Entrepreneur: Craig Newmark
Company: Craigslist

In this age of test-marketing and spin, Craigslist's network of Internet bulletin boards is a business that does not treat the customer as a credulous cash dispenser. The result is what Douglas Atkin had in mind in The Culting of Brands when he wrote, "Cult brands are beliefs. They have morals--embody values. Cult brands stand up for things." Craigslist is estimated to gross $10 million a year, with an overall value of $60 million--a princely sum for a 14-person outfit. "There's no genius behind it," Newmark says. "It's persistence and listening to people."

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