In a classic example of taking something you love and making it into a business, Col Needham has done just that. He has turned his love of film quietly into an online media powerhouse without that being his goal.
The site he started is called the Internet Movie Database which he began in 1990 as a bulletin board database of movie credits. He and some friends who loved film worked on it together.
Imdb.com now ranks as the 10th most popular entertainment site online, according to ComScore Media Metrix, and had 18.6 million unique visitors in April 2006, which is up a huge 67 percent from last year.
Needham was a forerunner of what is being called Web 2.0 as most of its success has resulted from participation by the visitors. Needham says that last year alone users submitted information to the site 16 million times, adding little things that it would be impossible for any employed department to do.
In eight years it had become one of the favorites of the Internet, and eventually was contacted by Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com, to work together.
Needham and IMDB is a great example and encouragement on how you can turn a hobby and something you love into a great business. Do you think that Needham considers this a job? I don't.
Comment Preview