Sun, 29 January 2017
Michael March was the founder of Internet Direct, the first commercial ISP in Arizona. Michael gives us a first-hand account of the independent ISP industry that grew up around the country in the 1990s. AOL might have been the training wheels for the internet, but the Mom-n-Pop ISPs probably gave more Americans their first Internet experience than any of the online services. Bonus: Michael was an incidental witness to the first major commercial spam event on the Internet, a story that he relays at the end of this episode. And you can see Internet Direct featured in a really delicious infomercial from the time here. And you can follow Michael on twitter @cowmix
Direct download: 129._Michael_March_on_the_Indie_ISP_Industry_and_the_Birth_of_Online_Spam.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:46pm EDT |
Sun, 15 January 2017
Would it surprise you to learn that 1800Flowers was not only one of the first ecommerce pioneers but quite possibly, the first to be profitable in a meaningful way? You wouldn't be surprised if you knew the story of 1800Flowers and its founder, Jim McCann. Today we speak with Jim to hear that story, to learn about a company that was fearless in trying any new thing that came along... so long as it brought them closer to their customers. And, since Jim has been at this for quite a while, toward the end, he also tells us where he thinks commerce—in general—is going.
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Fri, 6 January 2017
"So… Three things: A widescreen iPod with touch controls. A revolutionary mobile phone. And a breakthrough internet communications device. An iPod… a phone… and an internet communicator… An iPod, a phone… are you getting it? These are not three separate devices. This is one device! And we are calling it iPhone.” - Steve Jobs, January 9, 2007 Those words have become so famous in the history of technology that I imagine a large percentage of listeners have them memorized. Ten years ago this Monday, January 9, Steve Jobs stood on stage and announced the iPhone to the world. It was the crowning achievement in the career of the greatest technologist of our time, the moment that the modern era of computing began.
Direct download: 127._The_History_of_the_iPhone_On_Its_10th_Anniversary.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:38am EDT |
Sat, 31 December 2016
The background, root causes and rough outline of the dotcom bubble. How it happened, why it happened... and why it's unlikely to happen again anytime soon.
Direct download: 126._Ch._8_How_the_Dotcom_Bubble_Happened.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:32pm EDT |