Evan Williams
Evan Williams
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Full Name and Common Aliases
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Evan Williams is an American entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist. He is also known by his nickname "Ev".
Birth and Death Dates
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Born: March 31, 1972, San Francisco Bay Area, California, USA
Still active in business and public life.
Nationality and Profession(s)
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American
Entrepreneur
Investor
Philanthropist
Co-founder of Twitter, Medium, and BloggerEarly Life and Background
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Evan Williams was born in the San Francisco Bay Area, California. His early life was marked by a strong interest in technology and business. He attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he studied business administration.
After graduating from college, Williams worked as a computer consultant for several years before transitioning into entrepreneurship. In the late 1990s, he co-founded Pyra Labs with his wife, Meg Hourihan. The company developed the Blogger platform, which allowed users to create and manage their own blogs.
Major Accomplishments
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Williams's entrepreneurial ventures have had a significant impact on modern technology and online communication. Some of his notable accomplishments include:
Co-founding Twitter: In 2006, Williams co-founded Twitter with Biz Stone and Jack Dorsey. The platform quickly gained popularity as a microblogging service, allowing users to share short messages (called "tweets") with their followers.
Co-founding Medium: In 2012, Williams co-founded Medium, a blogging platform that focuses on long-form content and essays. Medium has become a popular destination for writers and readers alike.
Co-founding Pyra Labs: As mentioned earlier, Williams co-founded Pyra Labs in the late 1990s. The company developed Blogger, which was one of the first widely used blogging platforms.
Notable Works or Actions
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Williams has been involved in various philanthropic efforts throughout his career. Some notable examples include:
The San Francisco Foundation: Williams serves on the board of trustees for this organization, which focuses on addressing issues related to poverty and economic mobility.
The Knight Foundation: He is a member of the board of directors for this foundation, which supports journalism and media innovation.
Impact and Legacy
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Evan Williams's contributions to technology and online communication have had a lasting impact on modern society. His work has enabled billions of people worldwide to share their thoughts, ideas, and experiences with others.
The platforms he co-founded – Twitter, Medium, and Blogger – have become integral parts of the digital landscape. They continue to shape the way we communicate, consume information, and express ourselves online.
Why He Is Widely Quoted or Remembered
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Williams is widely quoted and remembered for his insights on innovation, entrepreneurship, and social media. His quotes often emphasize the importance of experimentation, iteration, and community-building in the development of new technologies.
As a pioneer in the field of social media and online communication, Evan Williams continues to be an influential figure in the tech industry.
Quotes by Evan Williams
When I meet with the founders of a new company, my advice is almost always, 'Do fewer things.' It's true of partnerships, marketing opportunities, anything that's taking up your time. The vast majority of things are distractions, and very few really matter to your success.
I suspect there’s a lot of validity to the premise that big companies aren’t going to attract entrepreneurial talent.
News in general doesn’t matter most of the time, and most people would be far better off if they spent their time consuming less news and more ideas that have more lasting import.
I tried to be a ski bum when I stepped away from Twitter, and I wasn’t a very good skier.
Take care of yourself: When you don’t sleep, eat crap, don’t exercise, and are living off adrenaline for too long, your performance suffers. Your decisions suffer. Your company suffers. Love those close to you: Failure of your company is not failure in life. Failure in your relationship is.
User experience is everything. It always has been, but it’s undervalued and underinvested in. If you don’t know user-centered design, study it. Hire people who know it. Obsess over it. Live and breathe it. Get your whole company on board.
Hard things are valuable; easy things are not so valuable. Reaching the mountaintop is rewarding because it is hard. If it was easy, everybody would do it.
Take care of yourself: When you don't sleep, eat crap, don't exercise, and are living off adrenaline for too long, your performance suffers. Your decisions suffer. Your company suffers. Love those close to you: Failure of your company is not failure in life. Failure in your relationship is.
News in general doesn't matter most of the time, and most people would be far better off if they spent their time consuming less news and more ideas that have more lasting import.
The vast majority of things are distractions, and very few really matter to your success.