<p>Who doesn’t like to talk about Twitter and Tweets? Word of mouth (or tweet) is the secret sauce of its success. But has it ever been successful? And if it hasn’t, how do you gauge the impact of Elon Musk’s shock therapy over the past two years? Journalist Kurt Wagner joins to share his deep dive profile of the tortured history of Twitter. [Repeat from May, 2024]</p><br><p>For more on Bubble Trouble, including transcripts of the show, visit us online at <a href="http://bubbletroublepodcast.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://bubbletroublepodcast.com</a></p><p>You can learn more about Richard at <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-kramer-16306b2/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-kramer-16306b2/</a></p><p>More on Will Page at: <a href="https://pivotaleconomics.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://pivotaleconomics.com</a></p><p>(Times below correspond to the episode without considering any inserted advertisements.)</p><br><p>This episode of Bubble Trouble features a conversation with Bloomberg journalist Kurt Wagner, author of 'Battle for the Bird,' a book about Twitter's tumultuous history and evolution, particularly under Elon Musk's ownership. The hosts, independent analyst Richard Kramer and economist Will Page, delve into Twitter’s origins, its struggle to monetize effectively compared to giants like Meta, and the significant influence of Jack Dorsey’s leadership style on the platform's direction. They discuss the platform's missed opportunities, such as Vine and Periscope, and how it became a place where 'good ideas go to die.' The discussion also covers Musk's takeover, his attempts to transform Twitter into 'X', and the challenges of balancing free speech with the need for content moderation and advertiser appeal. Wagner shares insights on the potential future of 'X', the impact of Musk's leadership on the platform's advertising and user engagement, and the skepticism surrounding the 'everything app' concept Musk envisions.</p><br><p>00:00 Introduction</p><p>01:02 Part One</p><p>01:02 Deep Dive with Kurt Wagner: The Story of Twitter</p><p>02:36 The Origins and Evolution of Twitter</p><p>06:20 Twitter's User Base and Business Model Explored</p><p>09:10 The Challenges of Twitter's Business Model</p><p>14:10 Board Dynamics and Google's Influence on Twitter</p><p>18:03 Extravagant Spending and Corporate Culture at Twitter</p><p>21:13 Reflections on Twitter's Stock Performance</p><p>23:47 The Almost Disney-Twitter Deal: A Glimpse into Corporate Negotiations</p><p>24:29 Twitter's Quest for a Savior and Its Struggle for Independence</p><p>25:53 Missed Opportunities: The Story of Vine and Periscope</p><p>27:27 Part Two</p><p>27:27 Transition to Part Two: The Elon Musk Era at Twitter</p><p>27:49 The Challenges of Rebranding Twitter to X and Musk's Controversial Leadership</p><p>28:32 The Impact of Elon Musk's Actions on Twitter's Ad Revenue and Brand Safety</p><p>36:52 The Struggle with Bots and Spam: Has It Gotten Worse?</p><p>40:06 Free Speech Under Musk: A Double-Edged Sword</p><p>44:26 The Everything App Ambition: A Skeptical View</p><p>46:33 Closing Thoughts and Acknowledgements</p><p>47:01 Credits</p><p><br></p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
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Sign In![<p>Who doesn’t like to talk about Twitter and Tweets? Word of mouth (or tweet) is the secret sauce of its success. But has it ever been successful? And if it hasn’t, how do you gauge the impact of Elon Musk’s shock therapy over the past two years? Journalist Kurt Wagner joins to share his deep dive profile of the tortured history of Twitter. [Repeat from May, 2024]</p><br><p>For more on Bubble Trouble, including transcripts of the show, visit us online at <a href="http://bubbletroublepodcast.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://bubbletroublepodcast.com</a></p><p>You can learn more about Richard at <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-kramer-16306b2/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-kramer-16306b2/</a></p><p>More on Will Page at: <a href="https://pivotaleconomics.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://pivotaleconomics.com</a></p><p>(Times below correspond to the episode without considering any inserted advertisements.)</p><br><p>This episode of Bubble Trouble features a conversation with Bloomberg journalist Kurt Wagner, author of 'Battle for the Bird,' a book about Twitter's tumultuous history and evolution, particularly under Elon Musk's ownership. The hosts, independent analyst Richard Kramer and economist Will Page, delve into Twitter’s origins, its struggle to monetize effectively compared to giants like Meta, and the significant influence of Jack Dorsey’s leadership style on the platform's direction. They discuss the platform's missed opportunities, such as Vine and Periscope, and how it became a place where 'good ideas go to die.' The discussion also covers Musk's takeover, his attempts to transform Twitter into 'X', and the challenges of balancing free speech with the need for content moderation and advertiser appeal. Wagner shares insights on the potential future of 'X', the impact of Musk's leadership on the platform's advertising and user engagement, and the skepticism surrounding the 'everything app' concept Musk envisions.</p><br><p>00:00 Introduction</p><p>01:02 Part One</p><p>01:02 Deep Dive with Kurt Wagner: The Story of Twitter</p><p>02:36 The Origins and Evolution of Twitter</p><p>06:20 Twitter's User Base and Business Model Explored</p><p>09:10 The Challenges of Twitter's Business Model</p><p>14:10 Board Dynamics and Google's Influence on Twitter</p><p>18:03 Extravagant Spending and Corporate Culture at Twitter</p><p>21:13 Reflections on Twitter's Stock Performance</p><p>23:47 The Almost Disney-Twitter Deal: A Glimpse into Corporate Negotiations</p><p>24:29 Twitter's Quest for a Savior and Its Struggle for Independence</p><p>25:53 Missed Opportunities: The Story of Vine and Periscope</p><p>27:27 Part Two</p><p>27:27 Transition to Part Two: The Elon Musk Era at Twitter</p><p>27:49 The Challenges of Rebranding Twitter to X and Musk's Controversial Leadership</p><p>28:32 The Impact of Elon Musk's Actions on Twitter's Ad Revenue and Brand Safety</p><p>36:52 The Struggle with Bots and Spam: Has It Gotten Worse?</p><p>40:06 Free Speech Under Musk: A Double-Edged Sword</p><p>44:26 The Everything App Ambition: A Skeptical View</p><p>46:33 Closing Thoughts and Acknowledgements</p><p>47:01 Credits</p><p><br></p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>](https://us-central1-podcastguru-217d6.cloudfunctions.net/gcf_get_image?image_url=https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Podcasts116/v4/79/12/2b/79122bde-b1d1-9b8c-f802-176274edc707/mza_5549684609263267600.jpeg/600x600bb.jpg&width=300&height=300&api_key=xqFmUFX5BHLBTA)
