評論
打印
How did you not suffer the fate of many businesses that make unsuccessful changes, then never recover their initial momentum and eventually shut down?
很多企業因為不成功的改變無法恢復最初的動力，最終導致關門，你是如何從那場危機中生存下來的？
Why did Craigslist survive that tumultuous period of experimentation?
為什么Craigslist 能從那段混亂的時期存活下來。
Well, when I’m committed to something, I’m committed.
嗯，當我承諾了某件事的時候，我就會全力以赴。
Then at the end of 1998，some people approached me and helped get me out of denial about what was going on
1998年底，一些人找到我，幫助我打消顧慮，告訴我該做什么。
and then I made Craigslist into a real company in the beginning of 1999.
于是1999年初我把Craigslist 變成一個真正的公司，
I did a mediocre job at best，because I’m not very good at it in terms of the business end of the operation.
我頂多就是做到不好不壞，因為我不懂經營，
I had the first ideas about it, but most of what we do is based on what people in the community suggest.
只是有個想法，但不知該怎么實現，那時我們只是根據社區用戶的建議去做。
Fortunately, in 2000 I hired a guy named Jim Buckmaster.
幸運的是， 在2000年我雇到一個叫吉姆巴克馬斯特的人
He’s turned out to be a natural manager and he does a great job with it.
他是個天生的經理人，把事情做得非常好。
Is it crazy to say that it's an accident that you created this site?
可以這樣說嗎，你是意外地創建了這個網站？
In a way, this site is a happy accident.
某種意義上，這個網站是個可喜的意外。
We built critical mass and made things happen just by doing what feels right.
在關鍵時刻，我們只是根據感覺去做，
That statement reflects the first five years of running it.
你的說法對Craigslist前5年來說是對的，
Then, when Jim took over, he made it operate much more smoothly.
但自從吉姆接管經營，他把整個公司運作得很順利，
We’re on a very firm footing right now.
我們現在有非常堅實的根基。
Tell me more about that footing. How does the company make money?
能不能告訴我們那根基是什么？ 你們怎么賺錢？
The idea is that we’re a community service.
這個概念是，我們是一種社區服務。
Almost 100% of the site is free, but we do charge for job postings in 11 cities.
網站幾乎是100％免費的，但我們在11個城市對招聘廣告收費，
We charge for brokered apartment listings in New York.
我們也對紐約的房屋中介廣告收費。
Why only in New York? I mean, in Seattle, San Francisco and other places, you’d make money.
為什么只是紐約？我的意思是，在西雅圖，舊金山或其他城市，你照樣可以賺錢。
