Events: • Interview with Noah Glass: Forgotten Founder of Twitter
| Event Details:
Beijing Sohu IT News] [April 14, according to foreign media reports, Noah • Glass (Noah Glass) is a co-founder of Twitter, but people have never heard his name, as early as 2006, he was driven out of the company. Before that, he was co-founder of start-up company Odeo. Odeo investor, that is, later became the Twitter co-founder and CEO of Avon • Williams (Evan Williams).
Forgotten twitter founder Noah Glass •
At that time, Odeo is a podcast that is platform, but then Apple released iTunes, Odeo makes everyone very nervous. Williams is asking everyone to think about what to do next. • more Western with Jack Douglas (Jack Dorsey) and a man named Sigmund • Webber (Florian Webber) with the developer, developed a project called Twitter. Twitter name is Douglas thought out. Williams liked this project, and allow Glass to be responsible. After the project became the heart of Glasgow's great love. He told Williams that he hopes can Twitter from the Odeo, another group company.
But in the summer of 2006, Williams tired of Odeo, where he acquired from Odeo Odeo, and investors, including Twitter, including all as_set_s of the company and renamed Obvious. Finally, he fired Glass.
For this interview, Business Insider website do everything possible to find a Glass himself, his Twitter, Youtube and the blog has not been updated for almost two years. Friends think he moved to Alaska, may have been dead.
During the interview, Douglas tells the history forgotten by friends and was feeling betrayed, and Williams were evaluated.
Update: In this interview on the issue shortly after Evan Williams on Twitter • recognize that, in the evaluation of early development of Twitter, Glass does not get its due glory.
Interviews are summarized as follows:
Business Insider: If I am wrong, please point out. It looks like you are one of the founders of Twitter, but no one knows. Is that true?
Glass: Yes. Twitter's story is not my name, I started a little difficult to accept. Twitter in the process of creating, I devoted a lot of effort. To create a thing, it brings the world, which takes great effort and energy.
So at first I can not let go, but I know what happened around Twitter, I participated in the creation of part of the part has nothing to do with me, Twitter itself, and so on. Twitter has become a phenomenon, it is a very useful tool, has helped many people. I realized that all this has nothing to do with me now for me no longer valid.
Business Insider: talk about 2006 and what happened after it.
Glass: To be honest, Odeo was very confusing. Investors are dissatisfied with developments. Williams then served as CEO of the company's growth and development are also very unhappy. We were looking for new projects, in order to find a backup program. Have some money in our hands, there is a proper team, began to try new things.
I had been studying how people on MySpace and other social networks to communicate, I would like to find out what people want to communicate the way to find out all the system requirements from the people how far the gap. Finally, people trying to find specific ways to communicate this way, asynchronous, non-real-time communication. A bit like building a blog.
Dorsey was the star of the company, and I feel very happy doing his time. Odeo he was dealing with off the work. I became good friends with him every day bubble together.
He began to talk about the "state" concept, and that he was very interested. He also developed a bike before the state information system. I was still trying to figure out what this is, why so attractive. At the same time, we are also exploring the "group" mode, the group is formed, and put a few things together, the concepts of states and groups to observe, this product really impressed me a bit, it is Twitter. A special group mechanism, non-cell phone-based real-time status updates.
I once sat in the car and multi-West, I said: "I really think these things together is very attractive." Was when I felt this project is very suitable for me. Finally, we established a separate team, key members is me, more than the West and a man named Sigmund • Weber's contractor. Weber in Germany, and we work together. You contact him before?
Business Insider: I tried to find him, but did not find.
Glass: I have contacted him for five years. For the life of his own ideas. He is a great guy, a lot of development in the work of Twitter.
One thing I want to reiterate, you are the original appearance of the whole thing put together. Some people got the glory, some do not. The reality is that this is a team effort. Many people ideas into one, without these people the project will not succeed. This has not been with the glory of nothing, this is the result of teamwork.
Business Insider: I heard people say, you want to separate this project, _set_ up a company called Twitter. Is that true?
Glass: Yes, it is the case, but this is I can not involve one of the reasons. I was feeling Odeo will destroy me, so I do not want Twitter also.
