The Internet's First Entrepreneur
Lessons and Wisdom for the Business Journey
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months
Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
The Internet's First Entrepreneur
Buy for $19.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Richard Daleki
About this listen
It is hard to believe that the internet, world wide web, wi-fi, and social media were not part of our lives in 1990. There were very few so-called internet pioneers who foresaw so much of our present day use of the internet 30 years ago.
Alan Meckler is an internet pioneer. Meckler was the first person to start a venture in the commercial internet space (October, 1990). There was no world wide web. There were few means to connect to the internet back then. Yet Meckler anticipated that the internet would be a "black swan event" and that it would revolutionize all aspects of personal and commercial life. The author uses over 100 vignettes to relate his experiences, first as a library technology publisher working with microfiches and microfilm, and then evolving into CD-ROMs, virtual reality, and then the internet.
The book is a history, but also a very personal memoir of a career entrepreneur and all the difficulties one encounters with raising funds, dealing with cash flow shortages, personnel, and getting people to believe in the next big thing. Meckler also recounts overcoming dyslexia, military experiences, and incredible one-on-one meetings with the likes of Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Mark Cuban, Jerry Yang, Sheldon Adelson, and even Robert F. Kennedy. Meckler's memoir is also a must-listen for up-and-coming entrepreneurs as he offers valuable lessons learned in a 50-year career.
©2021 Alan Meckler (P)2022 Alan MecklerListeners also enjoyed...
-
No Red Lights
- Reflections on Life, 50 Years in Venture Capital, and Never Driving Alone
- By: Alan J. Patricof
- Narrated by: Alan Patricof
- Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 43
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 38
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 38
The early years of venture capital were a far cry from today’s very public dealings. Alan Patricof, one of the pioneers of the venture arena, offers a behind-the-scenes look at the past 50 years of the industry. From buying stock in Apple when its market valuation was only $60 million to founding New York Magazine to investing in AOL, Audible, and more recently, Axios, his discerning approach to finding companies is almost peerless.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Good stories and great lessons
- By Gary Lauder on 11-24-24
By: Alan J. Patricof
-
The Everything Store
- Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon
- By: Brad Stone
- Narrated by: Pete Larkin
- Length: 13 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 15,836
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 13,621
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 13,625
Amazon.com started off delivering books through the mail. But its visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, wasn't content with being a bookseller. He wanted Amazon to become the everything store, offering limitless selection and seductive convenience at disruptively low prices. To do so, he developed a corporate culture of relentless ambition and secrecy that's never been cracked. Until now.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Did you know how bad it is to work for Amazon?
- By Shamu from New York on 12-07-13
By: Brad Stone
-
Delivering Happiness
- A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose
- By: Tony Hsieh
- Narrated by: Tony Hsieh
- Length: 8 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 8,123
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 6,403
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 6,415
In this, his first audiobook, Tony Hsieh - the widely admired CEO of Zappos, the online shoe retailer -explains how he created a unique culture and commitment to service that aims to improve the lives of its employees, customers, vendors, and backers. Using anecdotes and stories from his own life experiences, and from other companies, Hsieh provides concrete ways that companies can achieve unprecedented success.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Delivering Spin
- By Marc L. Mintz on 08-06-10
By: Tony Hsieh
-
Alibaba
- The House That Jack Ma Built
- By: Duncan Clark
- Narrated by: Jim Meskimen
- Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 3,120
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,677
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 2,669
In just a decade and a half, Jack Ma, a man from modest beginnings who started out as an English teacher, founded Alibaba and built it into one of the world's largest companies, an e-commerce empire on which hundreds of millions of Chinese consumers depend. Alibaba's $25 billion IPO in 2014 was the largest global IPO ever. A Rockefeller of his age who is courted by CEOs and presidents around the world, Jack is an icon for China's booming private sector.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Strange: Best part of story happens "off-screen"
- By Tristan on 09-02-16
By: Duncan Clark
-
Angel
- How to Invest in Technology Startups - Timeless Advice from an Angel Investor Who Turned $100,000 into $100,000,000
- By: Jason Calacanis
- Narrated by: Jason Calacanis
- Length: 8 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,378
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,206
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1,206
Over the past 25 years, Jason Calacanis has made a fortune investing in creators, spotting and helping build and fund a number of successful technology start-ups - investments that have earned him tens of millions of dollars. Now, in this enlightening guide that is sure to become the bible for 21st century investors, Calacanis takes potential angels step by step through his proven method of creating massive wealth: start-ups.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
This audio book is worth millions!!
