How do the two most profitable Internet companies compare?
Both companies started after competitors were already in their fields.
Both designed their early systems to be exceptionally user-friendly.
Both set up systems that allowed users to do things they could only do online rather than mimicking offline competitors.
Both emphasized frugality from thestart, used doors as desks.
Both knew that it was important to put users ahead of all other interests, including profitability.
Both built their back office systems themselves using open standards.
Both focused on speed: most valuable resource is time.
Both prefer hiring extremely smart people rather than people with experience.
Both grew by word of mouth rather than advertising.
Both track users' activity to customize the experience.
Both put small partners (advertisers/publishers) on equal footing with giants.
All three founders extremely smart and gifted technologically.
All three founders thought big, knew they would be billion-dollar companies.
All three founders attended Montessori schools.
Sergey and Jeff both want to take trips into space.
All three founders are Star Trek fans.
All three founders are extremely secretive, tend to ignore the press.
Are these the real rules for success online?
