We Were Yahoo!

From Internet Pioneer to the Trillion Dollar Loss of Google and Facebook

Biography & Memoir, Business, Business & Finance, Career Planning & Job Hunting, Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurship & Small Business
Cover of the book We Were Yahoo! by Jeremy Ring, Post Hill Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Jeremy Ring ISBN: 9781682615799
Publisher: Post Hill Press Publication: January 23, 2018
Imprint: Language: English
Author: Jeremy Ring
ISBN: 9781682615799
Publisher: Post Hill Press
Publication: January 23, 2018
Imprint:
Language: English

For anyone paying attention, the beginning of the end for Yahoo! began with decisions made by the first team of executives while the company was on its way up, which set the stage for horrific decisions made by subsequent generations of Yahoo! leadership. Most decisions were either pure incompetence or just lack of vision by CEOs from 2001 to the present.

Twenty-one years after its incorporation and sixteen years after its stock peak, Yahoo sold for 96% less than its value on January 3, 2000, when it had closed at an all-time high of $118.75 per share, resulting in a market capitalization of $120 billion. Wall Street valued Yahoo!, at that time in business less than six years, higher than it did Disney, News Corporation, and Comcast combined. Also on that day, the iPhone was more than seven years away from launch, Google was four years from its IPO, Amazon was hemorrhaging money, and Mark Zuckerberg was still in high school!

At the end of 2016, the top seven businesses on the list of the highest-valued companies in the world by market capitalization include Apple at #1, Alphabet (Google’s Parent Company) at #2, Amazon.com at #5, and Facebook at #7. Those companies combined are valued in excess of $2 trillion more than the price Verizon paid to acquire Yahoo!

Yahoo!’s story is one of missed strategies, failed opportunities, and poor execution. Early decisions to de-emphasize search features, undervalue Google, and overplay Yahoo’s hand in the Facebook negotiations haunted the rest of the company’s existence. In addition, factors outside of Yahoo’s control—most notably how irrational expectations of Wall Street created an environment where short-term decisions were made at the expense of the long-term good. 

The story of Yahoo! is a cautionary tale not intended for the faint of heart. 

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

For anyone paying attention, the beginning of the end for Yahoo! began with decisions made by the first team of executives while the company was on its way up, which set the stage for horrific decisions made by subsequent generations of Yahoo! leadership. Most decisions were either pure incompetence or just lack of vision by CEOs from 2001 to the present.

Twenty-one years after its incorporation and sixteen years after its stock peak, Yahoo sold for 96% less than its value on January 3, 2000, when it had closed at an all-time high of $118.75 per share, resulting in a market capitalization of $120 billion. Wall Street valued Yahoo!, at that time in business less than six years, higher than it did Disney, News Corporation, and Comcast combined. Also on that day, the iPhone was more than seven years away from launch, Google was four years from its IPO, Amazon was hemorrhaging money, and Mark Zuckerberg was still in high school!

At the end of 2016, the top seven businesses on the list of the highest-valued companies in the world by market capitalization include Apple at #1, Alphabet (Google’s Parent Company) at #2, Amazon.com at #5, and Facebook at #7. Those companies combined are valued in excess of $2 trillion more than the price Verizon paid to acquire Yahoo!

Yahoo!’s story is one of missed strategies, failed opportunities, and poor execution. Early decisions to de-emphasize search features, undervalue Google, and overplay Yahoo’s hand in the Facebook negotiations haunted the rest of the company’s existence. In addition, factors outside of Yahoo’s control—most notably how irrational expectations of Wall Street created an environment where short-term decisions were made at the expense of the long-term good. 

The story of Yahoo! is a cautionary tale not intended for the faint of heart. 

More books from Post Hill Press

Cover of the book Airbnb by Jeremy Ring
Cover of the book The Cellulite Myth by Jeremy Ring
Cover of the book Liberalism or How to Turn Good Men into Whiners, Weenies and Wimps by Jeremy Ring
Cover of the book Aftermath by Jeremy Ring
Cover of the book The Forty Days by Jeremy Ring
Cover of the book Escaping the Racism of Low Expectations by Jeremy Ring
Cover of the book Crush Your Clutter by Jeremy Ring
Cover of the book Spies in Congress by Jeremy Ring
Cover of the book Random Commuter Observations (RCOs) by Jeremy Ring
Cover of the book The Nine Principles of Winning by Jeremy Ring
Cover of the book The History of Loyola Basketball by Jeremy Ring
Cover of the book Rescue 1 Responding by Jeremy Ring
Cover of the book Hustle and Heart by Jeremy Ring
Cover of the book Get It On!: What It Means to Lead The Way by Jeremy Ring
Cover of the book Dr. Corsi Investigates by Jeremy Ring
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy