THERE ‘a leitmotif that occurs when you trace the history of the giants of the technology world: looking for alternative ways to solve old problems; or a few paths beaten, as suggested by the American poet Robert Frost , to go alternately routes already worn. Shortly seductive and inefficient. Almost an unwritten rule. An imperative for success. That seems still valid today, that touches tell the story of LinkedIn: social network for professionals, just bought by Microsoft for a mind-boggling figure, $ 26.2 billion . And more importantly: a company where, said some of his former employees, there are “a lot of crazy ideas around.” Mad and brilliant. It all began after the bubble burst “dot-com” in November 2002. An eternity ago compared to the accelerated pace at which we have become accustomed obsolescence programmed hi-tech innovations. It is precisely in that year, in the “dot-com winter”, which Reid Hoffman has the initial flash. The then 47-year old graduate of Stanford is certainly not a first-haired man in a matter of innovators who gravitate around the Silicon Valley has already worked for Apple and Fujitsu; he co-founded SocialNet, a social networking site, and even PayPal, a company for digital payments. Still can not get enough. Much that aims another mission: a new way to connect the universe of work. “At that time I realized that contemporary society was transforming every individual in a small business,” Hoffman wrote the US magazine Inc. speaking of his own creature. Hence his philosophy: “You must think of yourself as an entity that competes with other organisms within an ecosystem,” he explains, “because it is played all about the way you are able to adapt to your surroundings. The modern world is moving fast and you have to move at the same speed. ” These are the cornerstones on which would be built LinkedIn. Brick by brick. Link after link, under the motto: “relationships matter.” making it a concrete demonstration of an old popular saying: “no matter what you know, it matters who you know.” The basic financial capital there now, thanks to the sale of PayPal to eBay. While the human the entrepreneur puts it together, dragging old colleagues is that of PayPal SocialNet. Six months later, in 2003, comes the official launch. At the beginning it is difficult to imagine that he would become the platform of choice for business networking. The initial growth rates are extremely slow. There is talk of a maximum of 20 entries, in some lucky day. But the system is quite promising and fortunate to attract a Sequoia Capital investment, venture capital firm based in Menlo Park. An interest that allows the baby to play networks, experience, and look for a business model that suits your needs. Until 2006, when Hoffman began to feel what will define “the growth of anxiety.” For groped a termination shock, the founder leaves the leadership of the company in favor of Dan Nye : will remain in office only two years, but it is during his reign that the site’s members spend between 9 and 35 million and spring sales by 900%. In 2008, the plunge: LinkedIn become truly global. Opens first international office in London, launched a version in Spanish and one in French. A new change of leadership in 2009, with Jeff Weiner (current CEO) coming from Yahoo and take over the place of Nye. The objectives? Define mission, values and strategic priorities. Li reached in 2012, thanks to a complete redesign of the company that revolves around three key concepts: simplicity, growth and daily life. The rest is history: today, users of the platform, now widespread in all continents, are 400 million. One million new subscribers per week. However, behind the dazzling numbers, it seems to hide a financial weakness: the last quarter of 2015 was in fact closed with a red € 8.4 million. This is where Microsoft is called upon to intervene and we will see if in the end the Hoffman baby will become the next Nokia or the next Skype. Because yes, relationships matter, but also budgets.
- Topics:
- microsoft
- social Network
- ebay
- PayPal
- Starring:
- robert frost
- Reid Hoffman
- Jeff Weiner
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