Wow. The very first interview of the Go and Grow Podcast was quite the doozy.

In this episode I had the privilege of hosting Jon Von Tetzchner, the Founder and CEO of Vivaldi Technologies. You may also know Jon as the former CEO and Co-Founder of Opera Software, the makers of the Opera Browser, which is used by over 350 million people around the world.

Jon tells his story about how he launched the Opera browser, how it garnered a huge user base, and how he was able to manage a workforce of 1,500 employees across the globe.

Now he’s working on Vivaldi, a new browser for power users, and he’s applying what he learned from running Opera to growing his new venture.

It’s a great story from the founder of one of the most influential technology products across the globe. I guarantee you’ll be inspired if you listen!

In this episode, you’ll learn from Jon:

Why he launched the Opera browser and how he did it with only $6,000.

How setting a big growth goal led to a huge public relations event.

The importance of focusing on your users and building a community.

How partnerships with larger companies can spur growth, but why you need to be careful when forging these relationships.

Why finding the balance between structure and autonomy is crucial when managing a large, growing company.

The reason he’s launching another browser, Vivaldi.

The value of super-serving and building community around a niche market of power users.

The future of technology and where its impact will be most felt.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

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