Show notes
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: Chapters00:00 Opening highlights01:36 Introducing Derek Ting and TextNow02:44 How TextNow service works04:58 Starting TextNow in college07:29 Early texting technology and iPod users09:34 Reducing phone bills and switching carriers13:32 Funding free service with ads14:26 First business and BitTorrent18:00 Apple Card paid partnership19:27 Learning to code and choosing entrepreneurship22:29 Learning business operations23:10 Fundraising, bootstrapping and profitability27:00 AI tools and product development29:34 AI safeguards and the future of work32:35 Advertising revenue and pricing evolution36:27 Customer acquisition and platform fees38:00 Carrier competition and the AT&T partnership39:07 Scaling infrastructure for millions of users41:55 Apple stock and investing lessons44:50 Frugality, spending and finding value50:48 Revisiting email-to-text technology52:12 Using TextNow internationally52:52 Marketing campaign and personal interests54:41 Future tools for small businesses57:42 Phone prices, consolidation and network upgrades1:02:07 Phone health concerns and screen time1:03:26 Growth goals and lower-cost data1:04:14 Second lines and replacing existing service1:07:00 Saving on family phone plans1:08:02 Closing and where to find TextNow#EarnYourLeisure #TextNow #DerekTing #Entrepreneurship #Business #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #Tech #Investing #VibeCoding #Telecom Subscribe to EYL - https://bit.ly/4jnU7MrSubscribe to EYLClips - https://bit.ly/4yqBw6r Watch more from the EYL Network:Earn Your Leisure - https://bit.ly/4e6VJ9SMarket Mondays - https://bit.ly/4zzN7ktBlack Out - https://bit.ly/3VPSai2 EYL Highlights - https://bit.ly/4yqCvn9EYL Clips - https://bit.ly/3Wqpz32Market Monday Clips - https://bit.ly/4zBtFnxBlack Out Clips - https://bit.ly/4zxnr7Z Join the EYL community for deeper training and a more detailed approach:https://www.eyluniversity.com Join the number one stock club in the world:https://www.ianinvest.com #earnyourleisureSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.