Biz Stone

Christopher Isaac "Biz" Stone (born March 10, 1974) is an American technology entrepreneur, author, and investor, best known as a co-founder of Twitter, one of the world's most influential social media platforms. He also co-founded Medium and created Jelly Industries, a human-powered search engine. Stone is recognized as one of the key architects of the social media revolution and has been a prominent voice advocating for the positive potential of technology in society.

Stone has authored two books and has been named to Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People list. His estimated net worth as of 2024 is approximately US$200 million.

Early life and education

Stone was born on March 10, 1974, in Boston, Massachusetts. He grew up in Wellesley, Massachusetts, a suburb west of Boston. His mother worked as a social worker, and his father held various jobs. Stone has described his childhood as modest, noting that his family lived in a small apartment and faced financial challenges.

From an early age, Stone demonstrated creative interests, particularly in art and design. He attended Wellesley High School, where he developed skills in visual arts and began exploring early computer graphics. His artistic talents would later prove influential in his approach to product design.

Stone enrolled at Northeastern University in Boston, where he studied graphic design. However, like many tech entrepreneurs of his generation, he did not complete his degree, leaving college to pursue opportunities in the emerging internet industry. He later attended the University of Massachusetts Boston but similarly did not graduate.

Career

Early career and blogging

Stone began his professional career in the late 1990s working as a book cover designer for various publishers, including Little, Brown and Company. His design work brought him into contact with the early blogging community, and he became fascinated with the potential of web publishing.

In the early 2000s, Stone joined Xanga, an early social networking and blogging platform, where he worked in a product development role. This experience deepened his understanding of social software and user-generated content platforms.

Google and Blogger

In 2003, Stone was hired by Google to work on Blogger, the blogging platform that Google had acquired from Pyra Labs (founded by Evan Williams). At Google, Stone met Williams, and the two formed a professional partnership that would prove foundational to their future ventures.

At Blogger, Stone worked on product design and development, helping to expand and improve the platform during a period of rapid growth in the blogosphere. His work earned him recognition within Google and the broader tech community.

Odeo and Twitter founding

In 2005, Stone left Google to join Williams at Odeo, a podcasting startup. When Odeo's core business was threatened by Apple's integration of podcasting into iTunes, the company pivoted. During a brainstorming session, Jack Dorsey pitched an idea for a status-update service inspired by SMS text messaging.

Stone was immediately enthusiastic about the concept and became a key member of the small team—alongside Dorsey, Williams, and Noah Glass—that developed the prototype. Stone has been credited with coining the term "tweet" for posts on the platform and played a central role in defining Twitter's character and culture.

Twitter launched publicly in July 2006. Stone served as Creative Director and later as a member of the board of directors. His role encompassed product vision, company culture, and public communications. He became one of the company's most visible spokespersons, known for his optimistic view of Twitter's potential to democratize information and enable social movements.

Twitter's growth and cultural impact

During his tenure at Twitter (2006–2011), Stone helped guide the company through explosive growth and numerous challenges:

• Developed Twitter's early product features and user interface
• Championed the platform's role in social activism, including during the 2009 Iranian protests (which he called Twitter's "defining moment")
• Helped establish Twitter's corporate values around free expression
• Served as a key public face of the company during its rise to global prominence
• Contributed to fundraising efforts that brought in prominent investors

Stone departed Twitter in 2011 to pursue other ventures, though he remained involved with the company as a shareholder and occasional advisor. He returned briefly to Twitter in 2017 in a part-time role to "guide the company's culture," leaving again in 2020.

Obvious Corporation and Medium

After leaving Twitter, Stone reunited with Evan Williams to co-found Obvious Corporation, a startup studio. Through Obvious, they launched Medium in 2012, a long-form publishing platform positioned as a more thoughtful alternative to Twitter's rapid-fire format.

Stone served as an early advisor and investor in Medium, helping to shape its editorial direction and product philosophy. Medium has since grown into one of the internet's most prominent publishing platforms, hosting millions of writers and readers.

Jelly Industries

In 2013, Stone founded Jelly Industries and launched Jelly, a human-powered search engine and Q&A application. The concept centered on users asking questions that would be answered by their social networks, combining search functionality with social dynamics.

Jelly launched in January 2014 with significant media attention. However, the product struggled to gain traction and was discontinued in 2017. Stone acknowledged that the timing and execution did not meet expectations, though he remained committed to exploring the intersection of human connection and information discovery.

Super and other ventures

Following Jelly, Stone launched Super, a mobile app designed for creating stylized, typographic posts for sharing on social media. While the app garnered some attention for its design aesthetics, it did not achieve mainstream adoption.

Stone has also been an active angel investor, backing numerous startups in the technology sector. He has served as an advisor to various companies and has been involved in several entrepreneurial initiatives through his investment activities.

Business philosophy

Stone is known for his optimistic, human-centered approach to technology. He has consistently advocated for the view that social software should bring out the best in humanity and enable positive connections. This philosophy has sometimes put him at odds with more cynical views of social media's impact on society.

Key aspects of Stone's philosophy include:

• Technology should be designed to foster empathy and understanding
• Companies have a responsibility to consider the social impact of their products
• The best products are simple, intuitive, and focused on human needs
• Failure is an essential part of innovation and should be embraced

Stone has been quoted saying, "The most revolutionary thing you can do is simply be kind to others." This sentiment reflects his belief that technology's ultimate purpose should be to enhance human connection and compassion.

Author

Stone has written two books:

• Things a Little Bird Told Me: Confessions of the Creative Mind (2014) – A memoir and business philosophy book sharing lessons from his career and life experiences
• The Boy Who Cried Freebird: Rock & Roll Fables and Sonic Storytelling (2008) – A collection of humorous short stories about rock music

His writing has also appeared in various publications including Wired, The Atlantic, and Medium.

Controversies

Twitter's content moderation challenges

While Stone was not primarily responsible for Twitter's content policies, he has faced questions about the platform's role in spreading misinformation and enabling harassment. Stone has generally maintained an optimistic view of Twitter's impact while acknowledging that improvements were needed.

Jelly's failure

The shutdown of Jelly after several years represented a high-profile failure for Stone. Critics noted that the product never found a clear use case or sustainable user base. Stone has been open about the experience, discussing it as a learning opportunity in public forums.

Personal life

Stone married Livia in 2002, having met her during his years in Boston before his tech career took off. Livia has worked in education and environmental advocacy. The couple has one son, Jacob, born in 2008.

The Stone family resides in the San Francisco Bay Area, where they are active in local community and philanthropic activities. Stone is a practicing vegan and has been an advocate for plant-based lifestyles, citing both health and environmental reasons.

Stone is known for his distinctive visual style, often photographed in signature accessories. He maintains an active presence on social media and continues to write regularly about technology, creativity, and social impact.

He has been involved in various charitable efforts, focusing particularly on education, children's welfare, and animal rights. Stone has served on the board of the ACLU of Northern California and has supported numerous environmental organizations.

Awards and recognition

• Named to Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People list (2009)
• Businessweek Top 50 Leaders (2009)
• Webby Award honors for Twitter
• Named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum
• Silicon Valley Business Journal 40 Under 40

External links

• Official website
• @baborino on Twitter
• Biz Stone on Medium