TheBridge profile: Jeff Collins

Name: Jeff Collins

Current city: San Francisco, CA

Current job: Senior Director of Trust & Safety at TikTok

Past jobs: Vice President, Policy, Trust, and Safety at Saturn; VP of Trust & Safety at After School app; Sr. Counsel for Global Policy at Chevron; Obama White House NSC Director; U.S. Diplomat in Turkey, Iraq, Cuba, Bolivia, and Venezuela; Sr. Attorney at O’Melveny and Myers. Co-founder of Forum280.com.

Q. Favorite spot for a coffee meeting? The Grove on Mission or the SFMOMA cafe.

Q. Describe how a skill you learned in a previous job helped you in your current job? I was a Director for the high-performing and ultra-efficient Obama National Security Council. The council ran on, and was successful because of, teamwork. I never could have succeeded without the selfless help of colleagues, who didn’t think twice about staying past midnight or coming in at 5 a.m. to help me develop talking points for the president. I have been thrilled to infuse such an ultra-collaborative and mission-driven mindset into the culture of the early-stage startups I’ve worked with recently—leading to more fulfilled teams and greater growth. I also learned how to distill very complex issues into concise briefings, which was needed in this environment and is helpful in the startup world and tech industry.

Q. Job advice in three words? Challenge, Collaborate, Innovate.

Q. How are you (or your company, org, nonprofit) currently bridging the gap between innovation and regulation? Legislators will always play catch-up with new technologies. But that does not mean that companies can or should avoid thinking about the possible negative repercussions of their products and actions. Unfortunately, far too many tech companies, supported by the Silicon Valley investment ecosystem, still follow the mantra of “move fast and break things.” As companies “disrupt” society with new forms of food delivery, e-transport, gaming, medical treatment, and more, companies still are hiring hundreds of engineers before they even think about hiring a single “Trust and Safety” officer, exposing themselves to unnecessary risks.

I am laboring to change this dynamic. With the support of forward-thinking founders and investors, I have helped companies build social responsibility into their DNA—from the outset. At After School, which was the most popular teen-focused app ever (at its peak number 3 in the App Store after Facebook and Messenger), we spotted trends related to screen use and teen mental health—and tackled them head on. We were the first tech company to introduce “crisis text counseling” with Crisis Text Line, and worked with Stanford University and others to inculcate digital citizenship in young people. Many adults saw us as just a social media app, but we were actually helping prevent suicides by assisting in over 50 active saves with Crisis Text Line. At Saturn, another teen-focused startup about to take the youth market by storm, we are improving the focus of and performance of high school students.

Q. What can innovators learn from policymakers? Policymakers think through all potential negative repercussions on their issues, not just a select few. Innovators too often think only about how the “good” or “best” users of their products will behave, not the bad actors. This needs to change.

Q. What can policymakers learn from innovators? Innovators trust their instincts and are comfortable with risk. Policymakers tend to be consensus-oriented and risk averse. While there are times when the slower and more deliberate path is useful or necessary, our government would be much better served if our policymakers would trust their instincts, move rapidly, and challenge the status quo despite the risk. Moving toward more responsive and nimble institutions requires it. It may sometimes help to think like a startup rather than a large government entity.

Q. Favorite book/podcast/long-form article you recommend? I love ReplyAll to stay up to date on the quirkier aspects of the internet.

Q. Why are you part of the Bridge community? Tech and policy are largely insular worlds. As technology changes society at a rapid clip, we need to build bridges, not put up walls. I co-founded a civic-tech non-profit called Forum280 to apply the innovative thinking of Silicon Valley to society’s most difficult challenges. Our latest project, “Rolling Education,” helps long-haul truckers prepare for coming job displacement, by acquiring new skills via audio courses and in-person trainings. The Bridge is an important way to help us create and build many more forward-leaning projects like this. Our future literally depends on it.

 Q. What advice would you give yourself at the beginning of your career? As I went through school and started my career, I was too preoccupied with external validation—whether that meant getting into the “right” school, working for the “right” firm, or getting the approval of the “right” person. Young people should follow their dreams and take chances when they are young. Do not be overly concerned with thinking that you “should” go to a certain school or company or job because others say that is the path to success. Make your own future.

 Q. Embarrassing work moment? One night in Baghdad in 2004, I was jolted awake by rockets landing near my trailer (where I lived). Knowing I wouldn’t be able to sleep, I threw on my body armor and marched off to the palace basement (our bunker) to sleep in Sadam’s old movie theater. Without an alarm, I overslept and had to rush to a meeting with the acting Ambassador (my boss) and some of Washington’s most senior officials, in sweats and slippers.

 Q. How do you unwind after work? I love to cool off by jumping in the San Francisco Bay for some open water swimming. It is an amazing mix of thrill, relaxation, and natural beauty.

 Q. Startup to watch? Sana Benefits—an amazing company that is going to upend the current systems of medical insurance. By marrying new technology with innovative thinking, and having the guts to take on industry behemoths, Sana will (and already is) significantly reduce health care costs for small- and medium-sized companies and their employees.

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