98. Matthew Prince: CEO of Cloudflare, Recipient of Dubliner Prize for Entrepreneurship

Jan 16, 2024

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Sometimes we think we have life all figured out, who we are, where we’re going to be and how this thing is going to play out. The funny thing is, in just about every instance, life has other ideas. The beauty of it all is the choices life makes on our behalf lead us just to the place where we were meant to be. In the process, that path allows us to do our part, no matter how large or small that part may be, to make the world a better place.

Our guest today is a man who thought he ignored his calling, but in the end, yielded to it and in the process has had a profound impact on the world. Matthew Prince is the founder of Cloudfare and one of the most respected business and technical minds in the world today. He knows a lot about the internet, where it’s going, where it’s been, and how to protect us as this essential piece of life continues to evolve. He has an incredible entrepreneurial story that will inspire you to pursue your dreams using the tools he used to pursue his. It’s an incredibly rewarding discussion that will change the way you look at life and challenge you to live it to the fullest!

In This Episode

(1:55) – Coming out of college, Matthew had offers from major brands but decided to go to law school instead.
(2:15) – He tried to move away from technology but somehow, found his way back.
(6:08) – Matthew opens up about the irony of his work as it relates to his college thesis.
(6:51) – Law was a safe path for life.
(7:40) – Matthew discusses the growth of his business.
(8:30) – Group work fails, and he tries to revisit the legal option.
(9:44) – Privilege and wealth and how it makes the dream of entrepreneurship an easier reality for some.
(11:26) – Matthew believes hard times help people focus.
(14:49) – The lightbulb moment for Matthew and his business.
(16:10) – Big things begin happening and Matthew discusses them.
(16:45) - The moment Matthew and his team feel they’ve done something special.
(18:23) – Cloudflare flips the switch on free encryption.
(19:15) – Adding new features and how to commodify and monetize are discussed.
(20:14) – Matthew discusses whether he thought he’d be successful.
(23:14) – The parallels between Star Wars and the internet.
(25:00) – Matthew discusses the internet and how it continues changing the world.
(26:15) – The one piece of advice Matthew leaves the listener with.

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