Internet History Podcast

Brian McCullough
  • 4.9 (36)
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

The ORIGINAL tech history podcast. A history of the Internet Era from Netscape to the present day. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 208. Clément Delangue Of Hugging Face

    6 DAYS AGO

    208. Clément Delangue Of Hugging Face

    Hugging Face Founder Clément Delangue discusses his journey to founding Hugging Face, emphasizing the importance of community, collaboration, and open-source technology in the AI landscape. He reflects on the evolution of AI technology, the significance of user feedback, and the need for a diverse range of AI models. Takeaways Clem's first computer experience involved internet trading with siblings.Minitel was a significant early digital communication tool in France.Clem transitioned from being a successful eBay seller to an intern at eBay.Unishared aimed to create a collaborative platform for students.Moot Stocks introduced Clem to computer vision and AI technologies.Mention was a social listening startup that brought Clem to New York.New York's tech scene offers a blend of European and American cultures.Hugging Face started as a chatbot project but pivoted to open-source AI.The name Hugging Face was inspired by the popularity of emojis.Clem emphasizes the importance of community feedback in product development. Chapters: 00:00 The Early Days of Computing and Internet Trading 03:02 Minitel: A French Innovation in Digital Communication 05:05 From eBay Seller to Intern: A Journey Begins 07:10 The Birth of Unishared: Collaborative Learning for Students 10:23 Moot Stocks: Exploring Computer Vision and AI 12:55 Mention: Social Listening and the Move to New York 14:44 The New York Tech Scene: A Blend of Cultures 16:45 Founding Hugging Face: The AI BFF Chatbot 19:06 The Name Behind Hugging Face: A Playful Choice 21:02 Pivoting to Open Source: The Birth of a New Vision 23:58 Building a Community: The Power of Collaboration 26:37 Navigating User Feedback: Balancing Vision and Signals 28:51 Investor Relations: Framing a Pivot 31:19 Positioning as Switzerland: Neutrality in AI 34:06 The Business Model of Hugging Face: Freemium Success 35:51 Evaluating AI Models: A New Approach 40:33 The Need for Open Source AI Models 42:27 Fostering Open Data Initiatives: A Call to Action 45:18 The Future of Open AI: Efficiency and Specialization 48:05 The AI Bubble: Reality vs. Perception 49:30 The Growing Startup Ecosystem in Europe 51:11 Why New York City is Ideal for AI Startups Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    54 min
  2. 207. John Borthwick Of Betaworks

    3 NOV

    207. John Borthwick Of Betaworks

    John Borthwick shares his journey from a tech-savvy youth to a prominent figure in the New York tech scene. He discusses his early experiences with computers, the transformative impact of the World Wide Web, and the vibrant tech culture of the 90s. Borthwick reflects on his role in creating Total New York, the lessons learned from the AOL acquisition, and the challenges faced during the dot-com bubble burst. He also highlights the rise of social media platforms like Photolog and the evolution of BetaWorks as a hub for innovation, particularly in the AI space. Throughout the discussion, Borthwick emphasizes the importance of creativity, constraints, and the ever-changing landscape of technology. Chapters: 00:00 The Early Days of Tech and Personal Journey 02:11 Education and Its Impact on Career 05:15 Experiencing the World Wide Web 08:09 The New York Tech Scene in the 90s 11:08 Creative Projects and the Internet 16:01 Total New York: A Local Information Hub 21:40 Lessons in Distribution and Audience Engagement 24:57 The Evolution of Internet Distribution 27:58 AOL: The Internet's First Giant 35:54 The Dot-Com Bubble and Its Aftermath 37:46 Photolog: A Precursor to Social Media 44:56 Navigating Abundance and Constraints in AI 49:37 BetaWorks: A Hub for Founders and Innovation Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    57 min
  3. 206. Jimmy Wales, Founder Of Wikipedia

    28 OCT

    206. Jimmy Wales, Founder Of Wikipedia

    Welcome BACK to the Internet History Podcast. After essentially a 5 year hiatus, the Internet History Podcast is back, fully back, a whole slate of episodes coming to you, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to have our relaunch episode be with Jimmy Wales. What can I tell you? He’s the founder of Wikipedia. We get deep into the history of all that but also get into how he’s thinking about the web and Wikipedia in this age of AI. Chapters 00:00 The Return of the Internet History Podcast 00:58 Exploring Trust in the Digital Age 04:09 Growing Up with Knowledge 11:53 The Journey into Technology and Finance 16:58 The First Encounters with the Internet 18:38 The Spark of Entrepreneurship 20:09 The Birth of Bomis and New Ideas 27:13 The Transition from Newpedia to Wikipedia 31:57 Navigating Challenges and Building Trust 42:25 Moments of Realization and Trust in Wikipedia 48:05 From Startup to Nonprofit: A New Direction 51:17 Lessons in Nonprofit Fundraising 53:02 Transparency and Community Engagement 01:00:21 Wikipedia in the Age of AI 01:07:29 The Future of the Open Web 01:08:58 Defining Purpose in Knowledge Platforms 01:12:05 Building Trust in Personal and Political Life Takeaways Wikipedia's growth was fueled by community engagement and open editing. Trust is essential for the success of any platform. The transition from Newpedia to Wikipedia was a pivotal moment. Transparency in operations fosters community trust. AI's impact on knowledge sharing is significant but manageable. Defining a clear purpose helps in moderating content. Wikipedia's model demonstrates the power of decentralized knowledge. The importance of assuming good faith in online interactions. Nonprofit status allows for a focus on mission over profit. Building trust in personal and political life is crucial for society. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 15m
  4. 205. Margit Wennmachers Of a16z

