Netscape: The First Fleck of Gold

To examine the start of the dot-com bubble, we go back to 1995, the year technology became a part of our popular culture, just as the Internet was changing. Two key events happened that year -- Windows 95 launched with huge fanfare, making it so that the average person would use a computer at home; and a browser company named Netscape went public and quickly became worth $3 billion, despite having been founded only 16 months before and having never turned a profit. For the engineers and web designers who were pursuing their vision of the Internet as a creative, experimental place, the arrival of the “dot-com guys” was a double-edged sword. On the one hand, Wall Street made them millionaires, at least on paper. But the influx of investors and businessmen seeking fast riches threatened to change Silicon Valley culture forever.  From Epic Magazine and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Hosted by Julia Furlan. Enjoyed this episode? Rate us ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, then share it with your friends! Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear next week's episode by subscribing in your favorite podcast app. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Om Podcasten

Go For Broke is a podcast series about historic bubbles, the irrational enthusiasm that creates them, and the lessons we’ve learned (and the ones we haven’t) when they pop.In our first season, we’re examining the original dot-com bubble. From the meteoric rise of Netscape to the stunning fall of Pets.com, we'll explore how venture capital money and stock market speculation, combined with the beginnings of Internet commerce, led to trillions of dollars created and lost — seemingly overnight.From Epic Magazine and the Vox Media Podcast Network.