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How to Turn Down a Billion Dollars: The Snapchat Story Hardcover – February 13, 2018

by Billy Gallagher (Author)
4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 217 ratings
See all formats and editions
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"In the grand tradition of Ben Mezrich's The Accidental Billionaires (2009)... an engaging look into a fascinating subculture of millions." ―Booklist

"Breezy...How to Turn Down a Billion Dollars ably if uncritically chronicles the short history of a young company catering to young users, with a young chief executive, and reveals, intentionally or not, the limitations that come with that combination." ―Wall Street Journal

The improbable and exhilarating story of the rise of Snapchat from a frat boy fantasy to a multi-billion dollar internet unicorn that has dramatically changed the way we communicate.

In 2013 Evan Spiegel, the brash CEO of the social network Snapchat, and his co-founder Bobby Murphy stunned the press when they walked away from a three-billion-dollar offer from Facebook: how could an app teenagers use to text dirty photos dream of a higher valuation? Was this hubris, or genius?

In How to Turn Down a Billion Dollars, tech journalist Billy Gallagher takes us inside the rise of one of Silicon Valley's hottest start-ups. Snapchat developed from a simple wish for disappearing pictures as Stanford junior Reggie Brown nursed regrets about photos he had sent. After an epic feud between best friends, Brown lost his stake in the company, while Spiegel has gone on to make a name for himself as a visionary―if ruthless―CEO worth billions, linked to celebrities like Taylor Swift and his wife, Miranda Kerr.

A fellow Stanford undergrad and fraternity brother of the company’s founding trio, Gallagher has covered Snapchat from the start. He brings unique access to a company Bloomberg Business called “a cipher in the Silicon Valley technology community.” Gallagher offers insight into challenges Snapchat faces as it transitions from a playful app to one of the tech industry’s preeminent public companies. In the tradition of great business narratives, How to Turn Down a Billion Dollars offers the definitive account of a company whose goal is no less than to remake the future of entertainment.

Previous page
  1. Print length
    304 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    St. Martin's Press
  4. Publication date
    February 13, 2018
  5. Dimensions
    6.5 x 1.25 x 9.5 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1250108616
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1250108616
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is a do-not-miss book for avid followers of the tech world and its financial dealings." ―Publishers Weekly

"If you're as confused as I was about Snapchat, whether to swipe left or right, or why the company has so captivated users and mystified Wall Street, you must read Billy Gallagher's penetrating portrait of the company's early days and the rise of its imperious founder, Evan Spiegel." ―Brad Stone, author of The Everything Store and The Upstarts

"An intimate and entertaining look at one of the world's most misunderstood tech companies, told in a way that, amazingly, will resonate with both Snapchat devotees and those who have never used the app." ―Blake J. Harris, author of Console Wars

About the Author

Billy Gallagher is an MBA candidate at Stanford's Graduate School of Business. Previously, he was a member of the investment team at Khosla Ventures and a writer at TechCrunch, which he joined as a Stanford sophomore, writing a profile of a popular startup on campus: Snapchat. His writing has appeared in the New York Times and Playboy. He lives in Palo Alto.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ St. Martin's Press (February 13, 2018)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1250108616
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1250108616
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.1 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.5 x 1.25 x 9.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 217 ratings

About the author

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Billy Gallagher

Billy Gallagher

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Billy Gallagher is an MBA candidate at Stanford's Graduate School of Business. Previously, he was a member of the investment team at Khosla Ventures and a writer at TechCrunch, which he joined as a Stanford sophomore, writing a profile of a popular startup on campus: Snapchat. His writing has appeared in the New York Times and Playboy. He lives in Palo Alto.

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
4 out of 5
217 global ratings
Tells the Snapchat story in a light and entertaining way that it'll keep you reading till you've finished!
5 Stars
Tells the Snapchat story in a light and entertaining way that it'll keep you reading till you've finished!
Just got it on Thursday and I'm almost halfway through! It's written in a very fun and story like way that doesn't require intense concentration but give you a very detailed picture of how and what things happened.Never used Snapchat before because I didn't get that point of it but billy changed that!!Great read!!
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Top reviews from the United States

