When Jim Lanson took the leadership in Yahoo In 2021, he saw more than just an old brand on the Internet that was beaten by years of commercial errors – he saw an opportunity. He was a serial transformation with ASK Jeeves, CBS Interactive and Tinder under his belt. Yahoo is seen as “White Whale of Turnarounds”, a company with deep roots, loyal users and a productive motor that needs dangerous repair.
“This is the third transformation of the 10 best Internet companies,” Lanzone said in an exclusive conversation with the Internet. luck At Cannes Lyons Festival. “We had to rebuild the team and the company from A to Z.”
Now three and a half years after what he calls a “multi-stage transformation-support for rebuilding to innovation”-Lanzone implements a strategy that turns in contact with everything from developing the product to cultural renewal, all supported by simple beliefs: the brand of digital media is only good as the products offer.
The product first, always
At the core of Lanzone’s philosophy there is a laser concentration on the quality of the product.
“Everything for the main consumer internet must start with the product,” he said.
Yahoo, who is still proud to drive in the real estate category such as Yahoo Finance and Yahoo Fantasy, has updated each major product it offers.
“In the past nine months, every pixel on a new Yahoo,” Lanzon pointed out. “Each product we run … is new.”
Only after fixing the user experience, as it argues, the brand re -affection company can.
“You can’t do it until you already fix the products first,” he said. “Especially in the Internet consumers, where these products that people use every day live.”
Yahoo, the overfishing that wanted to “run towards fire”
The transformation is not limited to user facades. Lanzone fixed the Yahoo structure, recruiting the higher talents from the Silicon Valley-which had no lack of opportunities in other places.
“People surprised the number of great people who wanted to run towards the fire here in Yahoo,” he said. “We have brought a great team and I think he got a lot of credibility very quickly.”
Among those who made the jump was the chief marketing employee Josh Line, who joined him Paramount GlobalAnd Rob Wilk, Head of World Consumer Sales in Yahoo, who left pop.
This credibility was necessary for Yahoo II’s work under the private stock company Global Administration ApolloYahoo from Verizon at less than $ 5 billion in 2021 – a 96 % cool reduction of the peak of its evaluation of $ 125 billion.
Away from the sunset process, Yahoo has become one of Apollo’s fastest deals.
“The playing book here was growth,” Langon said. “We are building here – not only trying to extract the value from the parts – but building one Yahoo to a sustainable and great company over the next thirty years.”
How to manage lanzone companies
As an old warrior of the product, Lanzone puts data at the center of each decision. “The first thing you look at is the data,” he explained. “Who uses it, how many times, what do you like about it? What do they hate?”
Despite many axes of the Yahoo story – including the tasks under Verizon and an attempt to become a media group and entertain – you never hesitated the base of the company’s loyal users.
“What we realized quickly is that in the places we were stronger in places, it was because they were using Yahoo for the same reason they were 30 years ago,” Langon said. “We were the Internet reliable guide … to help them move in the digital wild.”
The original Yahoo logo – “always under construction” – has a renewed meaning. He said, “We must always develop, but on behalf of our users – not for the reason for the company.”
Gen Z Surprise for Dot-Com
It may be the most surprising thing, even for Lanzone, is to drag Yahoo with younger users. “People are surprised that we are ranked fifth with General Z,” he said. “Half of our fans are Gen Z and Millennials.”
At the heart of the transformation, there is a cultural reset – one rooted in the spirit of Yahoo, but it adapts to the modern era.
In a symbolic step, the co -founder of Yahoo Jerry Yang recently returned to speak at the All Hands meeting at the company level, which enhances the company’s original task: to direct people online and help them achieve their online goals.
“This was the mission in 1995,” Langon said. “It is the task now.”
To get there, Lanzone believes that driving should be alignment and inspiration. “You have to bring great people who share your passion for the project,” he said. “People who want to make Yahoo great again.”
Myga.
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