At 25, AOL switches tracks: Creating content, not just connecting users.
A few weeks ago, as Steve Case was flying above Sterling, en route to Dulles International Airport, he looked down and saw the sprawling campus that is home to the company he co-founded 25 years ago this month — the pioneering service that took millions of people online for the first time.
Aol. turned 25 this week and it had me reminiscing about the past. My first job right out of college was Aol. A naive, young girl who hardly knew herself, alone in Tucson, AZ, 1994 with no real plans to do anything post college. Some people I knew were working at a call center owned by a company called America Online. I knew nothing about computers but figured at the very least, they would train me in the basics. A good investment for my future and heck I didn’t have any plans and they offered – so I took the job. That was January 1995 – Tucson Arizona.
After 4 weeks of all day training, I hit the floor fielding calls from around the world. I was a lousy tech support rep. I really had no clue what I was doing – at least in the beginning. I was one of the few women in the call center and everyone around me was young. I don’t think any of us really had a clue what this would become or even what stock options were. I knew they gave me some when I got hired – a very very small sum. But why that was a good thing – I had no idea. We had a ton of fun though. Late nights, parties, good laughs…we were young – needed little sleep or money to get by.
I met some really fun people and I am still in contact with so many of those people. A few I would even call family. The single most important thing happened to me there – I met Scott Hoaglund – who 3.5 years later, would become my husband. We both worked at the Tucson call center for a while before deciding to ditch the southwest and head east to Northern Virginia to work at the coveted HQs in Vienna and Herndon. Lots of experiences there –and then AOL moved to their present HQs in Dulles VA. I changed positions a few times and at at the end, I believe I had logged over 14 managers in the span of 6 years and I hadn’t changed position/departments once! 3 different managers happened over the course of my maternity leave. It was a horribly run department in so many ways. I met many great friends while working at Dulles and met many people with the worst character possible. The Ying and the Yang.
There were a ton of great things about working for Aol. Being a part of the Internet boom was such an exciting thing – to see something small grow and grow and grow. Great benefits, great campus, great people, great perks. Interesting projects – learning constantly – fast paced – fun.
I also saw and experienced things that showed the bad side of people. Integrity and honesty disappeared for some. Young people, who months before, had no cash to their names became instant millionaires who seemed to forget how to treat and relate to others. Egos got bigger and it led to projects being requested for no one’s benefit but their own. I saw lots of executives using our project teams to do personal requests like creating personal boat logos, personal invitations, you name it. And personal requests aside, the sheer disrespect and arrogance shown by so many of the Mid to upper management became epidemic. The stories I could tell…the money that was spent… but not for everyone. Only for those deemed worthy enough.
I remember during the downward spiral of the Internet, attending an all hands by one executive in particular, one that I remember as being a big arrogant dick – he gave us this “pep talk” about how lucky we are that this company gave us all Mercedes and nice houses. How out of touch was this guy. Most of the people he was referring to had left the company by then and the rest were working because we HAVE to. There is no Mercedes, they live in their middle class suburban home and/or apartment. This was how it was. A Huge disconnect between the haves and have nots. They were so wrapped up in their own EGO, they lost perspective. Maybe they never had it or maybe they never cared to even gain it… who knows. It was definitely an white boys network. I hung up my AOL hat, November of 2006.
And while I respect both Steve and Ted for what they helped create, cultivate and inspired, turning a blind eye to what was going on at the company does not negate their part and/or responsibility in creating and perpetuating that culture. It’s easy to look back at it all with fondness – blocking the view of the many, many, many people, who had to time and time again endure the instability and uncertainty of layoffs and job loss.
I am sure many companies have similar stories. AOL was my frame of reference. I had many wonderful experiences at AOL and gained many skills. I gained alot from AOL and it’s because of working there, that I am where I am. And while I do look back at it fondly in so many respects, I will never lose perspective of the complete reality of it all. And I am not bitter – I have a great life, and a part of that was my time at AOL – I just also don’t prefer to sugar coat the past.