WSJ Interview with Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster: The Art of Classifieds

[mandy]

WSJ has an interview with Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster:

But allowing most users to post without charge is an easy call in Mr. Buckmaster's book. "We're much more comfortable charging companies than charging individuals," Mr. Buckmaster says. "Businesses are better equipped to afford a small fee and businesses can pay for fees out of pre-tax dollars where on average users are less able to pay a fee and they have to pay in post-tax dollars." Giving users something free and denying money to the government at the same time? This man is no commie. What's more, he runs a lean outfit. "There are big advantages to focusing exclusively on user wants and needs as we do, and blocking out everything else. That's one of the ways we keep our staff small and our operations simple."

As for the banner ads, "It's not something our users have asked us for," Mr. Buckmaster deadpans, his 6-foot-8-inch frame slumped in a leather chair in his living room and his eyes fixed on some distant point out the window. It turns out this is something of a mantra for Mr. Buckmaster; what Craigslist's users want, they tend to get. No more and no less....

full article: http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB1...in_tff_top

[landofsmiles]

[quote author=mandy link=topic=4131.msg16313#msg16313 date=1150622518]
WSJ has an interview with Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster:

"It's not something our users have asked us for,"

[/quote]

And the question is.. What words will you never hear coming out of the mouth of Meg?