One of the more fascinating things about Twitter is how every word spoken by co-founders Biz Stone and Ev Williams is scrutinized, explored and reported/blogged on so enthusiastically. If Stone or Williams speak at a conference, the media/blogger attention is red-hot in its intensity.
Stone, for example, spoke yesterday at an event at Oxford University. The next thing you know, the media and bloggers are in a tizzy about Twitter’s plans to make money in 2010, how it could start making acquisitions, and the possibility of an IPO at some point.
Here’s an example of this kind of coverage from a Reuters story:
Stone told reporters he did not want to sell the company but would explore alternatives to an initial public offering.
“The point is, we want to build our own company that will last for a long time. If an IPO’s the way to do that, then sure. We don’t have it checked off on the calendar yet,” he said on the sidelines of an entrepreneurship workshop.
“We are definitely not interested in selling the company,” he said. “If an IPO’s the only thing, then sure. But if there is some other way then that would be great too. Maybe some other new way will emerge.”
From my days as a story-hungry reporter, it’s pretty easy to get someone to say something interesting if you phrase a question the right way. So, the Reuters reporter may have simply asked “Would Twitter ever consider an IPO?”.
Even though an IPO will likely never happen, Stone had two choices. He could say: “No, it’s never going to happen”, or the safer “”The point is, we want to build our own company that will last for a long time. If an IPO’s the way to do that, then sure.”
Regardless of how Stone answers the questions, the issue of a potential IPO is going to be the sexy news. Then again, anything Stone or Williams say publicly is big news given the continued fascination with all things Twitter.
The Tao of Biz and Ev
One of the more fascinating things about Twitter is how every word spoken by co-founders Biz Stone and Ev Williams is scrutinized, explored and reported/blogged on so enthusiastically. If Stone or Williams speak at a conference, the media/blogger attention is red-hot in its intensity.
Stone, for example, spoke yesterday at an event at Oxford University. The next thing you know, the media and bloggers are in a tizzy about Twitter’s plans to make money in 2010, how it could start making acquisitions, and the possibility of an IPO at some point.
Here’s an example of this kind of coverage from a Reuters story:
Stone told reporters he did not want to sell the company but would explore alternatives to an initial public offering.
“The point is, we want to build our own company that will last for a long time. If an IPO’s the way to do that, then sure. We don’t have it checked off on the calendar yet,” he said on the sidelines of an entrepreneurship workshop.
“We are definitely not interested in selling the company,” he said. “If an IPO’s the only thing, then sure. But if there is some other way then that would be great too. Maybe some other new way will emerge.”
From my days as a story-hungry reporter, it’s pretty easy to get someone to say something interesting if you phrase a question the right way. So, the Reuters reporter may have simply asked “Would Twitter ever consider an IPO?”.
Even though an IPO will likely never happen, Stone had two choices. He could say: “No, it’s never going to happen”, or the safer “”The point is, we want to build our own company that will last for a long time. If an IPO’s the way to do that, then sure.”
Regardless of how Stone answers the questions, the issue of a potential IPO is going to be the sexy news. Then again, anything Stone or Williams say publicly is big news given the continued fascination with all things Twitter.
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