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The Foundr Podcast with Nathan Chan

93: Founder of AOL Steve Case Reveals How he Became a Billionaire & Changed The Internet as We Know it Today

The Foundr Podcast with Nathan Chan

Nathan Chan

Marketing, Business, Entrepreneurship

4.8 • 662 Ratings

🗓️ 25 May 2016

⏱️ 32 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

To be a great entrepreneur, you need to have a great vision. Case in point: Back in the 80s, we were just entering the internet age. At the time, it didn't really exist beyond a few government think tanks and laboratories, and we were only just beginning to understand what was possible. It was during that time that massive companies like IBM, Sears, Microsoft and Citigroup began investing millions of dollars into figuring out this internet business. Despite all of the competition, in 1985, Steve Case and the team behind a fledgling startup named AOL rolled up their sleeves and helped shaped the internet into what we know it as today. "When we started AOL in the United States, only 3% of people were online and those 3% were online only one hour a week. So it really was early days in terms of, it was still a niche hobbyist kind of market. I believed that someday it'd be a mass market, someday it'd be a mainstream market, someday it'd change how people got information, communicate, bought products and so forth." It was that vision that they were building something for tomorrow that turned AOL from a small startup into the giant we know it as today. In this interview you will learn: Why focusing on community is the best move a startup can make How to build for the future instead of building for what's happening today What it means to develop curiosity and why you need it to be a successful entrepreneur Exclusive insight into the early days of AOL and how they built a global brand How Steve judges a startup's disruptive potential when looking to invest & much more!

Transcript

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0:00.0

This is episode number 93 with Steve Case of the Founder Podcast.

0:05.6

Discover exactly what it takes to become a successful entrepreneur and what's possible

0:10.7

through entrepreneurship from the greatest minds in business today.

0:14.6

Welcome to the Founder Podcast.

0:16.7

Here's your host, Nathan Chan.

0:25.1

Yeah. Here's your host, Nathan Chan. Hello and welcome to another episode of the founder podcast.

0:30.2

My name is Nathan Chan, coming to you live from Melbourne, Australia, hometown Melbourne,

0:42.6

and you guys are in for an absolute treat from today's guest.

0:44.6

His name is Steve Case and he's founded a company, a little company called AOL, which was actually the first tech company to go public.

0:58.9

And, you know, it's a multi-billion dollar company.

1:02.9

They even acquired Time Warner, a massive, massive conglomerate company.

1:11.3

And we get to hear from the founder and how it all started, how we built this rapid

1:17.1

growing startup, how he himself actually became a billionaire and his secrets to success.

1:23.6

So you guys in for an absolute treat.

1:27.2

Steve Case, super knowledgeable founder.

1:31.2

He has a lot of experience and has a ton of proof to back it up.

1:36.8

What can I say?

1:38.2

So if you guys are enjoying these episodes, please do spread the word.

1:42.8

Tell your friends.

1:43.9

Please do leave us a five-star review.

1:46.0

It helps more than you can imagine. And if you are enjoying these episodes, please do take the

1:52.1

time to check out the magazine. It's where our fruits of our labour really goes. So, guys,

...

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