F'd companies: spectacular dot-com flameouts

Description

Not long ago, the world was awash with venture capital in search of the next Yahoo! or Amazon.com. No product, no experience, no technology, no business plan -- no problem. You could still get $40 million from investors to start up your dot-com. And you could get people to work around the clock for stock options and the promise of millions. Then, around April 2000, it all came crashing down. Smart investors, esteemed analysts, and the business press found themselves asking: -Who knew people wouldn't rush out to trade in their U.S. dollars for a virtual currency called Flooz' -Who knew people wouldn't blow all their Flooz on a used car from the guys at iMotors.com' -And who needed a used car from iMotors.com when they could just sit at home and have 40-lb. bags of dog food delivered to them by a sock puppet' F'd Companies captures the waste, greed, and human stupidity of more than 100 dot-com companies. Written in Philip J. Kaplan's popular, cynical style, these profiles are filled with colorful anecdotes, factoids, and information unavailable anywhere else. Together they form a gleeful encyclopedia of how not to run a business. They also capture a truly remarkable period of history. F'd Companies is required reading for everyone involved in the "new economy"--Assuming your severance check can cover the cost.;Intro; Cover; Colophon; Title Page; Copyright; Dedication; Introduction; Chapter One: Tough Ship; Pets.com; Webvan; Kozmo.com; Furniture.com; Chapter Two: Solutions in Search of a Problem; eRegister.com; iHarvest.com; Third Voice; Wwwrrr.com; eMarker; Colo.com; Impresse; CalendarCentral.com; PopularPower.com; CapacityWeb.com; Refer.com; Iam.com; Mercata.com; Bizbuyer.com; FooDoo.com; Chapter Three:If It Sounds Too Good to Be True, It Probably Is; Fandom.com; FunBug.com; Vitessa.com; OnlineChoice.com; eFanShop.com; eLetter.com; Extreme Championship Wrestling; Chapter Four: Messy Endings Intro Cover Colophon Title Page Copyright Dedication Introduction Chapter One: Tough Ship Pets.com Webvan Kozmo.com Furniture.com Chapter Two: Solutions in Search of a Problem eRegister.com iHarvest.com Third Voice Wwwrrr.com eMarker Colo.com Impresse CalendarCentral.com PopularPower.com CapacityWeb.com Refer.com Iam.com Mercata.com Bizbuyer.com FooDoo.com Chapter Three:If It Sounds Too Good to Be True, It Probably Is Fandom.com FunBug.com Vitessa.com OnlineChoice.com eFanShop.com eLetter.com Extreme Championship Wrestling Chapter Four: Messy Endings Swapit.comFreeRide.com ThemeStream.com ExchangePath.com CashWars.com LogicTier MySpace.com CyberRebate.com Desktop.com Chapter Five: Quit While You're Ahead Liquor.com HeavenlyDoor.com BuildNet.com Zap.com Wingspan Bank Meals.com Music.com Express.com Work.com ToysRUs.com Finance.com Balducci.com DailyRadar.com Chapter Six: Ahead of Their Time? Or Just Stupid? Z.com Wapit.com MVP.com GlobalMedia.com MyBiz.com Rx.com Broadband Office Hitplay Media LipStream.com Promptu NetMorf Urban Cool Network MusicMaker.com AntEye.com Xuma.com Chapter Seven: Content Was KingRivals.com ContentVille.com Next50.com Hookt.com LocalBusiness.com eTown.com IUMA.com Voter.com The Industry Standard Chapter Eight: Everything That Can Be Digital, Will Be-But Shouldn't Be Wine.com Eppraisals.com Art.com CharitableWay.com BeautyJungle.com iMotors.com Ingredients.com Zoza.com Chapter Nine: Micro Niche ProcessTree.com Send.com Bidland.com eHobbies.com OfficeClick.com PlanetRX.com Chapter Ten: Party Like It's 1999 Urban Box Office CarClub.com eToys.com CollegeHire.com MarchFirst Chapter Eleven: Give It Away Now ECircles.comTheGlobe.com eVoice.com BitLocker.com SixDegrees.com Zelerate FreeWorks.com Chapter Twelve: B2C2B2McD'S Zing.com GreatEntertaining.com Multitude.com Bid.com Chapter Thirteen: 100 Shopping Spree If You Read This Chapter! Sticky Networks Save.com CyberGold.com Dash.com ePod.com AllAdvantage.com Chapter Fourteen: Portals to Nowhere Go.com QuePasa.com Scape.com HeadLight.com Chapter Fifteen: If It Ain't Broke, Fix It FinancialPrinter.com eLaw.com Foodline.com MetalSpectrum.com Comro.com HomeBytes.com Zoho.com Chapter Sixteen: I've No Fucking Clue DigiscentsFlooz.com Mr. Swap E Villa PaperFly.com Modo Empori.com Arzoo.com PNV.com Xigo.com XFL CampSix Comedy World iExchange.com ShoppingList.com ePods ClickABid.com QuestionExchange.com Sources Acknowledgments Company Index About the Author