Asking The Ethernet Billionaire If It Was Worth It
Get Bob’s top 7 lessons from this video here: NoahKagan.com/Bob
Bob Metcalfe, founder of 3Com, created ethernet and revolutionized the internet while working a 9-5 job. In this video, I learn what it takes to invent a world-changing product, and whether the hard work and sacrifices were worth it.
Follow Bob here: / robertmmetcalfe
Timestamps
00:00 Intro
00:54 How Bob made his money
01:25 Inventing ethernet
02:37 Why he left Xerox
03:30 Steve Jobs was his mentor
06:14 Why he started 3Com
07:56 3Com’s beginnings
10:58 Time to leave 3Com
13:02 Bob became famous
15:21 Regrets?
17:16 3Com’s competition
17:50 Selling courses
18:36 Many kinds of selling
20:35 How money improved his life
23:54 His first salary
24:40 Silliest thing he spent money on
25:48 Best money spent
26:52 His kids’ successes
28:49 After 3Com
30:47 Proudest moments
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Пікірлер: 500
Crazy how people who literally changed the world are hardly ever known.
@alwaysright3718
4 ай бұрын
I know him and so do all the people that understand the Internet, don't praise your ignorance....
@Everysingletimeowitz
4 ай бұрын
@@alwaysright3718Ironic, considering you’re ignorant of how ignorant the average person is.
@alwaysright3718
4 ай бұрын
@@Everysingletimeowitz I never mentioned average, so clearly you are, but probably suffer Dunning-Kruger Syndrome...
@dixoncider6786
4 ай бұрын
@@Everysingletimeowitzouch 😂
@Davewithfairoffer
4 ай бұрын
Unknown part of the creation of the Internet! Quiet billionaire !
Bob’s sense of self-awareness is exceptional! Very admirable!
A truly honest simple conversation. I enjoy unpretentious people.
@nightrunner1456
4 ай бұрын
True! TX.
Great interview. Nice job letting Bob do 90% of the talking. I could listen to him for hours.
@flyingchicken85
4 ай бұрын
Agreed.
@lucybrenton149
4 ай бұрын
Noah is an incredible interviewer.❤
@echtigren8188
3 ай бұрын
Bob wouldn't of had it any other way, pretty sure Bob made sure Noah didn't interrupt.
@dennisfahey2379
3 ай бұрын
Bob is a rare breed. Both highly technical and business savvy and he understands Silicon Valley and its machinations. Its hard to believe that area which has created immense wealth many times over started with just a handful of entrepreneurs who would listen and support wild ideas as they built a new industrial sector and new economy. The comedy Silicon Valley catches some of the vibe well and spoiler - many of the story lines are loosely based on reality.
@KeenFocus
Ай бұрын
Yup
Metcalfe is a national treasure. Thank you for getting him on
These interviews are solid gold. Lacking that myself, here's my meagre contribution to keep them coming. Thank you!
@milesrost6674
3 ай бұрын
You really are the "gansta of love" ;) Cheers - Godspeed
Bob was at MIT while I was there and I very much enjoyed his lectures.
so smart yet so self aware and humble, this guy is a good role model
@charlesreid9337
3 ай бұрын
not generally a fan of billionaires as most are just born rich and combine that with greed and sociopathy. This man seems truely humble and to have made it mostly through his skills..which seem mostly to be sales
@teekanne15
3 ай бұрын
I find it always interesting when I read comments that judge a person based on an interview. We can talk about an impression, but making a good impression and being a good person are two very different things. Everybody loved my mom, she did voluntary work, was very active and had an impressive Vita. Yet she was an alcoholic and beat us kids and nobody knew.
Hi Noah. I'm not sure if you can get this to Bob, but I just wanted to say "Hi!" I was an instructor at a summer computer camp at MIT in 1999. I had a lab with all the colorful iMac G3's. Everyone else had a Windows 98 lab. His son, Max (I'm almost positive that is his name), was in my class and I taught him how to program True BASIC on it. Bob came in and we spoke for a while. He was super nice. We spoke just like in this interview :) He told me about inventing the Ethernet at the famous XEROX PARC and how he had to go around and sell it all over the world so it would become the standard. I remember our conversation to this day! Super nice guy!
