Built to Flip Versus Built to Last

Steve Case, AOL, Revolution

Looking back on his first 20 years with AOL, Steve Case reflects that he really thrived on the innovation of his first startup. His next project, Revolution, invests in people and ideas that change the world, which is the same mission of his philanthropic organization, the Case Foundation. Too many entrepreneurs, he believes, have a “built-to-flip mentality, as opposed to a built-to-last, built-to-change-the-world mentality.” He says that the Internet has become a lot like the entertainment industry: it’s easy to produce a movie but hard to build and sustain an audience.