FoundersMarch 20, 2018

#22 How To Turn Down A Billion Dollars: The Snapchat Story

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Audio URL: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/DSLLC8466645812.mp3?updated=1748636343

About This Episode

What I learned from reading How to Turn Down a Billion Dollars: The Snapchat Story by Billy Gallagher. --- I'm not going to work for someone else (0:01) Early design decisions of Snapchat (7:45) Evan idolized Steve Jobs and Edwin Land (10:00) How Snapchat convinced people to download the app (13:00) How Facebook created the environment for Snapchat to grow (16:00) The problem of standard (21:00) Evan on conforming (23:00) Mark Zuckerberg's first move on Snapchat (27:00) A great quote from Jeff Bezos (34:30) Digital Dualism (36:30) Snapchat Stories (39:00) Evan's framework for Snapchat and the Internet Everywhere (44:45) Learning from messaging apps in Asia (50:00) Brands are not social. People are. (55:00) Evan's philosophy on the distinction between privacy and secrecy (59:00) ---- Founders Notes gives you the ability to tap into the collective knowledge of history's greatest entrepreneurs on demand. Use it to supplement the decisions you make in your work. Get access to Founders Notes here. ---- “I have listened to every episode released and look forward to every episode that comes out. The only criticism I would have is that after each podcast I usually want to buy the book because I am interested so my poor wallet suffers. ” — Gareth Be like Gareth. Buy a book: All the books featured on Founders Podcast

Book Mentions

9 book mentions in this episode.

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Books Mentioned

How to Turn Down a Billion Dollars, the Snapchat Story

Billy Gallagher

“The podcast discusses insights from the book, particularly focusing on Evan's journey and the strategic decisions behind Snapchat's development.”

Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: Evan's entrepreneurial journey

For: Aspiring entrepreneurs and innovators

Key quote: “In order to avoid getting destroyed by better funded competition, his next idea had to be... more original.”

The host discusses Evan's early experiences and lessons learned from his startup Future Freshman, which ultimately led to the creation of Snapchat. The book 'How to Turn Down a Billion Dollars' provides insights into Evan's mindset and the importance of originality in entrepreneurship.

ASIN: N/A

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Shoe Dog

Phil Knight

“The podcast references 'Shoe Dog' while discussing a Stanford student's presentation that parallels Evan's pitch for Snapchat.”

Sentiment: Passing Reference

Trigger: entrepreneurial presentations

For: entrepreneurs and business students

Key quote: “longtime listeners of the podcast or we'll uh we'll remember this from the podcast I did on the shoe dog which is uh Phil Knight's fantastic book about starting Nike in 1962”

The host mentions 'Shoe Dog' to draw a parallel between Phil Knight's early struggles with his business idea and Evan's pitch for a new app. This reference highlights how innovative ideas can initially be met with skepticism, despite their eventual success.

ASIN: B01CRJA470

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This Book

“This book was published before the update. When he goes back, he explicitly designed Snapchat as an anecdote to talk.”

Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: Evan's entrepreneurial journey

For: Aspiring entrepreneurs and product designers

Key quote: “In order to avoid getting destroyed by better funded competition, his next idea had to be... more original.”

The host mentions 'How to Turn Down a Billion Dollars' to illustrate Evan's unique approach to product design and entrepreneurship. This book provides insights into the challenges and lessons learned from Evan's early ventures, particularly his experience with Future Freshman.

ASIN: B0F7G5W32L

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The Founders Podcast

“The speaker mentions the Founders Podcast while discussing Jeff Bezos and his influence on business strategy.”

Sentiment: Passing Reference

Trigger: Evan Spiegel's insights

For: Listeners interested in entrepreneurship and digital communication

Key quote: “This is going to appear random, but it's honestly just an excuse for me to include yet another Jeff Bezos quote into the Founders Podcast.”

The host mentions 'The Founders Podcast' to highlight insights from Evan Spiegel, particularly regarding his views on digital communication and privacy. This reference serves to connect Spiegel's ideas with broader themes in business strategy and innovation.

ASIN: N/A

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Cyborgology

“Nathan Jergensen introduced the term digital dualism in a piece he wrote on a social sciences blog called Cyborgology.”

Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: digital dualism concept

For: Entrepreneurs and social media strategists

Key quote: “He rejected the distinction between quote-unquote real and quote-unquote virtual worlds, or the notion that we live and act one way in person, but build and create a separate world.”

The host mentions 'Cyborgology' to highlight Nathan Jergensen's influential concept of digital dualism, which challenges the separation between virtual and real worlds. This idea significantly shaped Evan's approach to Snapchat and its strategy in the evolving landscape of social media.

ASIN: N/A

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Exponent

“The podcast Exponent is mentioned as doing a much better job than the speaker in discussing deep strategies behind technology companies.”

Sentiment: Highly Recommended

Trigger: Snapchat communication strategy

For: Listeners interested in technology business strategies

Key quote: “I've mentioned how I really like the podcast Exponent.”

The host mentions the podcast 'Exponent' as a valuable resource for understanding the deeper strategies behind technology companies like Snapchat. They appreciate how the podcast delves into the nuances of business strategies, which aligns with the themes discussed in the context of Snapchat's approach to communication.

ASIN: 1560854774

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WeChat

“WeChat is referenced in the context of how it allows users to buy stuff and access services, highlighting its broad functionality in China.”

Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: Asian messaging companies

For: Entrepreneurs and tech enthusiasts

Key quote: “In China, people do everything inside one app, WeChat.”

The host discusses how Snapchat looked to Asian messaging companies like WeChat for monetization strategies. This comparison highlights the significant differences in how social media operates in Asia versus the United States.

ASIN: N/A

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Uber

“Uber is mentioned as a good example of using online to access goods and services offline, in contrast to broader uses in Asia.”

Sentiment: Passing Reference

Trigger: monetization strategies for Snapchat

For: Entrepreneurs and tech enthusiasts

Key quote: “A good example in the US would be something like Uber.”

The host mentions the book 'Uber' as a comparison to illustrate how online services can facilitate access to offline goods and services. This reference highlights the broader potential of apps like Snapchat to monetize in ways similar to Uber's model in the U.S.

ASIN: N/A

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The Unbearable Lightness of Being

Milan Kundera

“Milan Kundera's quote is referenced to discuss the difference between private and public behavior, emphasizing the complexity of human nature.”

Sentiment: Passing Reference

Trigger: private vs public behavior

For: Readers interested in philosophy and human psychology

Key quote: “Milan Kundera's quote is referenced to discuss the difference between private and public behavior, emphasizing the complexity of human nature.”

The host mentions Milan Kundera's work to highlight the intricate relationship between personal and societal expectations. This reference serves to illustrate the complexities of human nature in different contexts.

ASIN: N/A

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