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Blake Hall - Combat, Service, and Innovation
Invest Like the Best with Patrick O'Shaughnessy28 January 2025·1 hours 33 minutes
My guest today is Blake Hall. Blake is the co-founder and CEO of ID.me, a secure digital identity network with over 100 million members. He was an officer in the United States Army and served our country for four years as a a rifle platoon leader, the battalion reconnaissance platoon leader, and as the battalion logistics officer. We explore his formative years in the military and transition into entrepreneurship. Blake shares powerful stories from his time leading scout sniper missions in Iraq, including how his unit achieved a 90% success rate in high-stakes operations through relentless preparation and learning. He shares the origin and evolution of ID.me, a company dedicated to verifying digital identities to combat fraud and simplify login experiences. We also discuss the role of identity in the modern economy, frameworks for building company culture, and evaluation of executive talent. I am ridiculously inspired by Blake, and I am so grateful for him and all of the Americans who serve our country. Please enjoy this discussion with the brave and courageous Blake Hall.
For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.
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Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com).
Show Notes:
(00:00:00) Learn about Ramp, Alphasense, and Ridgeline
(00:07:48) First Combat Experiences
(00:09:30) Leadership and Responsibility in Combat
(00:13:28) Lessons in Leadership and Grit
(00:18:32) The Importance of Credibility and Skill
(00:22:05) A Defining Moment of Leadership
(00:28:52) Transition to Civilian Life and Founding ID.me
(00:50:27) Understanding Identity Through Time
(00:51:08) Telecom Networks and Bad Actors
(00:52:38) Moving Away from Passwords
(00:54:13) The Trust Graph and Source of Truth
(00:57:25) Digital Wallets and Government IDs
(01:07:11) Challenges and Security in Digital Identity
(01:21:36) Leadership and Company Culture
(01:33:53) The Kindest Thing Anyone Has Ever Done for Blake