    27 OCT

    205. Margit Wennmachers Of a16z

    People know that a16z changed tech by turning VCs and founders into rock stars. You know the names. But there’s one name you might not know, that real heads, deep inside the industry have known very well over the years. The legend, Margit Vennmachers. You know all those a16z names because of Margit, because of how she helped Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz and others build a16z into the most prominent VC firm in the world. This is a conversation with Margit about her entire career, her philosophy on coms and marketing and PR, and how a16z evolved. From the story behind Software Is Eating The World to how startups can build and burnish their own legend, from the woman who, behind the scenes, those in the know knew was making it happen. Chapters 00:00 Intros 02:13 From Farm Life to Tech Dreams 03:56 Navigating Grief and Independence 09:38 Cultural Shifts: From Germany to Silicon Valley 12:25 The Early Days of Silicon Valley 21:05 Launching Outcast Communications 25:15 Building Credibility in the Startup World 27:31 The Rise of Facebook and Industry Cycles 29:43 Navigating Economic Cycles and Client Relationships 30:53 The Decision to Sell Outkast 32:43 Founding A16Z: The Backstory 36:48 Marketing Strategies for A16Z 42:00 The Evolution of Tech Leadership 43:53 The Role of an Operating Partner 46:39 Crisis Management in Tech 51:42 The Concept of 'Software is Eating the World' 55:41 Lessons from Two Decades with Mark and Ben 56:49 The Future of Tech and AI 58:06 Margit's Transition to Partner Emeritus Takeaways: Margit's upbringing on a small farm shaped her resilience. Grief can lead to early maturity and self-reliance. Her first tech job sparked a curiosity about the industry. Cultural differences in Silicon Valley were eye-opening. Founding Outcast Communications was driven by inspiration, not frustration. Crisis management is crucial in maintaining a company's reputation. PR for startups requires a focus on storytelling and relationships. The dot-com bubble taught valuable lessons about sustainability. A16Z's approach to venture capital emphasizes personality and visibility. The future of tech is intertwined with the responsible use of AI. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 5m
  5. 204. Fred Wilson, Of Union Square Ventures

    26 OCT

    204. Fred Wilson, Of Union Square Ventures

    For my entire career in tech and startups, Fred Wilson has been like the god-level VC in the New York City ecosystem. Fred got his start investing before the dotcom bubble, rode the bubble investing in the earliest internet companies to great success, and then turned Union Square Ventures into the premier venture capital firm on the east coast. Hear the story of Fred’s investments in Geocities, Etsy, Coinbase, MongoDB among others. When I first started this podcast almost 12 years ago, Fred was one of the top 5 people I wanted to talk to. Chapters 00:00 The Four Technological Revolutions 11:08 Fred Wilson's Journey into Venture Capital 21:34 The Rise of New York's Tech Scene 34:53 Founding Union Square Ventures 48:00 The Evolution of Web 2.0 57:16 Current Technological Intersections and Future Outlook Takeaways There are four major technological revolutions happening simultaneously: AI, synthetic biology, energy transition, and crypto. Fred Wilson transitioned from naval engineering to venture capital due to a passion for technology and finance. The New York tech scene began to emerge in the early 90s with digital media and online services. Flatiron Partners was founded to focus on internet investments during the dot-com boom. Investing in companies like GeoCities and Etsy showcased the potential of the internet. The dot-com crash taught valuable lessons about sustainable business models. Union Square Ventures was founded during a challenging economic period, emphasizing the importance of the application layer of the internet. The rise of social media and user engagement became central to investment strategies in the 2000s. Fred's blog became a platform for sharing ideas and attracting founders to his firm. Current technological advancements are driven by the convergence of AI, biology, energy, and crypto. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 3m

  6. 19/10/2021

    203. Shirish Nadkarni On Microsoft, Hotmail, MSN and Blackberry Internet Email

    Serial entrepreneur Shirish Nadkarni came to the U.S. as a teenager with $25 in his pocket. After graduating from Harvard Business School, he worked at Microsoft where he engineered the $400 million acquisition of Hotmail and launched MSN.com, the world’s leading web portal. Striking out on his own in 1999 at the height of the dot-com boom, he founded TeamOn Systems, an early pioneer of mobile email that was later acquired by BlackBerry before becoming BlackBerry Internet Email servicing over 50 million users at its peak. His great new book is: From Startup to Exit: An Insider's Guide to Launching and Scaling Your Tech Business Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    34 min

  7. 23/10/2020

    202. The del.icio.us Story With Joshua Schachter

    Joshua Schachter, founder of del.icio.us, is someone I’ve wanted to talk to from the very first day of this podcast. As we’ll discuss, del.icio.us was such a standard bearer of the web 2.0 era. Of user generated content. Of sharing long before Facebook or Twitter or any of that. If my email chain is to be believed, this episode has been four years in the making, and I’m glad Josh and I found the time to do this episode and bring the podcast back. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 1m
  8. 201. The History of Audible With Angelika Fuellemann

    11/08/2019

    201. The History of Audible With Angelika Fuellemann

    Angelika Fuellemann is a designer who worked early on with BookSense.com, then got hired by Audible early on, so this is the early story of Audible. It’s funny… audio, streaming music, podcasts, audiobooks, it seems so obvious now, but it really is funny to look back and think about how off the wall this seamed before the smartphone. You mean books on tape will be a thing?  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    26 min
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4.9
out of 5
36 Ratings

About

The ORIGINAL tech history podcast. A history of the Internet Era from Netscape to the present day. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Brian McCullough
  • Years Active
    2014 - 2025
  • Episodes
    211
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Brian McCullough
  • Show Website
    Internet History Podcast

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