LinkedIn CEO on the Professional Network and Going Public

Excellent interview with LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner by Jon Fortt and Michael Copeland of Fortune magazine.

Some of the more interesting points mentioned by Jeff are:

• Currently LinkedIn is used by 60+ Million professionals out of estimated 500 Million professionals world-wide
• LinkedIn is profitable (rare for a valley start-up these days), so far raised close to $100 Million, all of it still in the bank
• Has three lines of business, Premium Subscriptions, Ad Sales and Enterprise Licensing – growth fastest for Enterprise Licensing
• LinkedIn a “Professional Network”, calling it “Social Network” is a misnomer

Jeff also mentioned that no matter where in the world they talk to LinkedIn customers, people always mention that they want to keep their personal lives and professional lives separate. This is not surprising, but given the “always on” nature of Social Networking coupled with high speed internet access from smart phones and portable devices, lines between personal and professional lives are getting blurred all the time.

It will be interesting to see how work-life balance evolves over the next 2-5 years time frame. In my opinion, employers should take a lead and make work fun to the extend possible in order to keep employees engaged and productive.