YOU’RE OVERPAYING FOR YOUR PHONE BILL—HE BUILT A $1 BILLION BUSINESS MAKING IT FREE 👀

Are you getting ripped off on your cell phone bill? On this episode of Earn Your Leisure, we sit down with TextNow founder Derek Ting to break down how he built a free mobile phone service that has generated $1 billion in lifetime revenue. From a backdoor hack to its first million users through word of mouth, Derek shares the story behind TextNow and what it takes to serve 10 million active users while challenging the telecom industry.

We explore his entrepreneurial journey, from building a BitTorrent tracker at 15 to turning $8,000 into $80,000 through stock investing. Derek explains why building products matters more than chasing investors—and the mindset behind driving a $350,000 car while refusing to pay for parking.

We also dive into how AI is changing the way people learn programming and build businesses. Derek shares his perspective on vibe coding, why AI creates a competitive advantage for tech companies, and whether it represents a bigger threat or opportunity. Plus, we discuss what the next 10 years could look like as AI reshapes how we work and live.

Chapters:

Chapters
00:00 Opening highlights
01:36 Introducing Derek Ting and TextNow
02:44 How TextNow service works
04:58 Starting TextNow in college
07:29 Early texting technology and iPod users
09:34 Reducing phone bills and switching carriers
13:32 Funding free service with ads
14:26 First business and BitTorrent
18:00 Apple Card paid partnership
19:27 Learning to code and choosing entrepreneurship
22:29 Learning business operations
23:10 Fundraising, bootstrapping and profitability
27:00 AI tools and product development
29:34 AI safeguards and the future of work
32:35 Advertising revenue and pricing evolution
36:27 Customer acquisition and platform fees
38:00 Carrier competition and the AT&T partnership
39:07 Scaling infrastructure for millions of users
41:55 Apple stock and investing lessons
44:50 Frugality, spending and finding value
50:48 Revisiting email-to-text technology
52:12 Using TextNow internationally
52:52 Marketing campaign and personal interests
54:41 Future tools for small businesses
57:42 Phone prices, consolidation and network upgrades
1:02:07 Phone health concerns and screen time
1:03:26 Growth goals and lower-cost data
1:04:14 Second lines and replacing existing service
1:07:00 Saving on family phone plans
1:08:02 Closing and where to find TextNow#EarnYourLeisure #TextNow #DerekTing #Entrepreneurship #Business #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #Tech #Investing #VibeCoding #Telecom

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