Noah, I'm loving these deep money and business convos with the OGs. Your interviewing style is pure gold. Thanks! 👏
Bob, FYI: You not closing IBM as a customer, was a testament to you being too good of a salesperson! You were so good, you convinced IBM that networking had a future. IBM's error, like many big business want to be the standard in the industry, not create it. They had the false belief they had the size to bully the market into adapting their tech as the saw fit. Loved the honest and thoughtful interview. God bless.
@effexon
3 ай бұрын
lol, that part of "bullying.... " the next big thing in market has been repeated dozens of times since and will be done many more times.
I just started watching this channel and I really like how noah gives the guests time to elaborate on different topics.
Thanks, I enjoyed the interview. I met Bob when he visited Australia circa 1989. At the time it felt like the wild west with a number of networking standards competing to become the dominant standard. An exciting time for the industry.
selling is everything….. what a man ❤
My three favorite channels: Noah Kagan, Stock Brotha, & How Money Works. Make my week complete! 🔥 🔥 🔥
@sinhowww
4 ай бұрын
I went and checked 'How money works'...some great content there 😉👍🏽
@brohands-je9gg
Ай бұрын
You son of a ..... Did you comment on ali abdaal channel. I saw. I found how money works . Thats cool channel.thanks man
Great interview, love it! “I try to dock with various opportunities and then it clicks” - that's actually how his main creation works. It just docks, clicks, and then you have a immense range of possibilities.
@idaclement2994
3 ай бұрын
Well put...
@burcinbektas3196
2 ай бұрын
Great observation
He’s so chill and modest
This is gold!! Thank you Noah.
Watch any of these types of videos and you will find a common trend, the interviewer cares about the money, the wealthy person cares about the product and making a difference.
@bobbob9627
Ай бұрын
Because when you don’t have money you become obsessed with finding out how to get it……
Incredible opportunity to hear this from Bob Metcalfe,thank you Noah!Asking whether it's worth it is a question on many minds. His perspective is invaluable, shedding light on the journey and its worth. Insightful interview!
What a charming fellow. It's interesting listen to someone who's an inventor but also has a sales psychology knows how to communicate his thoughts so gracefully.
15:41 so true. First I sat with sales people, then learned the best techniques to start selling on my own. Fonus on building the funnel and not the quota.
I love how Steve Jobs left that friendship window open cause he new there could be opportunities in the future!!!
This was so good!!! Such a good interview. Yesz!
Very interesting fellow. I have known a few people like him; highly educated, tremendously successful, fabulously wealthy but still down to Earth and easy to talk with.
This is a great conversation. The advices and lessons you can get gives you a lot of idea on which and what move to do next, who's to look up to, and what skills can help you with your journey. Thank you! ❤
Did you hear what he really said…MIT….DARPA….and the timeline. “By 1982, I was selling cards that put your PC directly on the internet”.
Money doesn't change people, it only exposes who they really are.
Noah I watch a bunch of these videos and some of them do they same concept as you but you honestly separate yourself with your questioning, respect, and genuine interest in the person rather than the views. Good job and good luck to you honestly!
Way back when I implemented a bridge between our proprietary minicomputer ethernet and Novell network using the 3C501 (3Com) pc board. It was an adventure for sure with a single block buffer. Not long after getting the bridge working, Racal came out with their 16k buffered board. I enjoyed those early days, fond memories.
If you want to understand the mind of an inventor/engineer, just listen to this man
Much money corrupts people and lack of money too. As most already read somewhere : Money doesn't change you, it just reveals who you really are.
I like this guy. I'm not rich but have enough to give some away and as he, I give it while I'm still alive. It's so rewarding to see people's faces receiving money they never expected.
Wow.... As a kid who grew up making Lan parties for games before broadband, and went to college to literally make cat5 cables... this is an epic one for me and a lot of IT subscriber guys... cheers, and respect. 🍿
Great conversation, thank you!
This was exceptional. Love these interviews Noah.
