Barry Diller on Mentorship, Media, and Technology's Role

Reflections on Mentorship and Mentors

• 💡 Barry Diller finds the term "mentoring" too official and prefers the idea of natural mentoring.
• 🎯 He believes one is very lucky to be in the orbit of someone who takes a strong hand in guiding them.
• 🔑 Diller acknowledges the kindness shown to him by figures like Rupert Murdoch and John Malone, whom he admires greatly.

The Writing of His Memoir

• ✍️ Diller admits to giving short shrift to the second half of his career in his book due to writing fatigue.
• 😔 He expresses that the writing process was challenging, and he felt the final product was "not good enough" despite his best efforts.
• 🌟 The writing is praised for its stellar storytelling and authentic voice, comparable to acclaimed books like "Shoe Dog."

Key Business Successes

• 🚀 Tinder is highlighted as a remarkable success, experiencing viral adoption and growing from inception to a significant valuation with no marketing spend.
• 💰 While Expedia was a significant acquisition, Tinder's development cost was minimal, around $700,000.
• 💡 Diller's team developed Tinder in-house, recognizing its immediate potential and unique concept.

Future of Media and Technology

• 🔮 Diller advises focusing on ventures where technology will not be an overlord.
• ⚠️ He acknowledges that while technology will disintermediate many things, it won't be everything.
• 🚀 If starting over at 21, he would likely pursue an incubation company model, investing capital into new ventures and fostering creative conflict to generate ideas.