- By BRAD on 07-21-17
By: Jason Calacanis
-
Digital Gold
- Bitcoin and the Inside Story of the Misfits and Millionaires Trying to Reinvent Money
- By: Nathaniel Popper
- Narrated by: Robert Fass
- Length: 10 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,150
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,872
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,862
A New York Times technology and business reporter charts the dramatic rise of Bitcoin and the fascinating personalities who are striving to create a new global money for the Internet age.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Informative, but dry
- By Tomer on 05-10-16
By: Nathaniel Popper
-
No Red Lights
- Reflections on Life, 50 Years in Venture Capital, and Never Driving Alone
- By: Alan J. Patricof
- Narrated by: Alan Patricof
- Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 43
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 38
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 38
The early years of venture capital were a far cry from today’s very public dealings. Alan Patricof, one of the pioneers of the venture arena, offers a behind-the-scenes look at the past 50 years of the industry. From buying stock in Apple when its market valuation was only $60 million to founding New York Magazine to investing in AOL, Audible, and more recently, Axios, his discerning approach to finding companies is almost peerless.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Good stories and great lessons
- By Gary Lauder on 11-24-24
By: Alan J. Patricof
-
The Everything Store
- Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon
- By: Brad Stone
- Narrated by: Pete Larkin
- Length: 13 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 15,836
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 13,621
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 13,625
Amazon.com started off delivering books through the mail. But its visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, wasn't content with being a bookseller. He wanted Amazon to become the everything store, offering limitless selection and seductive convenience at disruptively low prices. To do so, he developed a corporate culture of relentless ambition and secrecy that's never been cracked. Until now.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Did you know how bad it is to work for Amazon?
- By Shamu from New York on 12-07-13
By: Brad Stone
-
Delivering Happiness
- A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose
- By: Tony Hsieh
- Narrated by: Tony Hsieh
- Length: 8 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 8,123
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 6,403
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 6,415
In this, his first audiobook, Tony Hsieh - the widely admired CEO of Zappos, the online shoe retailer -explains how he created a unique culture and commitment to service that aims to improve the lives of its employees, customers, vendors, and backers. Using anecdotes and stories from his own life experiences, and from other companies, Hsieh provides concrete ways that companies can achieve unprecedented success.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Delivering Spin
- By Marc L. Mintz on 08-06-10
By: Tony Hsieh
-
Alibaba
- The House That Jack Ma Built
- By: Duncan Clark
- Narrated by: Jim Meskimen
- Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 3,120
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,677
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 2,669
In just a decade and a half, Jack Ma, a man from modest beginnings who started out as an English teacher, founded Alibaba and built it into one of the world's largest companies, an e-commerce empire on which hundreds of millions of Chinese consumers depend. Alibaba's $25 billion IPO in 2014 was the largest global IPO ever. A Rockefeller of his age who is courted by CEOs and presidents around the world, Jack is an icon for China's booming private sector.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Strange: Best part of story happens "off-screen"
- By Tristan on 09-02-16
By: Duncan Clark
-
Angel
- How to Invest in Technology Startups - Timeless Advice from an Angel Investor Who Turned $100,000 into $100,000,000
- By: Jason Calacanis
- Narrated by: Jason Calacanis
- Length: 8 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,378
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,206
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1,206
Over the past 25 years, Jason Calacanis has made a fortune investing in creators, spotting and helping build and fund a number of successful technology start-ups - investments that have earned him tens of millions of dollars. Now, in this enlightening guide that is sure to become the bible for 21st century investors, Calacanis takes potential angels step by step through his proven method of creating massive wealth: start-ups.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
This audio book is worth millions!!
