Curated conversations

At the Long-Term Stock Exchange, we are dedicated to creating a world where businesses are empowered to achieve lasting impact and long-term prosperity.

To foster meaningful conversations, we curate conversations from an ecosystem of leaders, entrepreneurs, and visionaries.

The Eric Ries Show, a podcast produced by Founder and Chair of LTSE Services, Eric Ries, reflects our mission.

The show features thought-provoking conversations with world-class technologists, thought leaders, executives, and others who are working to create a new ecosystem of organizations committed to growth with purpose.
Disclaimer: Information contained in this podcast was obtained in part from publicly available sources (including the Eric Ries Show) and not independently verified. The Long-Term Stock Exchange and its affiliated companies do not make any representations or warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy or completeness of the information and do not sponsor, approve, or endorse any of the content herein, all of which is presented solely for informational and educational purposes. Nothing herein constitutes an offer to sell, a solicitation to buy any security, or a recommendation of any security or trading practice.
Some portions of the podcast may have been edited for the purpose of length or clarity.

From the Eric Ries Show:

Lessons on co-founding Twitter, Medium and Blogger with Ev Williams
Listen on:
Show Notes
Transcript

In this episode of The Eric Ries Show, I sit down with Ev Williams—someone whose work has profoundly shaped the modern internet. Ev co-founded Twitter, created Medium, and before all that, built Blogger, the original blogging platform (and the one where my own blog, Startup Lessons Learned, still lives today).

We cover a wide range of topics, but at the heart of our conversation is this: what does it mean to resist short-term pressures and build with long-term integrity?

Ev reflects on the early days of the internet, the cultural shifts inside big tech, and what happens when the systems we design begin to shape us in return. He also shares the thinking behind his latest venture, Mozi—an app designed to make it easier for people to meet up in person, with less friction and more intention.

In our conversation today, we talk about the following topics:

• The value of building strong relationships (and how they compound over time)

• The inside story of Google’s acquisition of Blogger

• Google’s “don’t be evil” policy, and a case for radical honesty

• Why Ev believes social media’s downsides were inevitable

• How data obsession can kill creativity

• Ev’s “feel it” principle and what it means for entrepreneurs

• The backlash against Medium’s login wall, and what it taught him about friction and trust

• How strong governance and intentional culture can safeguard a company’s mission

• Ev’s latest project, Mozi—an app that takes the hassle out of meeting up in person

• And much more!

—

Brought to you by:

• Wilson Sonsini – Wilson Sonsini is the innovation economy’s law firm. ⁠⁠⁠Learn more⁠⁠⁠.

• Gusto – Gusto is an easy payroll and benefits software built for small businesses. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get 3 months free⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

—

Where to find Ev Williams:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanwilliams/

• X: https://x.com/ev

—

Where to find Eric:

• Newsletter:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ericries.carrd.co/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Podcast:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ericriesshow.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• YouTube:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@theericriesshow⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

—

In This Episode We Cover:

(00:00) Intro

(02:29) How Ev feels knowing his company, Blogger, acquired by Google, is still going

(06:01) Why many of Ev’s businesses have endured

(13:26) Ev’s early years growing up on a farm and how he ended up at O’Reilly

(20:46) The internet’s shift from idealism to reality—and why we still can’t see its full impact

(28:00) Motivations driving founders, and how Ev realized it’s about creativity

(30:55) Google’s ‘don’t be evil’ policy, and the importance of creating high bar values

(37:45) Ev’s thoughts on what went wrong with social media and if AI companies can do better

(45:00) The protective role of good governance

(54:10) Insights gleaned from the book Why Greatness Cannot Be Planned

(1:00:14) Why MBA-thinking and metric obsession are culture killers

(1:05:23) A story about trusting in a hypothesis before data is there

(1:06:35) Medium’s failure with the login pop-up

(1:09:58) How good governance and strong culture empower torchbearers

(1:12:34) An overview of Mozi, an app that helps make in-person meetups easier

(1:16:10) Lightning round

—

Referenced:

‍

Show Notes

In this episode of The Eric Ries Show, I sit down with Ev Williams—someone whose work has profoundly shaped the modern internet. Ev co-founded Twitter, created Medium, and before all that, built Blogger, the original blogging platform (and the one where my own blog, Startup Lessons Learned, still lives today).

We cover a wide range of topics, but at the heart of our conversation is this: what does it mean to resist short-term pressures and build with long-term integrity?

Ev reflects on the early days of the internet, the cultural shifts inside big tech, and what happens when the systems we design begin to shape us in return. He also shares the thinking behind his latest venture, Mozi—an app designed to make it easier for people to meet up in person, with less friction and more intention.

In our conversation today, we talk about the following topics:

• The value of building strong relationships (and how they compound over time)

• The inside story of Google’s acquisition of Blogger

• Google’s “don’t be evil” policy, and a case for radical honesty

• Why Ev believes social media’s downsides were inevitable

• How data obsession can kill creativity

• Ev’s “feel it” principle and what it means for entrepreneurs

• The backlash against Medium’s login wall, and what it taught him about friction and trust

• How strong governance and intentional culture can safeguard a company’s mission

• Ev’s latest project, Mozi—an app that takes the hassle out of meeting up in person

• And much more!

—

Brought to you by:

• Wilson Sonsini – Wilson Sonsini is the innovation economy’s law firm. ⁠⁠⁠Learn more⁠⁠⁠.

• Gusto – Gusto is an easy payroll and benefits software built for small businesses. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get 3 months free⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

—

Where to find Ev Williams:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanwilliams/

• X: https://x.com/ev

—

Where to find Eric:

• Newsletter:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ericries.carrd.co/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Podcast:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ericriesshow.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• YouTube:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@theericriesshow⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

—

In This Episode We Cover:

(00:00) Intro

(02:29) How Ev feels knowing his company, Blogger, acquired by Google, is still going

(06:01) Why many of Ev’s businesses have endured

(13:26) Ev’s early years growing up on a farm and how he ended up at O’Reilly

(20:46) The internet’s shift from idealism to reality—and why we still can’t see its full impact

(28:00) Motivations driving founders, and how Ev realized it’s about creativity

(30:55) Google’s ‘don’t be evil’ policy, and the importance of creating high bar values

(37:45) Ev’s thoughts on what went wrong with social media and if AI companies can do better

(45:00) The protective role of good governance

(54:10) Insights gleaned from the book Why Greatness Cannot Be Planned

(1:00:14) Why MBA-thinking and metric obsession are culture killers

(1:05:23) A story about trusting in a hypothesis before data is there

(1:06:35) Medium’s failure with the login pop-up

(1:09:58) How good governance and strong culture empower torchbearers

(1:12:34) An overview of Mozi, an app that helps make in-person meetups easier

(1:16:10) Lightning round

—

Referenced:

‍

Disclaimer

‍

The information is provided for informational and educational purposes only, and nothing contained herein should be construed as investment advice, either on behalf of a particular security or an overall investment strategy. Information about the company is provided by the company, or comes from the companies’ public filings and is not independently verified by LTSE. Neither LTSE nor any of its affiliates makes any recommendation to buy or sell any security or any representation about the financial condition of any company. Statements regarding LTSE-listed companies are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Investors should undertake their own due diligence and carefully evaluate companies before investing. Advice from a securities professional is strongly advised.

‍

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