Craig Newmark Craigslist
for putting the free in free markets
At Craigslist, the network of Internet bulletin boards that Craig Newmark has set up in more than 100 cities on five continents, the only people really selling stuff are the ones who post (mostly) free ads. “I act as the glamorous spokesmodel,” Newmark says.
The 52-year-old can joke, but his successful enterprise reflects something truly rare: It really helps people. In this age of test-marketing and spin, here 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.”
The best way to make a cult brand may well be to not try to. And so Newmark’s spartan webpages do not sing or sport banner ads. They simply work, and they are free. The only people required to pay are employers posting help-wanted ads for San Francisco, New York City, and Los Angeles.
Despite the narrow revenue base, Craigslist doesn’t dispute estimates that it grosses $10 million a year. A former employee given 25% of the company in 1999 sold it to eBay for an estimated $12 million to $15 million, implying 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.” So sure, we love him. We love Craig Newmark because, in a sense, he loves us.
Daniel Akst
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Martha Stewart, Martha Stewart Omnimedia
because she took one for the team
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Richard Branson, Virgin Group
because he’s game for anything. In fact, everything.
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Michael Dell, Dell Computer
for being brilliantly straightforward
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Jim Sinegal, Costco
because who knew a big-box chain could have a generous soul?
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Diane von Furstenberg, Diane von Furstenberg Studio
for staging an elegant comeback
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Julie Azuma, Different Roads to Learning
for offering hope and help to the parents of autistic children
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Fritz Maytag, Anchor Brewing
for setting limits
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Ray Kurzweil, Kurzweil Technologies and other companies
because he is Edison’s rightful heir
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Craig Newmark, Craigslist
for putting the free in free markets
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Jack Mitchell, Mitchells/Richards
because his family business makes an art of customer service
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Frank Robinson, Robinson Helicopter
for whipping an entire industry into shape
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Mark Melton, Melton Franchise Systems
for giving immigrants their shot at the American Dream
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Michelle Cardinal & Tim O’Leary, Cmedia and Respond2
for rewriting the rules for husband-and-wife teams
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Mike Lazaridis, Research in Motion
because someone had to stand up for all those frustrated engineers
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Trip Hawkins, Electronics Arts and Digital Chocolate
for still scrapping
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Warren Brown, Cake Love and Love Cafe
because only in America will someone quit a secure job as a lawyer to start a bakery
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Muriel Siebert, Muriel Siebert & Co.
for being a notable first with a worthy second act
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Chuck Porter, Crispin, Porter + Bogusky
for verging on reckless
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Katrina Markoff, Vosges Haut
for setting a completely unreasonable goal for her business
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Barry Steinberg & Craig Sumerel, Direct Tire and Auto Service
for showing the power of the peer group
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Victoria Parham, Virtual Support Services
for serving as a mentor to military spouses
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Tom LaTour, Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants
for staying at fleabag hotels so that we don’t have to
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Mitchell Gold & Bob Williams, Mitchell Gold
for creating a true comfort zone
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Izzy & Coco Tihanyi, Surf Diva
for kicking sand in the face of conventional wisdom
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Tony Lee, Ring Masters
for saving 16 jobs, including his own
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Rueben Martinez, Libreria Martinez Books and Art Galleries
for simultaneously building a business and nurturing Latino culture