wonder_bread
5.0 out of 5 stars I'm a 23-year-old who has been using the app pretty much since it's founding and I personally thought the ...
Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2018
Verified Purchase
Giving the book 5 stars is admittedly a bit of a stretch considering how there are still plenty of dark holes that still prevent you from understanding the full picture of the company. However, given the limited resources the author seemed to be dealing with in regards to accessibility of employee's at the company, he did a fabulous job explaining the story from his vantage point. I'm a 23-year-old who has been using the app pretty much since it's founding and I personally thought the book did a great job of explaining everything working behind the scenes that resulted in the changes you noticed as a user but didn't think twice about. I should also say that if you are currently, or are considering investing in $SNAP you are going to find information in this book you can't get in news outfits. Overall, a great book, and I certainly hope there will be a sequel in store as Snapchat progresses. Every great company seems to have a journalist who has a knack for explaining the narrative behind it (Walter Isaacson with Apple, Ashlee Vance with Tesla/SpaceX, etc.) and I certainly think Billy could be that for Snap.
5 people found this helpful
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Alan
4.0 out of 5 stars What Snapchat is, and is not
Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2018
Verified Purchase
Once you read this account of Snap’s history, you will know that:

1. Snap does not think of itself as a social network. On the contrary, Snap’s value on non-permanence and authenticity makes it an anti-FB and anti-IG;

2. Snap, instead, thinks of itself as a media company, where lots of the contents are professionally produced or curated or both; in other words, it is the new TV and new magazine;

3. This is not surprising given Spiegel’s personal hobbies and media industry connections, including and especially members of his board;

4. Spiegel’s idol is Jobs, not tech geniuses, which has several implications:
a) They believe users don’t always know what they want, and it is up to the company to introduce products and features;
b) They want to control the entire user experience, which makes the eco-systems close-ended rather than open-ended;
c) Combined these could lead to one-sided product/feature changes that might seem borderline arrogant to users and outsiders from time to time

5. Business model wise, Snap Inc. appears less scalable than FB because media production is more labor-intensive, whereas FB contents are mostly UGC (user generated);

Snap’s metrics and measurement capabilities for advertisers also seems less sophisticated than those of FB, although one can argue this is by choice from Snap’s part, out of its values regarding user privacy and intimacy.

Overall, Snap is still a new company and the runway is long ahead of it with lots of uncertainties. Would be interested to see how their business and revenue model change in the next few years. Also, whether Tencent’s investment would impact Snap: in the sense that Tencent in its early days also faced monetization issues with its messaging system and a user demographic comprising mostly of teens. Tencent of course took advantage of its huge user base and became a giant gaming company (actually the largest by revenue).

One final takeaway is that, though still very young, Mr. Spiegel seems a super-fast learner and certainly seems to know what he is doing. So good luck Snapping!
20 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
3.0 out of 5 stars Fun book, but sounds like its a PR tool for SNAP
Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2018
Verified Purchase
Gives some flavor to the history and culture of snap. Clearly gives the difference in the working styles of Evan and other tech founders. But on many occasions the writing sounds as if it's done by an employee or friend of Spiegal, not an objective journalist. Very gushing and over-the-top. I prefer brad stone or Scott Galloway.
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Anonymous
5.0 out of 5 stars You would never imagine that Billy is a first time ...
Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2018
Verified Purchase
You would never imagine that Billy is a first time author after reading this book! He wraps you into the intriguing story of Snapchat’s founding in a way that makes it tough to put down the book. It’s a story that rivals Facebook’s first beginnings and well worth a read. I’m hoping to one day join a startup or maybe create a company of my own and I will forever be leaning on Billy’s insights when I do. I hope we don’t have to wait too long for Billy’s next book!
3 people found this helpful
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Tom Stern
4.0 out of 5 stars Solid
Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2018
Verified Purchase
Pretty solid book. I d k why amazon makes me write a 20 word review... cmon amazon you’re better than this!
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Aleksander Skjoelsvik
5.0 out of 5 stars Well written fascinating story
Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2018
Verified Purchase
I was pleasantly surprised by this book - Snapchat's story is far more fascinating and educational than first thought, and the book itself is well written from a good angle. Great work Billy Gallagher! For the price of only $15 its an absolute steal, and I highly recommend anyone interested in technology, consumer products, entrepreneurship, or business to read it.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

rachael h.
5.0 out of 5 stars Excelkant
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 23, 2022
Verified Purchase
Great book. Good ideas inspiring
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Siddharth Jain
5.0 out of 5 stars Book review
Reviewed in India on August 1, 2019
Verified Purchase
Good stuff...insights on Snapchat..thought it was yuppie stuff and never wanted to understand about Snapchat...Evan Spiegel is a visionary...
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Philip T King
4.0 out of 5 stars enjoyable read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 20, 2018
Verified Purchase
enjoyable read
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Dave Nicoll
5.0 out of 5 stars Well worth a read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 3, 2018
Verified Purchase
Would highly recommend to anyone interested in the world of social media start ups. Clearly well researched and written.
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