- By BRAD on 07-21-17
By: Jason Calacanis
-
Digital Gold
- Bitcoin and the Inside Story of the Misfits and Millionaires Trying to Reinvent Money
- By: Nathaniel Popper
- Narrated by: Robert Fass
- Length: 10 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,150
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,872
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,862
A New York Times technology and business reporter charts the dramatic rise of Bitcoin and the fascinating personalities who are striving to create a new global money for the Internet age.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Informative, but dry
- By Tomer on 05-10-16
By: Nathaniel Popper
-
Jack
- Straight from the Gut
- By: Jack Welch, John A. Byrne
- Narrated by: Mike Barnicle
- Length: 13 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,110
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 604
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 609
Jack Welch lifted GE from a conglomerate with a market value of about $12 billion to one of the world's largest and most widely-admired companies, with a market value of more than $500 billion. In Jack, the author reveals the strategies and philosophies that put him at the top.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Truly inspiring!
- By Plato777 on 12-31-02
By: Jack Welch, and others
-
The Intelligent Entrepreneur
- By: Bill Murphy Jr.
- Narrated by: Fred Berman, L. J. Ganser
- Length: 12 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 1,100
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 765
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 764
In 1998, three Harvard Business School graduates - two men and one woman - turned down six-figure salaries at big corporations, bet on themselves, and launched their own new companies. By their 10-year reunion, their audacity had paid huge dividends. They'd made many millions of dollars, created hundreds of jobs and left their mark on the world. The Intelligent Entrepreneur tells the compelling and instructive story of how these three young founders did it.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Terrible waste $ and a lot of time
- By David on 01-23-11
By: Bill Murphy Jr.
-
The Power Law
- Venture Capital and the Making of the New Future
- By: Sebastian Mallaby
- Narrated by: Will Damron
- Length: 16 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 666
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 542
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 540
Innovations rarely come from “experts.” Elon Musk was not an “electric car person” before he started Tesla. When it comes to improbable innovations, a legendary tech VC told Sebastian Mallaby, the future cannot be predicted, it can only be discovered. It is the nature of the venture-capital game that most attempts at discovery fail, but a very few succeed at such a scale that they more than make up for everything else. That extreme ratio of success and failure is the power law that drives the VC business, all of Silicon Valley, the wider tech sector, and, by extension, the world.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
An Excellent Modern History Book
- By BikerDave on 05-06-24
-
The Upstarts
- How Uber, Airbnb, and the Killer Companies of the New Silicon Valley Are Changing the World
- By: Brad Stone
- Narrated by: Dean Temple
- Length: 10 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,577
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,372
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,365
Ten years ago the idea of getting into a stranger's car or walking into a stranger's home would have seemed bizarre and dangerous, but today it's as common as ordering a book online. Uber and Airbnb have ushered in a new era: redefining neighborhoods, challenging the way governments regulate business, and changing the way we travel. In the spirit of iconic Silicon Valley renegades like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, another generation of entrepreneurs is using technology to upend convention and disrupt entire industries.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Are You a Wartime CEO or a Peacetime CEO
- By Dan Collins on 06-14-17
By: Brad Stone
-
The Founders
- The Story of Paypal and the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley
- By: Jimmy Soni
- Narrated by: Jonathan Todd Ross
- Length: 18 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 539
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 446
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 446
Today, PayPal’s founders and earliest employees are considered the technology industry’s most powerful network. Since leaving PayPal, they have formed, funded, and advised the leading companies of our era, including Tesla, Facebook, YouTube, SpaceX, Yelp, Palantir, and LinkedIn, among many others. As a group, they have driven 21st-century innovation and entrepreneurship. Their names stir passions; they’re as controversial as they are admired.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Wonderful, Engaging & Insightful
- By Ismael Becerra on 02-26-22
By: Jimmy Soni
-
The Airbnb Story
- How Three Ordinary Guys Disrupted an Industry, Made Billions…and Created Plenty of Controversy
- By: Leigh Gallagher
- Narrated by: Christine Marshall
- Length: 8 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 626
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 547
