Hardware Podcasts

Audible: Don Katz

How I Built This · 1 Nov 2021 · 1h 15m

What this episode covers

Don Katz, founder of Audible, explains how he pivoted from a successful writing career to launch a digital audiobook platform in 1997, years before the market was ready. He details the early hardware struggles, including the 'Audible Mobile Player' and the 'Otis' MP3 player, and the critical pivot to a subscription model that saved the company after the dot-com bust. Katz also describes the pivotal partnership with Steve Jobs and Apple, which allowed Audible to integrate with the iPod, and the eventual acquisition by Amazon in 2008.

Most relevant to

founders before launch, early-stage companies and companies scaling up

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Audible, Apple, Amazon, Rolling Stone, Electronic Arts, Flextronics
Products
Audible Mobile Player, Otis, iPod
Chips
Texas Instruments
Tools
Codex

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