fbpx

AOL founder Steve Case: What it takes to succeed now

Entrepreneurs will need perseverance to prosper in the third wave of the Internet, AOL founder Steve Case said during a keynote talk at eMerge Americas 2016 on Monday.

Don’t expect to wake up having just invented the next Snapchat type of application, Case said at eMerge, which started the first of two days of speeches, talks and presentations by entrepreneurs at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Case’s talk was moderated by Alberto IbargĂĽen, chairman of the Knight Foundation.

The third wave will be similar to the first wave era that introduced people to going online, said Case. As an example of the slog, Case said when AOL started only three percent of the population was online and only averaged an hour a week.

The second wave saw companies like Google and Facebook build on the capabilities of the Internet and companies like Snapchat build on the capabilities of apps.

The third wave will integrate the Internet in more seamless ways throughout our lives, Case said. Health care, education and the food industry are examples “where the internet meets everyday life.”

Achieving success in the third wave will necessitate business partnerships and more agile government that balance the need for innovation with safety regulations, Case said. For example, there will be new rules for health care, food safety, drones and self-driving cars that will impact what entrepreneurs can do.

“The government, however frustrating it may be at times, will have a seat at the table,” Case said. Instead of grumbling, entrepreneurs and businesses need to engage the government.

In education, Case sees a move to provide more information to teachers so they can meet the needs of individual students.

Fitbit, which involves an app and wrist device that counts steps, is an example of innovation in the wellness field, Case said.

There’s a lot of investment in managing chronic illnesses, such as diabetes. The “cancer moonshot,” being led by Vice President Joe Biden, is an example of investment in life-threatening diseases.

The third wave will help further democratize where venture capital goes, Case said, mentioning that 75 percent last year went to California, New York and Massachusetts.

Plantation-based Magic Leap, which raised $1.3 billion for its augmented reality system, is an example of how South Florida and other areas will start to grab more venture capital, he said.

Entrepreneurs used to have to be on Wall Street to be in financial services or in Hollywood to do movies, he said. “You don’t have to do that anymore.”

Regions have to figure out where they have a competitive advantage and attract talent. While leaders in some areas of the country are skeptical about such transformations, Case pointed out that Silicon Valley was an area of orchards 75 years ago and Detroit was seen as the hottest place for technology.

Dell in Austin and AOL in Virginia are examples of companies that helped fuel an entrepreneurial ecosystem, Case said. eMerge is an example of entrepreneurial forces at work in Miami.

Case, who is chairman and CEO of Revolution LLC, the Washington, D.C-based investment firm he co-founded in 2005, was asked what he looks to invest in.

He starts with the question, “Could it make the world a better place?”

Case wants ideas that solve important problems and create opportunity. He would like to see evidence that the business concept is working, such as starting to attract customers.

Case quoted a Thomas Edison saying to explain why: “Vision without execution is hallucination.”

You May Also Like
Reaching Out

I know that Stephen Garber knows people. The president of Third Level is a seasoned expert on change management, relationship building and quality-of-life issues. He is an international executive coach,

Read More
Stephen Garber
SOUTH FLORIDA BUSINESS & WEALTH GOES 2.0

This is the time and this is the page when the new editor-in-chief typically would tell you to get ready for a new SFBW experience—but since you’ve seen the cover,

Read More
Are Your Salespeople Taking Shortcuts?

Connor, a software sales rep, had been having a rough day. He’d been bombarded with questions from several customers and gotten behind on work he needed to finish before the

Read More
COVID and the Commercial Sector

[vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text] For South Florida’s vigorous commercial real estate sector, there is a Grand Canyon-size fissure between market conditions on March 1 and

Read More
Other Posts
Limo Miami Sets the Standard for Upscale and Stylish Transportation Services

Those looking for a new transportation method have a luxurious option.

Read More
Limo Miami
The Palm Beaches Holds Hospitality and Tourism Job Fair

The event has expanded to two days at different locations.

Read More
Job Fair
Allied Kitchen & Bath Hosts Annual Decor for the Cure Event

The fundraiser will benefit the Broward Health Foundation.

Read More
Decor for the cure
Construction on Luxury Residential Community Development Begins in Miami

The residences will offer custom finishes and lavish amenities centered around indoor-outdoor living.

Read More
residential community

Drew Limsky

Drew Limsky

Editor-in-Chief

BIOGRAPHY

Drew Limsky joined Lifestyle Media Group in August 2020 as Editor-in-Chief of South Florida Business & Wealth. His first issue of SFBW, October 2020, heralded a reimagined structure, with new content categories and a slew of fresh visual themes. “As sort of a cross between Forbes and Robb Report, with a dash of GQ and Vogue,” Limsky says, “SFBW reflects South Florida’s increasingly sophisticated and dynamic business and cultural landscape.”

Limsky, an avid traveler, swimmer and film buff who holds a law degree and Ph.D. from New York University, likes to say, “I’m a doctor, but I can’t operate—except on your brand.” He wrote his dissertation on the nonfiction work of Joan Didion. Prior to that, Limsky received his B.A. in English, summa cum laude, from Emory University and earned his M.A. in literature at American University in connection with a Masters Scholar Award fellowship.

Limsky came to SFBW at the apex of a storied career in journalism and publishing that includes six previous lead editorial roles, including for some of the world’s best-known brands. He served as global editor-in-chief of Lexus magazine, founding editor-in-chief of custom lifestyle magazines for Cadillac and Holland America Line, and was the founding editor-in-chief of Modern Luxury Interiors South Florida. He also was the executive editor for B2B magazines for Acura and Honda Financial Services, and he served as travel editor for Conde Nast. Magazines under Limsky’s editorship have garnered more than 75 industry awards.

He has also written for many of the country’s top newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald, Boston Globe, USA Today, Worth, Robb Report, Afar, Time Out New York, National Geographic Traveler, Men’s Journal, Ritz-Carlton, Elite Traveler, Florida Design, Metropolis and Architectural Digest Mexico. His other clients have included Four Seasons, Acqualina Resort & Residences, Yahoo!, American Airlines, Wynn, Douglas Elliman and Corcoran. As an adjunct assistant professor, Limsky has taught journalism, film and creative writing at the City University of New York, Pace University, American University and other colleges.