#301 What the Like Button Tells You About Your Customers with Bob Goodson, Inventor of the Like Button

The like button has transformed how we interact online, becoming a cornerstone of digital engagement with over 7 billion clicks daily. What started as a simple user interface solution has evolved into a powerful data collection tool that companies use to understand customer preferences, predict trends, and build sophisticated recommendation systems. The data behind these interactions forms what experts call the 'like graph' - a valuable network of connections that might be one of your company's most underutilized assets.

Bob Goodson is President and Founder of Quid, a Silicon Valley–based company whose AI models are used by a third of the Fortune 50. Before starting Quid, he was the first employee at Yelp, where he played a role in the genesis of the like button and observed firsthand the rise of the social media industry. After Quid received an award in 2016 from the World Economic Forum for “Contributions to the Future of the Internet,” Bob served a two-year term on WEF’s Global Future Council for Artificial Intelligence & Robotics. While at Oxford University doing graduate research in language theory, Bob co-founded Oxford Entrepreneurs to connect scientists with business-minded students. Bob is co-author of a new book, Like: The Button That Changed the World, focussed on the origins of the ubiquitous Like Button in social media.

In the episode, Richie and Bob explore the origins of the like button, its impact on user interaction and business, the evolution of social media features, the significance of relational data, and the future of social networks in the age of AI, and much more.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

Bob’s book—Like: The Button That Changed the World • Connect with BobCourse: Analyzing Social Media Data in PythonRelated Episode: How I Nearly Got Fired For Running An A/B Test with Vanessa Larco, Former Partner at New Enterprise AssociatesRewatch sessions from RADAR: Skills Edition

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