WhatsApp - Acquired

EPISODE · Jan 29, 2020 · 1H 44M

from Acquired · host Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal

We kick off Season 6 with a long-awaited Acquired Classic: Facebook’s $22B purchase of WhatsApp in 2014, which still ranks as the largest acquisition of a private VC-backed startup in history. Yet despite that enormous pricetag and all its associated fanfare, as we sit here 5+ years later WhatsApp actually generates LESS revenue than the meager ~$20m it was bringing in at the time of acquisition. Was this this worst acquisition of all-time, or a brilliant strategic chess move by Mark Zuckerberg & co? Tune in as we render Acquired’s judgement!Note: Unfortunately David’s audio quality in this episode was impacted by a technical glitch which we didn’t discover until after recording. Our editors worked super hard to fix in post-production, but it’s still not totally perfect. We hope you’ll give it a listen regardless, and we’re working on getting a transcript made ASAP, which we’ll post to the website when it’s ready. Thanks for bearing with us,-Ben & David Sponsors:Legora: https://bit.ly/acquiredlegoraVanta: https://bit.ly/acquiredvantaServiceNow: https://bit.ly/acquiredservicenow26Statsig: https://bit.ly/acquiredstatsig26More Acquired!Get email updates with hints on next episode and follow-ups from recent episodesJoin the SlackSubscribe to ACQ2Merch Store!© Copyright 2015-2026 ACQ, LLCCarve Outs:Ben: Computer glasses: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=computer+glassesDavid: Reebok Floatrides: https://www.amazon.com/Reebok-Forever-Floatride-Energy-Black/dp/B07NYBRQ96/Sources:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WhatsApp https://www.forbes.com/sites/parmyolson/2014/02/19/exclusive-inside-story-how-jan-koum-built-whatsapp-into-facebooks-new-19-billion-baby/#64c1c94b2fa1 https://www.forbes.com/sites/parmyolson/2014/03/04/inside-the-facebook-whatsapp-megadeal-the-courtship-the-secret-meetings-the-19-billion-poker-game/#63d8b5c4350f https://www.wired.com/2015/09/whatsapp-serves-900-million-users-50-engineers/https://youtu.be/v6PbymjXstohttps://youtu.be/X4YsJt4rIOIhttps://overcast.fm/+WorS9-a74https://youtu.be/-2CAWS7M_0whttps://youtu.be/X4YsJt4rIOI https://www.wired.co.uk/article/whats-app-owner-founder-jan-koum-facebook https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ryanmac/whatsapp-brian-acton-delete-facebook-stanford-lecture https://www.forbes.com/sites/parmyolson/2018/09/26/exclusive-whatsapp-cofounder-brian-acton-gives-the-inside-story-on-deletefacebook-and-why-he-left-850-million-behind/#7475a0213f20 https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2017-06-28/tencent-rules-china-the-problem-is-the-rest-of-the-world https://techcrunch.com/2013/07/16/whatsapp-free/http://allthingsd.com/tag/jan-koum/ http://allthingsd.com/20130510/whatsapp-ceo-jan-koum-hates-advertising-and-the-tech-rumor-mill-full-dive-video/ https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/31/whatsapp-hits-1-5-billion-monthly-users-19b-not-so-bad/ https://blog.whatsapp.com/10000633/Building-for-People-and-Now-Businesseshttps://techcrunch.com/2017/09/05/whatsapp-business-app/ https://techcrunch.com/2014/02/21/whatsapp/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/whatsapp-founder-plans-to-leave-after-broad-clashes-with-parent-facebook/2018/04/30/49448dd2-4ca9-11e8-84a0-458a1aa9ac0a_story.html https://www.wsj.com/articles/whatsapp-backs-off-controversial-plan-to-sell-ads-11579207682 https://www.wsj.com/articles/behind-the-messy-expensive-split-between-facebook-and-whatsapps-founders-1528208641?mod=article_inline https://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2014/06/05/whatsapp-co-founder-stresses-independence-from-facebook/?mod=article_inline https://bgr.com/2020/01/17/whatsapp-ads-2020-facebook-canceled-plans-to-bring-ads-to-status-bar/ https://www.vox.com/2018/5/8/17329524/whatsapp-new-ceo-facebook-cofounder-jan-koum-departshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/chdaniels/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jkoum/

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jan 29, 2020

Embed this episode

Attribution link and audio player

NOW PLAYING

0:00 1:44:36

1×

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Share this episode

Similar Episodes

No similar episodes found.

Similar Podcasts

The How of Business - How to start, run, grow and exit a small business. Henry Lopez The How of Business - how to start, run and grow a small business - is a weekly show for aspiring Entrepreneurs and existing Small Business Owners. If you are looking for actionable advice, tips and techniques on how to start (including launching or buying your first small business), run and grow your small business, this is the podcast for you! In each episode we either discuss a business topic, or interview an existing small business owner or business service provider. The How of Business is hosted by Henry Lopez who shares the knowledge and experience he has acquired over his corporate and entrepreneurial careers. Acquired Empires - The Business Buying Podcast Jacob Brown Going over everything around buying businesses.Bringing on industry experts and real practitioners to talk about the tricks of the trade around buying online businesses. Beauty and the Biz Catherine Maley, MBA Learn the Tactics and Strategies to take your Cosmetic Practice to the Next Level. Catherine has helped many practices double or even triple their revenue, all while creating a magnetic environment that encourages word-of-mouth referrals and repeat patients. Her proven, dynamic approach to marketing, advertising, sales and customer relations has been continually developed and refined for over 40 years.Starting as an interdisciplinary Staff Coordinator with the Illinois State Medical Society and then as director of the House of Delegates for the California Medical Association, Catherine has been helping physicians and businesses reach their goals since the mid-80's. This early experience laid the groundwork for understanding and overcoming the unique challenges, threats and opportunities facing physicians.With this knowledge and experience acquired, Catherine spent the next 15 years developing and perfecting her marketing and sales techniques with various Fortune 500 companies. H The Growth Curve Learning Bangladesh Welcome to "The Growth Curve" podcast, where we explore the intersection of knowledge, skill, and experience in achieving personal and professional growth. Join us as we talk to experts and individuals who have honed their skills, acquired valuable knowledge, and gained unique experiences on their path to success. Learn tips and strategies for your own growth journey and discover how you can take your knowledge, skills, and experiences to the next level. Let's grow together on "The Growth Curve"!

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Acquired?

This episode is 1 hour and 44 minutes long.

When was this Acquired episode published?

This episode was published on January 29, 2020.

Can I download this Acquired episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.

URL copied to clipboard!