We were released in a limited range of Twitter. I have been kept secret, I do not want to let people know what we are doing. Beginning, Twiiter only run on my laptop. It on my desk, I can hold it everywhere. That segment is really a very interesting time.
Business Insider: since you want to be out of Twitter Odeo?
Glass: Twitter should come out, I had this idea from the beginning, I never had the strange kind of feeling, which is a big business. I have this feeling from the start. People must think I'm crazy, but I really have this strong feeling, which is the fan big business. What it needs is time to grow.
Business Insider: I asked an investor, why Williams off the company and get rid of you. Williams said because of the money.
Glass: Yes, he has the power. In retrospect, that happens also normal. At the time, I do not think so. I also do different things with him, which is we have a gap in the early reasons. Can be said that this can have different results. Williams was the final say, you find him about it?
Business Insider: I tried. But he did not want to talk about.
Glass: he wants to and who to talk to and who to talk about, and now he has this power. He is the creator of Blogger, the blog community has a far-reaching impact. His high level, but also allow Twitter to grow and become a phenomenon.
At that time I spent a long time to establish a mechanism, a mechanism can promote the development, just as we now see that the same mechanism. The beginning, the growth of this product because people's social aspects. Police or fire departments can use Twitter to update the entire city, this is our philosophy in the early implantation. Have a lot of ideas in the early.
Business Insider: You've said you feel Twitter will be everywhere, very powerful. When you think Williams is aware of that?
Glass: To be honest, I do not know if he did not realize it. I think when he was working the way everyone the way work is to verify their value. Williams saw his friend early on this project, will think: "This is a good product." But he realized that Twitter will accomplish much, I really do not know.
Business Insider: Do you think he bought back from investors before Twitter, is a valuable thing to see?
Glass: Yes. Of course, he noted. Williams is a very shrewd businessman, veteran. He encountered many failures in the past, several times he lost badly. This is his business, in order to find something of value.
I have to admit that he is very enthusiastic, Williams is a very rational. We are in two completely opposite of two people. I am interested in what the performance will be very warm. He will sit down and think carefully about, and then write it down, and we said: "This is my opinion." He is very calculating and people.
Business Insider: Do you think he is cheating investors? I read what he wrote to investors in September 2006 letter to you.
"By the way, Twitter is indeed valuable, but too early to say. Away from the release date in the past two months, it's less than 5,000 registered users, I will continue to invest in Twitter, but it can not prove their These are worthy of investment. "
In the letter he bad-mouthing Twitter. Do you think he was very pessimistic about this really it?
Glass: I do not want to answer this question. Do you know why. Do you understand what he is to imply it.
Business Insider: I know.
Glass: Of course, you know. I do not know.
Business Insider: I consider this issue worth exploring.
Glass: Yes, it is to talk about it. I do not know what it means to me. Can I ask you something for it?
Business Insider: Yes.
Glass: You interviewed investors if anyone have this uneasy feeling it?
Business Insider: I interviewed Williams, Odeo investors can be friends. They were felt: "Oops! I try to understand the investment before the next Twitter." Or some other investors to remain calm, Williams longer want to work harder. One or two investors asked the question: "Williams is not trying this product for himself, so that the data on a lie?" Is not it? I do not know. This is what they say.
Glass: In some ways, I believe you do hear some insider, from a certain angle. But I want to tell you, for a long period of time, Williams is very unhappy. On Twitter before the start of his company's organizational structure are not satisfied. He was dissatisfied with the relationship between the investors. Think about it, he has money, he has power. They did not do anything. Board meetings, we tell them to do anything. They agree or disagree, provide some irrelevant comments. Williams feel that they no longer need this kind of organizational structure, and he long ago to get rid of it all.
Frankly, he did not want to become CEO of Twitter. I want to be CEO of Twitter. In many ways, he never expected to do so.
Williams did not lie inside the letter. For anything he did not lie. He said: "This is what I do and I will continue to invest." This is a positive attitude. Whether he did not realize that after the success of Twitter anyway, or will he feel the difference.
