Ruth Ann S. Basnillo

SYSANAL

O0A

Mena Trott

Cofounder, Six Apart

            Mena and Ben Trott started Six Apart in their apartment in 2001. The name of their company was named for the number of days between their birthdays.

            In October 2001, they launched movable type that almost immediately became popular. Then, they launched their hosted service Typepad later the fall of 2003. And in 2006, they launched a hosted blogging platform called Vox with a social networking component.

            Initially, Mena Trott was working on a blog called Dollarshort in April of 2001 that got really popular. But when the blogging company closed, they got laid off which made them think of developing their own blogging tool that would just be released as donation ware.

            The problem the startup addressed was that the cofounders were trying to do everything with just the two of them with their health at expense. Aside from that, their startup often replaces the stuff they have already bought because of their worry about costs.

            The product they offer was an improvement of blogging software available at the time which Mena Trott got dissatisfied with.

            I think people used their products because these are not just for professionals, who had expertise in installing server software, but also for people coming to blogging with less experience wherein they could just drag items into their templates.

            It had an impact in the history of the Internet in a way that it helped find a way in improving and developing the uses internet could offer such as this blogging software wherein blogs could be available in the Internet.

            What’s unique about this startup was that its cofounders were married couples, who, at first, were just working on themselves trying to do everything for their company without hiring anybody. Moreover, they didn’t have much expense on this startup because they just got donations with considerable factors from their users such as availing their product. The product they offer was something already offered and done before, and that’s where they really got the idea of their startup. But, the thing is that the existing blogging software was not that nice to make a blog with.

            If I were in the cofounder’s shoes, I would have also done a blog site to be connected to many friends because this is really one way of doing so. But then, I would not just have thought of the idea not to hire people that could help them with their company at first.

            This startup would have been possible in a Third World Country since most people have already knew stuffs about blogging which would trigger them also to develop their own if they got dissatisfied with the one they have used. The peculiar characteristic that it had was that the startup offered products and services suitable with the needs and skills of their prospective users. The startup was very flexible with the variance among people that would use it.

10 THINGS I DIDN’T KNOW:

1. After reading the case study, I learned that the cofounders of Six Apart were husband and wife namely Mena and Ben Trott. Before reading the case study, I didn’t know that they were the cofounders of Six Apart.
2. After reading the case study, I learned that the company was about stuffs regarding blogging. Before, I didn’t know that the startup was about blogging and offered blogging tools and services.
3. After reading the case study, I learned that the first product of Six Apart launched was Movable type. Before, I didn’t know anything about Movable Type.
4. After reading the case study, I learned that TypePad was a hosted service for people coming to blogging with less experience. Before, I didn’t know that it was a hosted service different from Movable type.
5. After reading the case study, I learned that their startup’s idea was got from the dissatisfaction of Mena Trott with the blog she had used before. Before, I didn’t know the motivation or the reason they worked on this startup.
6. After reading the case study, I learned that Movable Type is download software that could be installed in one’s own server. Before, I didn’t know anything about Movable Type.
7. After reading the case study, I learned that people just donated to them and they never asked for money while doing this startup. Before, I didn’t know that people would donate money for startups like this.
8. After reading the case study, I learned that the initial idea they had was to form a company that can’t take investors. Before, I didn’t know that this si possible.
9. After reading the case study, I learned that the startup had this strict license that says no one can make money off the stuff that they’re not making money off. Before, I didn’t know that this licensing could be made.
10. After reading the case study, I learned that the blogging tool was just released as donation aware. Before, I didn’t know that it was.