HE BUILT AN APP AT 15 AND SOLD IT FOR $30M BEFORE TURNING 18

@theventureroom

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Promoted product

Summly

Why it worked

The post leverages a compelling rags-to-riches narrative of a young founder achieving massive success, which is inherently inspiring and attention-grabbing. The use of a specific, impressive financial outcome ($30M sale) and celebrity investors creates strong social proof and aspirational appeal.

Summary

This photo post tells the story of Nick D'Aloisio, who built an app called Summly at 15 to summarize long articles. The app gained traction, attracted investors like Ashton Kutcher, and was eventually acquired by Yahoo for $30 million when Nick was 17. The post highlights that youth can be an advantage in identifying future opportunities.

Structure

1Introduction of Nick D'Aloisio and his app, Summly
2Explanation of Summly's purpose and its early development
3Nick's background as a young founder without traditional Silicon Valley resources
4The realization of the need for instant information and Summly's solution

Original caption

He built a $30 million app at 15 and had Ashton Kutcher investing in him by 16. Nick D’Aloisio realized early on that people wanted information instantly. He launched Summly from his bedroom, scaled it to millions of summaries a month while still balancing high school, and finalized the Yahoo acquisition at just 17. A great reminder that being young is actually an advantage when you're trying to see where the world is heading next. #entrepreneurship #youngentrepreneur #successmindset #millionairemindset #angelinvesting

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Product placement

Summly is the subject of the post, presented as a successful app developed by a young entrepreneur.

On-screen text

HE BUILT AN APP AT 15 AND SOLD IT FOR $30M BEFORE TURNING 18 THE VENTURE ROOM THE BREAKDOWN At just 15 years old, Nick D'Aloisio was fed up with how long articles took to read. So he decided to create Summly. An app that turned long articles into bite-sized summaries. Years before AI did it at scale. THE VENTURE ROOM THE BEGINNING Nick wasn't a Silicon Valley founder. He was a teenager coding from his bedroom in London. No team. No office. No funding at the start. Just curiosity and an obsession with technology. THE VENTURE ROOM THE IDEA Years before AI summaries became mainstream, Nick realised attention was becoming scarce. People wanted information instantly. Summly gave it to them. THE VENTURE ROOM THE RISE At just 16 years old, Summly raised around $1M from high-profile backers including: Li Ka-shing Ashton Kutcher Yoko Ono Rupert Murdoch's investment vehicle Suddenly, the teenager building in his bedroom was attracting global attention. THE VENTURE ROOM THE GROWTH Summly quickly climbed the App Store rankings. The product generated millions of summaries every month. Tech publications around the world began profiling Nick as one of the most promising young founders in Europe. And throughout much of this journey he was still balancing school alongside building the company. THE VENTURE ROOM THE GROWTH In 2013, Yahoo acquired Summly in a deal was reportedly worth around $30 million. Nick was still just 17. THE VENTURE ROOM THE LESSON You don't need decades of experience to spot where the world is heading. Sometimes being young means seeing the opportunity before everyone else does. THE VENTURE ROOM THANKS FOR READING