YOUNG REID HOFFMAN AI
A TIME-TRAVELING CONVERSATION—POWERED BY AI
THE
VISION
What if you could pitch your startup idea to your future self to hear how it would turn out?
UNSHUT set out to create a moment that had never happened before—an eager young investor, pitching himself in the future to hear how his business turned out.
Reid Hoffman would be our man, connecting with his younger self in real-time at the dawn of his biggest startup yet, LinkedIn.
Our goal: showcase the power of AI in a profound, deeply human way that would be impossible to ignore.
THE
STRATEGY
We developed an advanced AI clone of Reid Hoffman from 2003, meticulously trained on his early interviews, lectures, and pitch decks. More than a deepfake—a fully realized digital mind, capable of reasoning, reacting, and explaining the vision for LinkedIn as if it were still an unproven startup.
Then, we let the conversation flow.
Reid talked directly with his AI-cloned younger self—questioning his reasoning for past decisions, discussing the events of the future, and reflecting on the very nature of ambition.
The result?
A surreal, thought-provoking moment in tech history from one of its earliest visionaries.
THE
EXPERIENCE
The video launched on LinkedIn—and the internet came running.
The conversation resonated far beyond the startup world, with all kinds of people adding a note about how fun and interesting the experience was (often with a lot of exclamation marks).
The campaign wasn’t just engaging—it was a catalyst for discussion, with many in the comments asking:
What would I say to my younger self?
and
What would I want to know about the future?
THE
RESULTS
The campaign exceeded every expectation, sparking a viral moment that spread even beyond the tech industry.
- 30,000+ views on LinkedIn, capturing the attention of top industry voices
- 8,000+ likes and reactions, driving record-breaking engagement for Reid
- 700+ comments, fueling discussions on AI, innovation, and entrepreneurship
Audiences really enjoyed watching 2003 Reid pitch LinkedIn to current-day Reid, debate the merits of the business model, discuss how the business had changed over the years, and ruminate on the success they share.
More than just a campaign, this was a milestone in AI potential—and a conversation 20 years in the making.
