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Neal Taparia

@nealtaparia

Jul 26, 2024 • 12 tweets • 4 min read • Read on X

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This guy made $1B building an internet browser in Norway.

It just hit record growth of 300M users – and this 1 feature could cost Google billions...

Here's the wild comeback story of a "forgotten" browser:

It's 1995. Tech giants are fighting over the internet's future.

Then comes a visionary in Norway with a revolutionary idea:

A browser for ANY device.

What does this mean? Software to bring the web to your phone, TV, or even a calculator...

Enter Opera Browser:

Remember the agonizing wait for web pages to load in the 90s?

Opera had the perfect solution – server-side compression. In simple terms:

Opera shrunk web pages 90% before sending them to your device, making them faster to load.

But they were just getting started...

Here's what Opera did WAY earlier than anyone else:

• 1996: Tabs before they were cool (aka. Multiple document interface)
• 2000: Full-page zoom
• 2001: Mouse gestures for navigation
• 2003: Pop-up blocking

Each feature was eventually adopted by competitors. And in 2005?

Opera had another game-changing idea:

A mobile-specific browser when smartphones were in their infancy.

Opera Mini used extreme compression, making web browsing possible on basic phones.

Result? Opera became the top browser in mobile-first markets like Africa & Southeast Asia.

But Opera's real genius? Adapting to user needs.

In 2016, they integrated a free, unlimited VPN directly into the browser.

No add-ons, no subscriptions. Just built-in privacy.

It was a bold move attracting millions of privacy-conscious users overnight.

They didn't stop there:

Opera GX came in 2019: the world's first "gaming browser."

Features include:
• Twitch and Discord integration
• A customizable interface with sound effects
• CPU, RAM, and network limiters for smoother play

It's niche, but that's the point. Opera targets underserved markets.

2023 brought Aria, Opera's AI assistant.

Unlike standalone chatbots, Aria understands your entire browsing context.

It can summarize articles, explain complex topics, or even help with online shopping.

All without leaving your browser window.

Opera's not just another browser.

It's a direct threat to Google's dominance:

• Built-in ad blocker could cost Google millions in revenue
• AI assistant competes with Google's search monopoly
• Free VPN challenges Google's data collection

Just look at the numbers:

• 300M+ active users globally
• Listed on NASDAQ since 2018
• Market leader in Africa with 53% share
• $331M revenue in 2022, up 32% from 2021

Not bad. The browser wars aren't over:

They've evolved.

Opera's strategy? Innovation, specialization, and targeting neglected markets.

As the internet changes, Opera adapts.

The question is: how long will you still be using Chrome?

https://twitter.com/970181882/status/1816851089322590445

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this:

1. Follow me @tapneal to learn how to be a work-less, do-more entrepreneur
2. Repost this thread if you found it helpful

https://twitter.com/970181882/status/1816851089322590445

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More from @nealtaparia

Neal Taparia

@nealtaparia

Feb 3, 2025

In 1984, a tiny Irish airline declared WAR on Europe's giants.

But they did it by breaking all the rules.

40 years later they're called "The World's Most Hated Airline."

Here's how Ryanair became Europe's largest (and most profitable) airline:

Picture this:

One 15-seat Embraer Bandeirante turboprop.
82,000 passengers in their first year.
A mission to break the Aer Lingus/British Airways duopoly.

No one thought they stood a chance.

But here's where it gets interesting...

By 1990, Ryanair was bleeding money.

£20 million in losses.
Intense competition crushing margins.
On the verge of bankruptcy.

Then came the man who would change everything:

Read 16 tweets

Neal Taparia

@nealtaparia

Jan 20, 2025

How do you save a dying company?

In 1998, LEGO reported a deficit for the first time since 1945.

Six years later a new CEO turned it around.

Profits increased 240%... By selling less...

Here's how he pulled off the impossible:

The story starts in 1998.

After 53 years of business, LEGO posted its first deficit year.

The company had expanded too quickly into peripheral businesses, and innovation wasn't driving profits.

But what happened next would reshape the entire toy industry...

LEGO tried to save itself through licensing partnerships.

They partnered with major entertainment companies, including:
• Disney
• Lucasfilm
• Warner Brothers

While it helped stabilize finances temporarily, deeper problems remained.

Here's why:

Read 15 tweets

Neal Taparia

@nealtaparia

Jan 17, 2025

Top 10 US Presidents.

Based on average annual GDP growth during their time in office:

1. Franklin D. Roosevelt - 10.1% growth

Context is crucial:

FDR inherited an economy that was crushed by the Great Depression.

In 1932, the year he was first elected, growth was -12.9% ...

Here's how he transformed it:

FDR's New Deal wasn't just spending—it was strategic revolution:

• Created jobs through infrastructure
• Reduced income inequality
• Built social safety nets

Then WWII spending accelerated everything.

But what about presidents who started with stable economies?

Read 16 tweets

Neal Taparia

@nealtaparia

Jan 15, 2025

Toyota was the biggest tech turnaround of 1950.

Ford made 100x more cars per day.
GM was outproducing them by 350x.
The whole auto industry thought they were a joke.

But now everyone copies Toyota.

Here's how they revolutionized manufacturing:

Post-WWII Japan was devastated.

Toyota faced a brutal reality: They had to close factories and lay off workers due to financial constraints.

But then came a lifeline: The U.S. Army ordered 1,000 trucks during the Korean War.

Here's where a new order created new ideas:

In 1950, Eiji Toyoda visited Ford's factories in America.

He studied dozens of U.S. manufacturers, observing their operations.

The American way was to solve problems with massive resources.

But Toyota couldn't afford that luxury.

And that limitation sparked genius:

Read 15 tweets

Neal Taparia

@nealtaparia

Jan 13, 2025

This $3 billion company breaks every hiring rule:

• They read resumes differently
• Focus on unique qualifications
• Look beyond traditional experience

Yet they have insane employee retention.

Here's Patagonia's counterintuitive approach:

The pressure to scale is intense for startups.

Investors want rapid growth. Markets demand quick expansion.

Most companies cave and start hiring frantically to keep up.

But Patagonia took a different path that left everyone stunned:

They receive over 9,000 applications for every open position.

Yet they deliberately take their time with each hire.

They don't just look at resumes and experience.

But their approach goes much deeper than most realize:

Read 20 tweets

Neal Taparia

@nealtaparia

Jan 10, 2025

11 of the Most Successful Family Businesses Ever:

1. Walmart (1962) - The Walton Family

Sam Walton started with a single store in Rogers, Arkansas.

His secret was a radically different approach to retail:

Build stores in small towns others ignored. Keep prices lower than competitors could match.

Walton's real innovation wasn't just low prices...

He created a supply chain revolution:

• Built distribution centers near stores
• Computerized inventory before others
• Shared sales data with suppliers

Today, Walmart's annual revenue exceeds $600 billion.

The Walton family still owns 47%.