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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#earnyourleisure

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&mdash;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&amp;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
Subscribe to EYL - https://bit.ly/4jnU7Mr Subscribe to EYLClips - https://bit.ly/4yqBw6r
Watch more from the EYL Network: Earn Your Leisure - https://bit.ly/4e6VJ9S Market Mondays - https://bit.ly/4zzN7kt Black Out - https://bit.ly/3VPSai2
EYL Highlights - https://bit.ly/4yqCvn9 EYL Clips - https://bit.ly/3Wqpz32 Market Monday Clips - https://bit.ly/4zBtFnx Black 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
#earnyourleisure

Welcome to The Earn Your Leisure Podcast. Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings will be your host. Earn Your Leisure will be giving you behind the scenes financial views into the entertainment and sports industries as well as highlighting back stories of entrepreneurs. We will also be breaking down business models and examining the latest trends in finance. Earn Your Leisure is a college business class mixed with pop culture. We blend the two together for a unique and exciting look into the world of business. Let’s go!! #earnyourleisurepodcast

Earn Your Leisure

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

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/b5c74d33-3c91-420a-9a28-b4f200f407e9/transcript