Love this interview...you can tell this guy has a wealth of knowledge. We have the respect the grandfathers of innovation...without him and others you wouldn't have the technology we use everyday today. Earned my respect!
The way Noah don't talk and let him talk it's perfect
The comment about marketing v sales is an interesting one. The speaker talks about perceptions coming in (ie what the market / client base thinks of you/product), verses sales (meaning what you/product deliver). He has a nice way of putting it and an important distinction to make.
Great video, very insightful and moreover it just shows that anyone can become something should they pursue an idea...
what a great interview. thanks for this. BM speaks very well. lots of insights.
What a goldmine of information😎
What a gem. Thank you Noah for doing the groundwork for wisdom to reach us!
@Noahkangann__
3 ай бұрын
Thank you for tuning in, my friend! You can locate my contact details above. ❤️
@Noahkangann__
3 ай бұрын
Thank you for tuning in, my friend! You can locate my contact details above. ❤️
Interesting and motivating interview thanks
What a real person and great story. Thank you for sharing.
Always enjoy hearing from those who have done it. It's great motivation for my own side gig (which will hopefully no longer be a side gig soon). ;)
Noah that was a very interesting and informative interview with Bob Metcalfe keep those gems coming and peace and blessings to you.
awesome video as always!
I learnt a lot from this video. Thanks for creating the Ethernet. I’m curious who trades the financial market?
@WestAdamm
4 ай бұрын
I trade the financial market. Which aspect of the financial market are you referring to?
@RobertTerry-
4 ай бұрын
I was contemplating between stock or crypto? How do you trade?
@WestAdamm
4 ай бұрын
I trade based on the season of the market. It gives me a direction on implementing the right strategies for long or short term. I also trade based on the volatility of the market. Although it wasn’t easy till I came across a mentor who helped to keep me in the market loop. My mentor is Bernard Paul.
@BruceCartwrightt
4 ай бұрын
I’m also conversant with Paul. I’ve learnt invaluable insights from Paul, who generously shares his knowledge and experience to help beginners navigate the complexities of the market
@RichardWest-
4 ай бұрын
I appreciate Paul’s transparency in his communication, providing clear insights that has helped me to be on the profitable side
Thank you for this very precious insight
It's marvelous to note how someone who claims to have a big ego is almost entirely egoless in hindsight. That's called wisdom.
Loved the boat analogy at the end!
Did it take everything you had to NOT ask this legend to talk about Metcalfe's law? Great interview. Thanks!
On the summit with the Bell Labs guys and TCP/IP inventors (Kahn/Cerf). It’s nice to see that level of intellect also be very successful in business, and that’s what sets him apart.
Love the content keep doing this you are amazing
Genuine interview. Thank you!
Great interview, Noah. Early in my career, I worked at IBM in their former Networking Hardware Division, in the early 90s. By then, 3Com was the king of Ethernet. Bob's comments about IBM asking him to talk to them about Ethernet was before my time. The alternate Bob mentions was Token Ring which was one of the dominant networking protocols in the 1980s and 1990s. Obviously, Ethernet won the war. Great to hear Bob's stories. Important lessons and commentary.
Would be an interesting round-table discussion to hear a gathering of ex-Xerox PARC employees discuss the culture of Xerox in the 1970s-1980s. It's possible that there was a cadre of execs there that "thought different" and understood the concepts emerging from their teams were SO world-altering the ideas had to be surrendered to the larger engineering community cuz they affected technologies so far away from Xerox's "core." However, it certainly looks from afar (50+ years) like the execs were completely left in the dust by the foresight of the engineers in their employ. Thankfully the real talent had the confidence to leave and take the ideas to more fertile ground.
Noah you are the man! You are so blessed to interview sir Bob Metcalfe! Maybe I shouldn't say blessed because you worked really smart and hard!
Interesting insight, thanks's for the upload.
Outstanding interview.
Consider financial planning, sooner not later it'll help
@christopherherbert2407
4 ай бұрын
I wholeheartedly concur. At 60 years old and newly retired, my external retirement funds total around One million two hundred fifty thousand dollars.. With no debt and minimal retirement fund allocation relative to my portfolio's value over the last three years, I recognize the importance of a financial advisor. Neglecting them isn't an option; however, thorough research is vital to find a trustworthy fiduciary advisor.
