Paperless Post's Long, Hard Road to Raise Money
James Hirschfeld and his sister started Paperless Post to recreate invitations for the Web. But VCs wouldn't bite, and time was running out.
The Emotional Story of Reddit's Start & Sale
Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian set out to revolutionize the Internet. Then came an even bigger challenge.
TaskRabbit: From Start-up to Global Web Market for Odd Jobs
Last year TaskRabbit founder Leah Busque raised $17.8 million in Series B financing. Now she's looking to scale up rapidly in the U.S. and abroad.
It's one of the 25 most-trafficked webites in the U.S., and it was founded by a pair of siblings in New Hope, Pennsylvania. Catherine and Geoff Cook explain how they did it.
Warrior Sports Manufactures Lacrosse Gear Domestically
Dave Morrow, a former college lacrosse player and founder of $200 million (sales) Warrior Sports lacrosse gear, says making products in China can compromise quality and delivery.
What the Jobs Act Means for Indiegogo, Crowdfunding & You
Slava Rubin, co-founder of Indiegogo, a website where anyone can raise money, talks about the impact recent crowdfunding legislation will have on his firm and those looking for financing.
How I Did It: Tumi's Charlie Clifford
The iconic luggage brand is going public at $18 a share. Here's how Charlie Clifford parlayed his love of Peruvian crafts into one of the globe's top luggage brands.
The Photo App Facebook Didn't Buy: Hipstamatic
Facebook may not have paid $1 billion for the Hipstamatic photo app this week, but it has had a profitable business model for years.
How Travis Kalanick Decided to Take On the Taxi Industry
Travis Kalanick, the founder of Uber, talks about the day he knew his luxury cab service was a disruptive technology company that needed a fearless leader.
Design That Makes a Difference
How I did it: Architect David Rockwell explains how he thinks not only about a building, but also about the way people experience it.
Of a Kind Founders Decide Fast, Iterate Later
Soon after Claire Mazur and Erica Cerulo launched Of a Kind, a fashion website, in 2010, they realized their initial web site ideas would always be wrong, and require changes.
How Wine.com Came to Dominate its Market
Since Mike Osborn founded Wine.com in 1998, he has tackled a complex web of state-by-state regulations, and effectively shut out competitors. Wine.com sales were $60 million in 2011.
How Diapers.com Gets Customers Coming Back
Marc Lore and Vinit Bharara lure moms to their websites to buy diapers, soaps, and other essentials. Quick delivery, simple experience, and good customer service gets them to return. When Amazon acquired the sites in 2010 for $540 million, they were earning $300 million in revenue.
How Do You Beat Chinese Copycats?
Jay Lapeyre, president of global manufacturing company Laitram LLC, shares why his company's history of innovation (it was the first ever automate shrimp peeling via machinery) gives it an edge against a growing number of overseas copycats.
Ben Huh's Secret to Building an Audience Online
Cheezburger Network CEO Ben Huh oversees 60 humor websites like the I Can Has Cheezburger cat blog. Forget viral hits. He says user loyalty--his network gets more than 24 million visitors each month--has less to do with funny cats, and more to do with data, consistency, and supply chains.
Thirty-three years ago, James Dyson set out after an unusual dream: to create the ultimate vacuum cleaner. Here's how he turned that vacuum into a billion-dollar business.
How to Identify Your Next Business Opportunity
As the co-founder of a Brooklyn gourmet food and wine shop, Jason Richelson knows first-hand the shortcomings of cash register software. So in August 2008 he invented a new one, ShopKeep Register, that runs on the iPad. He now has nearly 1,000 customers and last month raised $2.2 million in financing.
How 'wichcraft Multiplies Its Sandwich Shops
'wichcraft co-founders Sisha Ortuzar and Jeffrey Zurofsky talk about how they source artisanal ingredients and replicate a high-quality meal experience across 14 locations in New York, Las Vegas, and San Francisco.
How BaubleBar Undercuts the Competition
Amy Jain and Daniella Yacobovsky, the co-founders of online retailer BaubleBar, talk about how they convince customers they sell quality designer jewelry, despite their lower prices.
How To Go Up Against Apple and Microsoft
In the race to get Internet TV shows and movies into the living room, Boxee co-founder Idan Cohen notices unanticipated advantages of being the (much) smaller player.
