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Neal Taparia

@nealtaparia

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

Scrolly

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

Jul 24

Your 9-to-5 job is dying.

By 2034, it'll be extinct.

That's Reid Hoffman's latest prediction – the founder of LinkedIn who predicted the rise of social media in 1997.

Here's what he said next:

Hoffman's past predictions are spooky:

• Predicted social networks would change the world (LinkedIn sold for $26B)
• Saw the sharing economy coming (Early Airbnb investor)
• Called the AI revolution years before ChatGPT

So we should probably listen to his latest prediction:

The Gig Economy Revolution is coming, and it's bigger than you think.

Within a decade, 50% of the US population will be freelancers.

But here's the twist: They'll earn MORE than traditional employees.

Why? It all comes down to a simple equation...

Read 15 tweets

Neal Taparia

@nealtaparia

Jul 22

The $40B productivity industry is selling you recycled junk:

99% fluff. 1% substance.

Instead, here are 9 simple tips that'll make you more productive than any 300-page self help book:

(they're so simple, you'll laugh) 🧵

The productivity market thrives on your sense of inadequacy:

• 4000 self-help books published a year
• 1 million+ "Productivity" apps on App Stores
• $41 BILLION global self-improvement market

All promising to "fix" you. But you're not broken...

I've analyzed the top 20 productivity bestsellers on Amazon.

The pattern? Most recycle the same core concepts.

You don't need more advice. You need a BS filter.

Here's what actually works, stripped of the guru-speak:

Read 15 tweets

Neal Taparia

@nealtaparia

Jul 19

Everyone thinks remote work is the future of work.

Big Tech doesn't think so.

Why you need to pay attention to their $1 billion bet against remote work (and what it means for your job):

Remote work exploded in 2020.

By 2022, 58% of US workers could work from home part-time.

We all thought this was the future.

Then August 2023 hit: Amazon, Google, and Meta mandated office returns.

The internet lost its mind. But here's what they're not telling you...

Google's internal studies revealed a mind-blowing statistic:

In-person brainstorming generates 37% more viable ideas than virtual sessions.

But it's not just about quantity. The quality difference is staggering.

What's causing this massive creativity gap?

Read 15 tweets

Neal Taparia

@nealtaparia

Jul 18

I used to be trapped working 100-hour weeks on Wall Street.

Today, my businesses do multimillions in revenue and I don't work more than 4 hours per day.

My whole life changed when I discovered this powerful Chinese philosophy...

To kick things off:

The philosophy is called Wu Wei.

Developed by Taoist philosophers 2,500 years ago, it's revolutionizing how we approach work and life.

But what does it even mean?

Let's dive in...

Wu Wei means "effortless action."

But it's not about being lazy.

In practice, it looks like:

• A coder finding "flow" and cranking out elegant solutions
• An entrepreneur pivoting smoothly when the market shifts

Take Steve Jobs. How did he predict the iPhone's success?

Read 14 tweets

Neal Taparia

@nealtaparia

Jul 11

1 in 3 seniors die from this brain disease.

And scientists predict this number will continue to rise in the next decade.

I've uncovered a brain-saving secret that slashes its risk IN HALF.

How to protect yourself (for $0):

Alzheimer's is more than just memory loss:

• It's the 6th leading cause of death in the US
• Kills more than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined
• Costs caregivers 18.6 billion hours of care annually

No cure exists – prevention is key.

A video on how prevalent it is:

The good news?

Prevention is MORE than possible.

A groundbreaking study found that lifestyle changes can reduce Alzheimer's risk by up to 60%.

That's better odds than most medications offer.

So what's the key?

Read 15 tweets

Neal Taparia

@nealtaparia

Jul 10

How to fix your dopamine-fried brain.

Stop doing this 1 thing that's killing your brain's reward system...

The unexpected habit you need to eliminate (to reset dopamine & finally reach your goals):

Dopamine – the chemical that makes you feel SO good.

But also the cause of your misery:

• You can't resist that snack
• You can't stop scrolling on Instagram
• You can't stop binging Netflix on the weekend

Is it worth the trade-off?

Probably not.

How do you know if you're addicted to dopamine?

Look for these red flags:
• Your phone's basically glued to your hand
• You've never hit any of your long-term goals
• You're amazing at starting projects... and never finishing them

Recognize yourself?