How I Built This with Guy Raz Twilio: Jeff Lawson
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Apr 3, 2023 Jeff Lawson, Founder and CEO of Twilio, shares his journey from juggling customer calls at a surf shop to creating a groundbreaking communication platform. He discusses the initial skepticism from investors and how vital early customers were in shaping Twilio's direction. Lawson reveals the challenges of transitioning from Amazon Web Services to a startup and highlights Twilio's pivotal moments, including their partnership with Uber. He also reflects on the balance between hard work and luck in building a successful business.
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Versity: From Dorm Room to Dot-Com
- Jeff Lawson's first business, Versity, digitized college lecture notes, disrupting the traditional copy shop model.
- Initially called "notes4free.com", it aimed to scale through online ads and page views.
Eyeballs Over Revenue
- Versity's focus was user acquisition, not revenue, common during the dot-com boom.
- Despite $26,000 total revenue, they secured $11 million in funding at age 21.
Dot-Com Bust and Bankruptcy
- Versity was acquired for $30 million in stock, but the dot-com bubble burst shortly after.
- The company went bankrupt, highlighting the importance of revenue and market timing.