This is not a story about how someone learned “one simple trick” and made millions.
This is a story about how to do business right.
If you’re ever going to make millions, this is the kind of story you need to study.
(The film has some PR promotional elements in it, especially in the beginning. Stick with it. The story is accurately told and there is an MBA’s worth of lessons contained in it.)
In my opinion, Netscape was one of the most beautiful and impressive companies that ever was. (Founded April 4, 1994.)
All businesses have a limited shelf life, but some burn brighter than others in their limited time. This one burned like a thousand suns.
Show me one business that accomplished more of lasting value to more people in less time and under more duress. I can’t think of one.
“It was 20 years ago today,
St. Pepper taught the band to play.
They’re been going in and out of style,
but they’re guaranteed to raise a smile.”
Yahoo, Amazon, eBay, Apple 2.0, Google, PayPal, Facebook…you name it. They all depended on Netscape’s trailblazing for the foundation that made their existence possible.
EVERYTHING – with very few exceptions – that’s happening on the Internet today can be traced back to Netscape’s amazing run.
And it all flows from Marc Andreessen’s decision to make a web browser, Jim Clark’s decision to back him and James Barksdale’s decision to accept the responsibility of taking the helm of a company in a very challenging situation.
We all owe these guys a serious debt of respect. Talk about OG. It doesn’t get OGer.
– Ken McCarthy
P.S. For over 25 years I’ve been sharing the simple but powerful things that matter in business with my clients.
If you’d like direction for your business that will work today, tomorrow and twenty years from now, visit us at the System Club.
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