We curated this amazing podcast to share an inspirational story with all of you about Sabeer Bhatia, the co-founder of Hotmail, COO of Biscuit Labs, and co-founder of ShowReel. With his incredible knowledge of the global market, business building, and entrepreneurship, Sabeer discusses his journey in Silicon Valley, including how he came up with the idea and name for Hotmail, built the company, raised funds from VCs, and eventually sold Hotmail to Microsoft for an estimated $400 million. In this episode, he also pointed out TikTok’s impact on kids in the US, his meeting with Bill Gates, what he did with the money from Hotmail’s sale, and his life realizations.
Educatekaro discovered these key points:
- Hotmail started as a way to make email accessible from anywhere, revolutionizing communication.
- Hotmail went viral by adding a tagline at the end of each email, encouraging users to spread the word.
- When pitching to VCs, it’s important to present a strong vision and potential for growth.
- Microsoft acquired Hotmail for $400 million, marking one of the first big internet buyouts.
- Innovation comes from solving real problems and creating new user experiences, as shown with Hotmail and Jaxtr SMS.
- Entrepreneurs fail due to a lack of perseverance, failure to pivot, or not adapting to market demands.
- Tesla is described as a “walking computer,” with Elon Musk consistently pushing the limits of technology.
- Key skills for success include problem-solving, resilience, and continuous learning.