The (brief) Story of LinkedIn

I recently came across the LinkedIn story written by CNN a few months ago. I always find it interesting to read about how start-ups come to be, what motivates their founders and what keeps them going. The LinkedIn story is particularly interesting in that perspective. Most of us in the software development communities utilize the service in some way, shape or form but I personally had no idea to the extent of the size of LinkedIn (350 employees!).

A fast start up:

In just six years, the Mountain View, Calif., company has become one of Silicon Valley's stalwarts, with 350 employees and a brand recognized throughout corporate America. Profitable since 2006, LinkedIn's management says, the company raised nearly $80 million from investors last year, valuing it at $1 billion.

On starting during the dot com bust:

I have a strong belief that starting businesses during an economic downturn is the exact right time to do it because it gives you runway. It's harder to raise capital, but if you can do it, it gives you an advantage.

The full article can be found here: http://money.cnn.com/2009/06/02/smallbusiness/linkedin_startup_story.smb/index.htm

Posted by Stephan on November 04, 2009