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 546
This is the remarkable behind-the-scenes story of the creation and growth of Airbnb, the online lodging platform that has become, in under a decade, the largest provider of accommodations in the world. At first just the wacky idea of cofounders Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia, and Nathan Blecharczyk, Airbnb has disrupted the $500 billion hotel industry, and its $30 billion valuation is now larger than that of Hilton and close to that of Marriott.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Irritating voice
- By AmazonCustomer99 on 05-16-17
By: Leigh Gallagher
-
The Google Story
- Inside the Hottest Business, Media, and Technology Success of Our Time
- By: David A. Vise, Mark Malseed
- Narrated by: Stephen Hoye
- Length: 10 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 783
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 168
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 172
The Google Story is the definitive account of the populist media company powered by the world's most advanced technology that in a few short years has revolutionized access to information about everything for everybody everywhere.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Very Good
- By Dean on 08-19-07
By: David A. Vise, and others
-
When the Wolves Bite
- By: Scott Wapner
- Narrated by: Scott Wapner
- Length: 8 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 922
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 800
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 800
The inside story of the clash of two of Wall Street's biggest, richest, toughest, most aggressive players - Carl Icahn and Bill Ackman - and Herbalife, the company caught in the middle. With their billions of dollars and their business savvy, activist investors Carl Icahn and Bill Ackman have the ability to move markets with the flick of a wrist. But what happens when they run into the one thing in business they can't control: each other?
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Great Story But Glitches
- By Anonymous User on 06-03-18
By: Scott Wapner
-
The Entrepreneur Mind
- 100 Essential Beliefs, Characteristics, and Habits of Elite Entrepreneurs
- By: Kevin D. Johnson
- Narrated by: David DeBoy
- Length: 8 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 387
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 320
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 317
To achieve unimaginable business success and financial wealth-to reach the upper echelons of entrepreneurs, where you'll find Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, Sara Blakely of Spanx, Mark Pincus of Zynga, Kevin Plank of Under Armour, and many others-you have to change the way you think. In other words, you must develop the Entrepreneur Mind, a way of thinking that comes from learning the vital lessons of the best entrepreneurs.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Simply riveting
- By DESHAUN on 08-08-15
By: Kevin D. Johnson
-
The Launch Pad
- Inside Y Combinator, Silicon Valley's Most Exclusive School for Startups
- By: Randall Stross
- Narrated by: René Ruiz
- Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,010
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 863
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 863
Twice a year in the heart of Silicon Valley, a small investment firm called Y Combinator selects an elite group of young entrepreneurs from around the world for three months of intense work and instruction. Their brand-new two- or three-person start-ups are given a seemingly impossible challenge: to turn a raw idea into a viable business, fast.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Soothing
- By Andrew on 12-30-15
By: Randall Stross
-
32 Ways to Be a Champion in Business
- By: Earvin "Magic" Johnson
- Narrated by: Dominic Hoffman
- Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 84
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 69
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 67
Earvin made the transition from great athlete to greater entrepreneur through hard work and by avidly pursuing opportunities. He recognized that densely populated urban communities were ripe for commercial and residential development. He partnered with major brands like Starbucks, 24 Hour Fitness, and T.G.I. Friday's to lead a major economic push in these communities. The success of his businesses proved that ethnically diverse urban residents would welcome and support major brands if given the opportunity.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Fascinating, enlightening and inspiring
- By Mary on 12-13-08
-
How to Be the Startup Hero
- A Guide and Textbook for Entrepreneurs and Aspiring Entrepreneurs
- By: Tim Draper
- Narrated by: Lauren Goode
- Length: 9 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 49
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 46
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 46
This audiobook is divided into two parts. Part one centers around a pledge that will guide you in your startup hero journey. It's a set of principles distilled with stories, insights, and questions. Part two is a toolkit for approaching your current or future venture.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The ultimate guid for the entrepreneur journey
- By Alaa on 11-14-20
By: Tim Draper