Speed: How to build something better than free.

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To build something better than free, one word is key: speed. The founder, Daniel, focused relentlessly on making his product faster than illegal downloads. He aimed to make the gap between hitting play and the music reaching the user's ears imperceptible, targeting a response time of 200 milliseconds. While they didn't consistently achieve this, they reduced it to about half a second. They also used techniques like an animated symbol to create the perception of instant response. The goal was to create an amazing experience that made users feel like they had all the world's music on their hard drive. Having a clear vision of the end product is rare among entrepreneurs, but if achieved, it can lead to substantial success.

Normally, trust = consistency + time. But when you're scaling fast, you have to find shortcuts to trust, with your partners and your users. Spotify CEO Daniel Ek knows a thing or two about this. When he founded Spotify, he did what few disruptors ever do: He worked with the industry he was trying to reinvent. How did Ek build a relationship with a music industry wary of piracy? He found shortcuts to trust. And not just with the music industry, but users to. With cameo appearances from Gustav Söderström (Spotify's Chief Research & Development Officer) and Miles Daisher (Red Bull Air Force).

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