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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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Marissa Mayer and the Fight to Save Yahoo! summary
Nicholas Carlson
The thrilling story of how Marissa Mayer became the CEO of Yahoo in her 30s
26 mins
Brief summary
Marissa Mayer and the Fight to Save Yahoo! by Nicholas Carlson is a gripping retelling of Yahoo's tumultuous history. The book offers unique insights into the strategic decisions that led to Yahoo's decline and Mayer's controversial efforts to turn the company's fortunes around.
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Marissa Mayer and the Fight to Save Yahoo!
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The early Yahoo was promising, and had no trouble finding financial support.
Like many other success stories, Yahoo came from modest beginnings. In 1993, Yahoo’s prospective founders David Filo and Jerry Yang shared the links to their favorite web pages on a website called David and Jerry’s Guide to the Internet.
Back then, the world wide web was relatively new and their site was little more than an index of web pages, allowing people who were new to the internet to look up pages they were interested in. Unexpectedly, traffic grew to 50,000 visits per day. It seemed that David and Jerry’s site had tapped into something unique.
The founders renamed the site to the more memorable Yahoo!, an acronym for “Yet another hierarchical officious Oracle”. They also liked the slang definition of the word “yahoo,” referring to a rude, unsophisticated person. And so Yahoo was born.
Traffic kept growing steadily, reaching one million clicks per day in 1995. At this rate, the infrastructure provided by Stanford University wasn’t enough to support the site. David and Jerry needed real servers for Yahoo – and for these, they would also need some cash.
Fortunately for them, finding investors was a piece of cake. Sequoia Capital partner Mike Moritz decided that the newbie company needed “adult supervision” to scale up the business. This gave the founders the freedom to focus on the innovation side. Sequoia would become COO, while Stanford graduate Tim Koogle would take on the role of CEO and chairman.
In March 1995, only days after Yahoo was incorporated, they declined an offer of $2 million from America Online to buy Yahoo outright, and instead sold 25 percent of the company to Sequoia Capital for $1 million. With adult supervision in place, it was time for Yahoo to create a serious business plan.
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What is Marissa Mayer and the Fight to Save Yahoo! about?
Marissa Mayer and the Fight to Save Yahoo! (2015) takes us on a journey through the ups and downs of this one-time leader of the early internet. These blinks explain how Yahoo has changed, and often struggled, as it progressed from its early start-up days to a multi-billion dollar corporation. The blinks also put a spotlight on Yahoo’s latest CEO, Marissa Mayer, and her extensive efforts to keep the company moving forward.
Marissa Mayer and the Fight to Save Yahoo! Review
Marissa Mayer and the Fight to Save Yahoo! (2015) sheds light on the high-stakes battle to rescue the iconic internet company. Here's why this book is worth reading:
- Driven by in-depth research and interviews, it offers an inside look at the challenges and decisions Mayer faced as CEO, providing valuable lessons for leaders.
- With its insightful analysis of the tech industry's evolution and impact, the book goes beyond Yahoo! to examine broader changes in the digital landscape.
- Through its compelling narrative, it keeps readers engaged, showcasing the human drama and conflicts involved in turning around a struggling company.
Best quote from Marissa Mayer and the Fight to Save Yahoo!
Yahoo tried to be everything for everyone and failed to be exceptionally good at something.
—Nicholas Carlson
Who should read Marissa Mayer and the Fight to Save Yahoo!?
- Readers who want a peek behind the scenes of Yahoo
- Ambitious tech geeks curious about the dynamics of tech start-ups
- Avid readers of corporate biographies (the adventure tales of today)
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Marissa Mayer and the Fight to Save Yahoo! FAQs
What is the main message of Marissa Mayer and the Fight to Save Yahoo!?
The main message of Marissa Mayer and the Fight to Save Yahoo! is about the leadership challenges faced by Marissa Mayer during her tenure as the CEO of Yahoo!.
How long does it take to read Marissa Mayer and the Fight to Save Yahoo!?
The estimated reading time for Marissa Mayer and the Fight to Save Yahoo! is a few hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is Marissa Mayer and the Fight to Save Yahoo! a good book? Is it worth reading?
This book is worth reading as it provides insights into the challenges faced by Marissa Mayer in her attempt to save Yahoo!.
Who is the author of Marissa Mayer and the Fight to Save Yahoo!?
Nicholas Carlson is the author of Marissa Mayer and the Fight to Save Yahoo!.
What to read after Marissa Mayer and the Fight to Save Yahoo!?
If you're wondering what to read next after Marissa Mayer and the Fight to Save Yahoo!, here are some recommendations we suggest:
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