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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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Hatching Twitter summary
A True Story of Money, Power, Friendship, and Betrayal
28 mins
Brief summary
'Hatching Twitter' by Nick Bilton is a riveting account of the birth and growth of Twitter. The book exposes the tensions, betrayals, and power struggles between its founders and how it evolved into the global phenomenon it is today.
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Hatching Twitter
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Before founding Twitter, Evan Williams helped start the blogging craze with the site Blogger.
So many of us use Twitter to share our lives, thoughts and opinions – but have you ever asked yourself how it all started? It might shock you, but the birth of Twitter began with a college dropout from Nebraska named Evan Williams.
Ev, as Williams was known, showed a strong entrepreneurial instinct from a very young age.
He was already trying out business ideas in his teens, and during high school he went door to door selling a VHS tape that explained what the internet was.
He later brought this entrepreneurial spirit to California and the flourishing start-up scene of the Bay Area. It was there, after learning how to code, that he and a few friends started a business called Pyra. As a side project, Ev built a journal-like website to help Pyra employees track their workflows. The employees used it so much that in 1999 he launched it as a public service called Blogger. The idea behind Blogger was to allow ordinary people who lacked computer programming knowledge to easily create their own internet journal or diary. By releasing Blogger to the public, Ev helped invent the idea of a blog.
But although Blogger quickly became popular among internet users, Ev’s struggles to keep up with the business’ bills and paperwork led the other Pyra employees to quit in frustration. He was left all alone to run the business, which he ran out of his own living room.
But Blogger continued to explode in popularity because people loved the opportunity to express their own perspectives, opinions and experiences. By 2002, Blogger’s continual growth had allowed Ev to hire a few programmers and improve his office space. And the site continued to grow, until in 2003 Google bought Blogger (and Pyra) for millions of dollars.
This money would later be crucial for Twitter’s genesis.
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What is Hatching Twitter about?
Hatching Twitter tells the story of the four men responsible for Twitter as we know it. It’s a tale of backstabbing, superstar glory and billions of dollars that chronicles the drama and defining decisions that made Twitter what it is today.
Hatching Twitter Review
Hatching Twitter (2013) by Nick Bilton is a captivating account of the tumultuous rise of Twitter and the personalities behind it. Here's why this book is worth reading:
- It offers a behind-the-scenes look at the power struggles, betrayals, and egos that shaped the development of one of the biggest social media platforms.
- The book delves into the intriguing dynamics between the founders, showcasing their relentless ambition and the challenges they faced in building such a groundbreaking company.
- With its compelling narrative and intimate details, the book immerses readers in the high-stakes world of Silicon Valley, leaving them hungry for more.
Who should read Hatching Twitter?
- Anyone who uses Twitter
- Anyone who is interested in Twitter’s impact and origins
- Anyone who works in a start-up
- Anyone interested in the dangers of mixing business and friendship
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Hatching Twitter FAQs
What is the main message of Hatching Twitter?
The main message of Hatching Twitter is the turbulent journey of Twitter's founding and the complex dynamics between the co-founders.
How long does it take to read Hatching Twitter?
Reading Hatching Twitter takes a few hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is Hatching Twitter a good book? Is it worth reading?
Hatching Twitter is an engaging book that offers a fascinating account of Twitter's early days. A must-read for tech enthusiasts and those curious about startup culture.
Who is the author of Hatching Twitter?
The author of Hatching Twitter is Nick Bilton.
What to read after Hatching Twitter?
If you're wondering what to read next after Hatching Twitter, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- The Everything Store by Brad Stone
- The Intel Trinity by Michael S. Malone
- Chaos Monkeys by Antonio Garcia Martinez
- The Four by Scott Galloway
- What Would Google Do? by Jeff Jarvis
- Powered by Me by Neha Sangwan
- The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership by Jim Dethmer
- Extremely Hardcore by Zoë Schiffer
- Scaling Smart by Rich Fettke
- Productive Failure by Manu Kapur