) - Notes how this system allowed Google to move away from traditional salesforces to largely self-serve, auction-based ad placement.
4. The Acquisition of YouTube
- Wojcicki led Google Video, but saw YouTube was outpacing them. Convinced Google to buy YouTube rather than compete.
- Describes the decision as humbling and tough in the context of corporate cultures resistant to “not invented here.”
“We had this moment where we saw it and we were like, wow, this is a huge opportunity… And then YouTube came out and… we saw it slipping away.”
(Susan, 18:54) “It was hard, because you had to say, hey, we weren’t as good as we thought we were.”
(Susan, 19:10) - The deal—$1.65 billion—was viewed by many (including economists and Nobel Prize winners) as the “stupidest business move ever,” which time proved spectacularly wrong.
“It might have been the single best acquisition of all time.”
(Steve, 20:54)
5. Massive Scale and New Responsibilities
- Reflects on YouTube’s growth (a billion hours watched daily) and the unprecedented societal challenges faced—hate speech, misinformation, foreign influence, etc.
- Details the evolution of YouTube’s "responsibility" efforts, emphasizing rapid adaptation especially during COVID-19.
“We call it responsibility or trust and safety… If you look at the systems that we had then versus what they are now, it shows that we have been able to respond really quickly.”
(Susan, 22:13) - Discusses the adversarial and ever-evolving landscape of moderating harmful content.
6. Regulation and the Role of Tech Companies
- Steve asks about tech companies being asked to make “fundamental decisions about life and society,” questioning whether regulation would be welcome.
“It would be much easier… if there was some regulation and we just said, hey, we’re just… complying with the current rules.”
(Susan, 24:03) - Wojcicki notes both the benefits of regulation and the flexibility private companies have to respond and innovate rapidly—citing the COVID misinformation response.
7. YouTube’s Reputation vs. Other Tech Giants
- Levitt observes Wojcicki’s relative lack of public enmity compared to peers at Facebook/Twitter.
- Susan suggests YouTube’s role in connection, learning, and laughter sets it apart.
“People come to us looking for a laugh… funny video has always been a top thing…”
(Susan, 25:54)
8. Moderation Strategies – Short-Term vs. Long-Term
- Levitt critiques major platforms for only short-term removal of hate speech, proposing longer-term “game theory” approaches.
- Wojcicki outlines YouTube’s nuanced system: removal, demonetization, deprioritization, and removal of economic incentives.
“We don’t want to be too overarching in our approach… There are a lot of different dials that we use.”
(Susan, 28:46)
9. Personal Advice and Leadership Philosophy
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To a 15-year-old dreaming of tech: find high-growth, mission-driven opportunities; it’s easier to grow if your company is growing.
“I've always looked for the areas that are high growth but are not necessarily universally recognized as high growth yet.”
(Susan, 30:22) -
For a 30-year-old changing careers: it’s never too late, and prior skills can transfer to tech companies.
-
Parenting insights: Don’t stress about milestones, foster responsibility early with chores, and enjoy the journey.
“I wish with my older ones I hadn’t been so worried about all these different milestones and just enjoyed the moment.”
(Susan, 32:23) -
On living a good life:
“I have thought a lot about just making sure that I live a life without regrets... and I would also say I think it’s important to have a multi-dimensional life.”
(Susan, 33:26)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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On pivotal decisions:
“I had tears in my eyes because I wasn’t sure where I was, if I was going to the right place… I chose the technology one.” (Susan, 03:06) -
On letting Google buy YouTube:
“We weren’t as good as we thought we were… but it was clear to me that that was the right decision.” (Susan, 19:14) -
On scaling up content moderation:
“Last quarter we removed 11 million videos and you can look and see what percentage have come from hate.” (Susan, 28:04) -
On work-life balance:
“As a working mom, you’re always making trade-offs that are not optimal… but I just want to make sure when I look back on my life that I feel that I did the right thing… and for society.” (Susan, 34:21)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Her academic journey & garage story: 02:14 – 05:16
- Getting hired at Google: 05:16 – 06:23
- Women in tech and CS education: 06:23 – 09:10
- Google’s ad revolution: 12:13 – 16:56
- YouTube acquisition decision: 18:23 – 20:54
- YouTube’s post-acquisition challenges: 20:54 – 23:58
- Tech companies, responsibility, and regulation: 23:58 – 25:16
- Short-term vs. long-term moderation: 27:44 – 29:50
- Career & life advice: 29:50 – 34:29
Tone & Style
Conversational, reflective, and candid. Levitt brings curiosity and a light touch to probing major themes, while Wojcicki is open, thoughtful, and often self-deprecating about her journey and decisions—creating an accessible and inspiring narrative.
This episode is a treasure trove for anyone interested in tech leadership, decision-making under uncertainty, and building both a meaningful career and a life well lived.