GNTV: A Talk with the Twitter Guys

The founders talk candidly on where they've been & where they're going

I recently visited the Twitter team in its South Park offices in San Francisco, where all 17 members—including the three founders-- sit in a single room at one long table.  I got to interview each of them while another senior colleague unloaded a Costco shipment nearby.
Of all the emerging tools of social media, Twitter is the most conversational. The mobile SMS service lets people chat in compact 140-character spoonfuls. Some use it 20-30 times or more per day and have thousands of followers. But the average user only posts three times a day and chats only with a few friends.

I spoke mostly with Biz Stone, who I got to know in Spain last year. Biz talks about how the team started as an entirely different company and discovered the power of Twitter in serendipity fashion, but was smart enough to change course abruptly.

Biz made clear that Twitter’s main focus is making the product more reliable and more robust before the company turns to any revenue producing.

We discussed briefly that businesses are starting to find ways to use Twitter. He talked about Jet Blue. But in our 20 minute chat, we never got to others that include Seesmic, who launched exclusively on Twitter, as well as H&R Block, the tax people who have used it so successfully, or the Dell Outlet program that lets Twitter users get early discounts on close outs.

Teaser: GNTV’s Shel Israel talks with Twitter founders about how the company got started, who uses the popular service and how. They examine business models and how business is starting to use the mobile SMS service.

Comments

[@ggroovin]

The definitive Twitter interview I've seen so far. Thanks again, Shel! =D

[pat phelan]

Well done Shel
"Fascinating" :-)
Seriously, best one so far

[Matt]

FASCINATING!

[GeekMommy]

That's fabulous.
You asked some questions I've been dying to hear the answers to.

Not terribly surprised that you got a vague misdirection about 'ensuring stability and reliability before discussing how Twitter makes money' - but glad someone finally got a chance to ask the monetization question.

Not sure if it was an editing glitch or something - but it just sort of fades out with Ev at the end, and I kept thinking that maybe I'd missed something.

Thanks Shel - that's exactly the sort of insight I was hoping your show was going to give us.

But now I kind of wonder what those guys think of those of us who use Twitter entirely different than the 'average' user...

[Adele McAlear]

Great interview Shel. It's great to actually put live action faces to otherwise static avatars. A global utility would certainly make money. I, for one, rely on Twitter daily. I wish their team the best of luck.

[Mark]

a must see

[Vinny]

It's important to be positive when you like something, and as one of your loudest critics I have to say this one was REALLY good. I enjoyed it. The camera work was very good, the monotony of having someone just sit there and talk was broken, and overall, it's a very good video.

There is a weird glitch at the end, but otherwise it's very good.

Nicely done.

[John]

I have heard a lot of controversial views concerning this service offered by Twitter. There is an ongoing argument concerning the issue under consideration. I do not know whether we are average users or not, but one thing I know for sure: your interview successfully manage to answer many questions simultaneously, Thank you Shel

[friarminor]

Calm, clear and cool - nothing seemed forced here, Shel! I learned a lot. Good luck to the Twitter team and looking forward to more of your interviews.

Best.
alain

[Kim Haynes]

Shel - Thanks for a great informational video on Twitter. It's nice to hear about how their heads down on making the service reliable. Eager to see how it evolves.

[Linda Sherman]

Shel, This was excellent. I was pleased to DIGG it at http://digg.com/business_finance/Shel_Israel_Interviews_the_Twitter_Management_Team
@lindasherman

[NextInstinct]

These dudes have been consistent.

Their ideas are good enough that all the
critics in world couldn't kick them to the curb.

Solid people on their team, too.

Thanks Shel

[Arrica Lee]

A very interesting article and an entertaining video. Good job. I love using Twitter. It is simply easy and convenient.

[Tom Humbarger]

Great interview...I just included in my "Do You Twitter?" blog post at:

http://www.irise.com/blog/index.php/2008/05/07/do-you-twitter/

Thanks!