Business Insider: So Williams Odeo as_set_s from investors to buy back, no deliberately belittle them?
Glass: This question only he can answer. There are many ways to look at this issue. He is a good person. He really did it? It's hard to say. After careful consideration he do? Of course. In which he spent a lot of thought? Of course. He made a lot of money. Amazing benefits generated by this investment, he got a lot.
Business Insider: Last fall, after Williams retired CEO of Twitter, "New York Times" made a substantial report. Article mentioned, this is not his exact words, but quoted people as saying: "Williams once said, all successful entrepreneurs along the way will be a lot of enemies."
Glass: Yes. Prior to the Odeo, Blogger period, many of Williams's enemies, some are unavoidable. Of course, these people are very arrogant. At that time he had to close the company. In Blogger, he had to let everyone leave. Then they acquired by Google, but we are not quite happy. Before the acquisition, we have been fired.
Business Insider: summer of 2006 there is no such evidence: While Twitter is very small, but very attractive?
Glass: Twitter has a very interesting time, participation is very high. I had been doing the test, write code. I do not know how many Twitter users, but is still relatively small. There is a persuasive indicator. Twitter is very attractive. Any person who used it will find it different, very special.
Business Insider: I have seen one of the founders of Twitter than hereby • Stone (Biz Stone) in a interview, he talked about creating a Twitter story. His answer made me feel very unreal. How do you see?
Glass: To be honest, I try not to look at these things. Two years ago, I moved to Los Angeles, just want to get rid of them. Because I can not move on.
There have been times I find them. I find many West and Williams, said to them: "This put my name into them." I think I should get. I was treated as a joint founder. Of course, I was a bit emotional.
Everyone has created a fairy tale, everyone is a hero story. They are the subject of attention, must tell these stories. Of course, their stories are true colors. Each story has a real side.
Twitter is not a person I created, it is the collective results. I only know that, if not I, Twitter will no longer exist. To some extent can be said that many West and Williams did not deserve evaluation.
Business Insider: What Stone do?
Glass: The Twitter creation process, Stone's participation is higher than Williams, Williams is not full participation. He sometimes, we occasionally talk about. In my opinion, a very long period of time, are considering how to Williams bought Odeo, and I have been careful to build Twitter.
Stone is writing a description of Twitter document, obtained reputation. He has also done a lot of other things. I was asked if he could write this document, because I need to submit a document to the lawyers, so lawyers can clear what Twitter is. He wrote this document for me, and get a great reputation. But I told him to write and tell him how to write. You have not seen Stone, talked to him it? Stone is a good man. He is full of vitality and enthusiasm. So he can appear in various media. He is doing things from his personality.
Business Insider: Do you give up the Obvious stock it? How would like?
Glass: Initially I did not give up anything. Later I received a certain amount of Twitter stocks. I do not want to say that they feel is good or bad. I gave up something. If I stay, may be another outcome. I did not leave empty-handed. Like everyone else, I get paid.
Business Insider: After you leave Odeo what happened? What did you feel?
Glass: I think you have a conclusion, but I never said before, I really feel cheated. I think I was my friend, my company, I trust, I strive to create something to deceive. At that time I would also like to: "If it is such a conclusion, what is the significance?"
So I spent a lot of time alone. I did some time of the game, then I moved to Los Angeles, doing completely different work on alternative energy systems. I built a prototype, but it did not achieve my heart's function.
Later, I moved back to San Francisco, intends to be the first step to re-work with others. Because past experience I really do not want to do. Not everyone can get the cooperation between the glory of this frustrating.
Business Insider: What do you now What are the views of Twitter?
Glass: I think Twitter's core is very valuable. It also needs to grow. I think they tried a lot of things past is not correct. Twitter's true potential yet to play out.
Twitter needs is not fascinated by it all, but take it as a product. Now go study how people use Twitter and how people want to use it.
Now need to re-survey was carried out on Twitter: it's used and how the core functionality in the end. Because there people do not understand the concept of Twitter. Twitter so popular everywhere, why do people still not understand? This is not complicated, is actually very simple. This is what is needed to solve the problem, is a priority. (Keshan)
(Editor: He Feng) |
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