Chris Barton founded the app Shazam twenty years ago in 2002, years before the iPod and iTunes had even been created. In fact, the flip phone had just come out.
With an unwavering vision for what’s possible – and a core principle of creating from the heart and building with the mind – Barton built one of the most popular apps of all time.
Shazam has surpassed 1 billion downloads, and has hundreds of millions of active users daily. It was acquired by Apple in 2018 for $400 million, making it Apple’s fifth largest acquisition.
In this lively and inspiring conversation with Tony Robbins, Barton shares how his own perseverance made the impossible possible, and reveals how personal limitations can in fact be your superpower.
Watch the discussion here.
[2:30] Introduction to Chris Barton
[4:39] Overcoming dyslexia and ADHD
[05:31] How limitations can be a Superpower
[6:49] Defining your own path
[8:24] Choosing co-founders before the business
[11:09] Breakthrough idea for Shazaam
[12:18] Two businesses all entrepreneurs must run
[13:54] Being told an idea is impossible
[16:11] Meeting co-founder/ inventor Avery Wang
[19:06] Getting turned down by over 100 VC’s
[20:48] Building a music database by hand
[22:22] Launch expectations and reality
[24:46] Early struggles
[26:25] Lessons from Google and Dropbox
[29:41] Earning revenue via a parallel to core business
[31:14] Coming up with the name Shazam
[33:23] Apple showcases Shazam
[35:44] Monetization of the app over time
[37:07] Apple acquires Shazam
[41:46] Life after selling Shazam
[42:47] Incubating a new startup (Guard)
[46:04] Audience question from Becky: What are three things to focus on when creating an app?
[47:55] Audience question from Miles: What was your ideation process behind Guard?
[55:05] Audience question from Barbara: Did you buy every CD to get Shazam started?
[58:03] Audience question from Hannah: How do I get over fear and become a musician?
[01:00:04] Tony explains how “proximity is power”
[01:03:42] Sign off
The mindset you need for a truly magnificent life | Knowing the gift of grace
The most important element of a passionate and soulful relationship | Giving the gift of presence
Could tragedy be your greatest classroom? | Discovering the gift of growth
How to cultivate awareness and caring | Expanding the gift of consciousness
Creating a community to call home | Discovering the gift of connection
How to live in absolute abundance | Finding the gift of gratitude
How to overcome the most unfathomable odds | Unleashing the gift of drive
How to have the emotional strength to handle anything | Mastering the gift of emotion
The 10 Gifts of Life | Introducing the Force for Good season of The Tony Robbins Podcast
Cracking the code on company culture | How to turn lukewarm customers into raving fans, and disengaged employees into high-performing teams
Perfect is the enemy of good | Waze founder Uri Levine on gaining momentum to create, fund and scale a successful company
Part 2: The most successful founder in history | Tony interviews Bill Gross, founder of Idealab, about his strategies for success and vision for the future
The most successful unicorn founder in history | Bill Gross shares the top 3 things he’s learned from growing 7 companies from zero to $1 billion
Democratizing luxury | How Rent the Runway changed the way we shop and grew to a $1B company – an interview with co founder Jenny Fleiss
From hot dog cart to hospitality empire | How Danny Meyer, founder of Union Square Hospitality Group, became the greatest restaurateur NYC has ever seen
Masters of Business | An introduction to the new business season from Tony Robbins
Fear will destroy you or drive you | Tony, world-champion triathlete Siri Lindley, and Free Solo’s Sanni McCandless on how fear can fuel your fire
Mike Tyson’s road to a second chance | The polarizing highs and lows of one of the most thrilling, controversial and celebrated boxers of all time
Conor McGregor, the undeniable force | Tony talks to “The Notorious” about his unwavering certainty, ruthless mindset and how he became the king of combat sports
Defining Kevin Hart | The standup comic turned media mogul on the power of authenticity and the missteps that made him a better man
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The One You Feed
Everything is Alive
Tara Brach
On Being with Krista Tippett
Ten Percent Happier with Dan Harris