Review
"A good yarn for those who like to read about clever business types." (
Freelance Informer, 26th January 2001)
"The book does provide an interesting look at the types of business strategies that one of the real Internet success stories has adopted." (Internet Works, February 2001)
From the Inside Flap
It was dubbed an E-Titan by the New York Times . . . boasts more than 10 million registered users . . . holds 1 million-plus auctions daily . . . and sells over $113 of gross merchandise every second. The juggernaut that is eBay generates more economic activity than any other Internet site and turns a very nice profit. Yet it was only a few years ago that eBay was barely more than an idea. How does a company grow from zero to such a dominant position in such a short time?
The eBay Phenomenon tells the inside story of how a hobby/experiment run from Pierre Omidyar's Silicon Valley apartment gave birth to not just a new business model but a whole new industry-creating one of the most powerful forces on the Internet. Featuring interviews with eBay insiders such as CEO Meg Whitman, this compelling and instructive book reveals how, with no blueprint or road map to follow, eBay executives and employees invented their business on the fly-in Internet time.
You'll see how they adapted traditional business activities to the new world of e-commerce, including brand development, customer acquisition and retention, outsourcing of key functions, and strategic alliances. You'll discover how eBay overcame a major challenge from Internet heavyweight Amazon.com. And you'll meet some of the thousands of entrepreneurs and small business owners who have used eBay as a launch pad for their own success.
This book uncovers the two key decisions-seemingly unimportant at the time-that enabled the company's stunning growth, provided infinite scale potential, and gave eBay the flexibility to alter its shape and extend itself almost automatically toward new opportunities. It also explains why Whitman, whose expertise slammed eBay's growth into high gear, was willing to leave her new job running a $600 million division of Hasbro and move 3,000 miles to take the reins of a tiny operation with only a few dozen employees.
The eBay Phenomenon does more than unearth the fascinating behind-the-scenes secrets of one of the hottest companies in existence today. It distills valuable lessons that will help any entrepreneur, business owner, or manager-whether the business is Web-based or brick-and-mortar-make decisions that attract customers, promote growth, and sow the seeds of overwhelming success.
