Twitter Was Act One
“So why have you heard so little about this man who is one of the visionaries of the Digital Age? Why don’t you know that in 2000 he dropped everything to pursue a career in botanical illustration? Or that he studied for a year to become a certified massage therapist, or more recently took classes in fashion design (making an impressive pencil skirt), or has already set his sights on his dream job: mayor of New York City?
Well, first off, Dorsey is reserved and modest and, until now, has avoided cooperating for a full-scale profile. Over the years, he has tended to view himself more as a craftsman than an entrepreneur. His was an idea for a service, not a company. He launched it from inside a somewhat disorganized corporate culture, owned by someone else. Plus, back then, Dorsey was not the greatest manager. Williams and the board pushed him out within two years. And although Dorsey remains chairman of the company, he was out the door by the time Twitter had become a cultural force. What’s more, Dorsey and Williams, to this day, rarely speak to each other beyond occasional exchanges at board meetings.
