From dot-com chaos to Google’s rocket ship. Kevin Willer helped establish Google’s Midwest presence in Chicago when “search” wasn’t yet obvious and ad tech was still being pieced together. He scored Kevin@google.com, watched the 2004 IPO rewrite his life, sat with the team in NYC on 9/11, and later helped Chicago “plant a flag” with 1871, its startup hub.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How Google turned every product into a search machine (and why that printed cash)

• Why downturns (dot-com bust, Great Recession) created Google and Uber

• The folklore behind Kevin@google.com and opening Google Chicago

• The IPO moment: from “J-O-B” to choosing meaningful work

• A surreal 9/11 story from inside Google’s business team in Manhattan

• Building 1871 and what it takes to ignite a city’s startup ecosystem

• Real talk on careers: relationships, respect, and timing over pedigree

If you love unfiltered origin stories, hard lessons, and the decisions that change a life — this one’s for you.

👉 If this hit, like, subscribe, and drop a comment with your favorite moment.

#Google #Startups #TechHistory #EarlyEmployees #ChicagoTech #CareerAdvice #1871 #TheEarlyPodcast #EarlyPod

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🎙️ ABOUT THE SHOW:

The Early Podcast is where host Max Crowley, Uber’s #25 employee, sits down with the earliest builders behind today’s most iconic companies. No fluff, just raw stories from the trench years when your startup could still fail tomorrow.

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