How Mark Zuckerberg Harnesses Jiu-Jitsu To Run Meta Better: 'Your Ability To Keep Doing Interesting Things Is Your Willingness To Be Embarrassed'

Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta Platforms Inc. META, revealed how his practice of Jiu-Jitsu coincides with his ability to lead and drive innovation, emphasizing the importance of embracing embarrassment as a catalyst for personal and professional growth. 

What Happened: Speaking with Lex Fridman during his podcast show on Thursday, Zuckerberg said that many individuals reach a point where they are hesitant to experience embarrassment or disrupt their carefully crafted identities. 

However, he believes that maintaining the ability to embark on new endeavors and pursue exciting opportunities is directly linked to one’s willingness to face embarrassment head-on. 

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“Your ability to keep doing interesting things is your willingness to be embarrassed,” Zuckerberg said during his interview with Fridman.

The Meta CEO said he exemplified this philosophy through his dedication to Jiu-Jitsu, a physically demanding discipline that humbled him as a beginner, allowing him to grow and learn from being “kicked” and looking “stupid.”

According to Zuckerberg, he extends this mindset beyond personal life and applies it to Meta’s ambitious endeavors. He perceives Meta’s initiatives as missions that extend over a decade or more, during which initial doubts and the seemingly insignificant nature of early work are expected and accepted.

According to Zuckerberg, Meta’s ethos is centered around the rapid release of products and projects, prioritizing valuable feedback over waiting for perfection.

The tech mogul also revealed that when he went to enroll in Jiu Jitsu, he wanted to keep it low-key. “I didn’t want to be like this big thing, so basically, I just rolled up with a hat and sunglasses, and I was wearing a covered mark, and I registered under my first and middle name, so Mark Elliot.” 

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