Managing the Digital Enterprise | Case Study

CASE STUDY: CRAIGSLIST

About craigslist

Founded in 1995 by Craig Newmark in San Francisco, craigslist is an unconventional, down-to-earth web site with a mission of providing a trustworthy, efficient, relatively non-commerical place for people to find all the basics in their local area. The site offers local community classifieds and forums free to individuals. It handles more than 5 million classified ads and 1 million forums postings each month in 175 local craigslist sites throughout the US and 34 countries worldwide. In August 2004, eBay acquired a 25 percent ownership stake in craigslist. [Source: craigslist, August 2005]

Things to read:

About craigslist
craigslist facts and figures
A Talk with craigslist's Keeper by Jessi Hempel
Interview with Craig Newmark by Nathan Kaiser
Mr. Craigslist, Master of the Nerdiverse by Josh McHugh

Questions to consider:

What factors contribute to the growth in popularity of craigslist?
How does criagslist differ from the eBay marketplace?
What is the business model for craigslist?
How can traditional newspaper classifieds complete with craigslist?
The design of craigslist has changed seemingly little in the last decade. What impact has this had on the overall usability and popularity of the site?

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