@bernardlynch5226
4 ай бұрын
Prioritizing effective personal finance management holds greater significance than the sheer amount saved, irrespective of income source. I understand you when you consulted a certified financial advisor which offered you tailored strategies to optimize financial results by reducing expenses and enhancing income, regardless of whether it's earned through employment or investments.
@rodgertim2881
4 ай бұрын
Many people underestimate the importance of advisors until their emotions lead to financial setbacks. I recall a couple of summers ago, during my protracted divorce, when I needed a significant boost to keep my business afloat. I conducted research and found a highly qualified licensed advisor. He has effectively increased my savings from $220k to $740k, even in the face of inflation.
@matteoschilcher9957
4 ай бұрын
This aligns perfectly with my desire to organize my finances prior to retirement. Could you provide me with access to your advisor?
@rodgertim2881
4 ай бұрын
Finding financial advisors like CHRIS RYAN STEWART who can assist you shape your portfolio would be a very smart option/choice. There will be difficult times ahead, and prudent personal money management will be essential to navigating them.
Self awareness: great wisdom
What a humble man
"The cable you plug into your Wifi Boxes to gain access to the internet". Bob Metcalfe had a stroke when watching this video
Bob is such a great guy! Use his invention every day in fact I've made a living with it. :)
Long way from Lymbrook and Miller bud. Good work!
I use his technology in my personal and professional life. This invention alone made all communications in almost all the industries today relies on.
I’ve always liked Bob Metcalfe. Very underrated man.
He’s a great story teller
What a father he had. Wow.
Great interview
Ask him about Origin Trail, where he's an active advisor and proponent.
"You probably don't remember the Internet bubble... Probably weren't born yet." 😂😂😂
I love❤Mr. Metcalfe’s energy.
Very inspiring interview ❤
What a nice interview. I like this guy.. Reminds me of my dad...
Some real insights here, thanks
"Anyone can invent something, but it takes skill to sell it." I literally laughed my ass off and stopped the video there.
@stuartmartin3408
3 ай бұрын
I noticed that too, surprised the gentleman there didn’t pick him up on that. Also, isn’t it polite to remove your hat indoors nowadays?
Yes. This is the guy who was talking about he would like to learn sales earlier or something like that.
Another Amazing True to life story🎉 and a rare interview with the Tech Inventor / CEO 🙌
Thank you Bob
Success depends on the actions or steps you take to achieve it. Building wealth involves developing good habits, such as regularly setting aside money for sound investments...
Cheers Uncle Noah!
thanks noah. good watch
Exceptional Interview
I find it cool this billionaire can sit on his hands while being interviewed. 😊
Thank you Noah
Brilliant as always, well done
Isn't it ironic that one of the points that replaced each came out of the other Xerox went under due to electronic copies and person who made electronic copies able to be transfered without hardcopies ended up being surpassed by a networking company to make the technology more secure and usable at a larger scale.
Great interviewer.
Money reveals a person character and is a tool that can be used for good, bad or evil. Money is also a tool that gives a person options that they would not have if they did not have it. Having money is not bad. lusting after it and what it takes to obtain it no matter what is bad.
Bob, you are a very inspiring person.
Great conversation, if I ever see bob ill buy him a pint 👍
Please forward the summary of the interview, thanks
great interview
Beautiful picture on the wall, do you know the artist? Thank you.
As an insurance agent, the "period certain" joke spoke to me.
this guy deserves a headlock for all the ethernet cables i’ve had to deal with that had a broken locking tab.
@paulmichaelfreedman8334
3 ай бұрын
yeah that is its achilles heel, but it was cheap. And now you can get them with a sock over the tab to prevent them breaking off when you pull a cable out of a ratsnest.
@cryptodude_btc
3 ай бұрын
I feel your pain
@henrygagejr.-founderbuildg9199
2 ай бұрын
That’s cause you bought Rev Z. The early versions were made of better materials. Change your budget change your life by local, if possible
Your videos are great. Please keep them coming.