Yes, I was a big math and computer geek, that's true. I was driven by the scholastic side of things. For me, it was all about what I could do with math and computers. Brian Acton bigcomputerdrive Change image and share on social
My DNA is building a product and a service. Brian Acton builddnaproduct Change image and share on social
You never want to be in a position where you can't make payroll. Brian Acton makepayrollposition Change image and share on social
WhatsApp provides phone-number-based messaging, and people asked, 'Isn't that what SMS is?' Yes, but SMS is expensive, antiquated, and what WhatsApp did was modernize and level that playing field. For example, in Europe, if France wants to talk to Belgium, it's extraordinary costly because of border and telecom charges. Brian Acton antiquateaskbase share on social
The phone is one hundred, one hundred and ten years old. There was a middle period where the government had a broad ability to surveil, but if you look at human history in total, people evolved and civilizations evolved with private conversations and private speech. Brian Acton abilitybroadcivilization share on social
There's a certain degree of speculation that goes into valuations. In so far as the market supports a valuation, everyone who gets a great one deserves it, but they should also be cautious because that speculation is temporary. I saw Yahoo go from $100 billion to $10 billion. It's not a long-term measure. Brian Acton billioncautiousdegree share on social
When I worked at Yahoo, I saw a lot of acquisitions. Some succeeded, and some failed. I think I have learned from that. Brian Acton acquisitionfaillearn Change image and share on social
Dealing with ads is depressing. You don't make anyone's life better by making advertisements work better. Brian Acton advertisementdealdepress Change image and share on social
Building secure products actually makes for a safer world; many people in law enforcement may not agree with that. Brian Acton agreebuildenforcement Change image and share on social
For me specifically, it was important to graduate. In my family, I was one of the first graduates. My mom did not have a college degree. My dad did not have a college degree. Brian Acton collegedaddegree Change image and share on social