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From the lens The Amazing Adventures of Building Squidoo.

Did I miss something? If you have any questions or comments please feel free to comment below.

  • survivoryea Apr 26, 2012 @ 4:25 pm | delete
    So impressive and what an enormous amount of work went in to creating this-thanks for sharing the beginnings :>)
  • acisni Mar 29, 2012 @ 6:16 am | delete
    I guess most Suidoo users don't even think about what goes on behind the scenes- I didn't!
  • wilfredpadilla Mar 18, 2012 @ 4:52 pm | delete
    I can relate to that. Sometimes, just expect the unexpected like a service suddenly stops, a hardware part suddenly malfunctioned or there is a bug in the system or in a OS. And also, prevention is the best! I enjoy reading your lens!
  • clickbysearch Mar 17, 2012 @ 12:50 am | delete
    Thanks for share such useful stuff with us.
  • mamabush Mar 13, 2012 @ 12:58 am | delete
    So cool to read about the beginnings of Squidoo! Thanks for sharing! And thanks for liking my Traditional Irish Breakfast lens today...so glad you visited! :)
  • Elric22 Feb 28, 2012 @ 4:09 pm | delete
    Interesting to see the evolution. Thanks for sharing!
  • Feb 7, 2012 @ 6:52 pm | delete
    very nice
  • Zut_Moon Feb 6, 2012 @ 9:23 pm | delete
    Nice ...
  • ---Chazz Feb 3, 2012 @ 10:55 am | delete
    Thanks for the history lesson. Very cool. Glad to learn about the early days and congrats on your amazing accomplishments.
  • squidyou Jan 24, 2012 @ 6:59 am | delete
    So nice to hear about the history of Squidoo.. nice to meet you too!
  • sherridan Jan 17, 2012 @ 6:33 pm | delete
    ...............and the rest is history! Really interesting to hear about the initial difficulties.
  • favored1 Dec 23, 2011 @ 2:15 am | delete
    Nice to know how you all came together in the making of Squidoo.
  • manlalakbay Dec 3, 2011 @ 12:10 pm | delete
    Thanks for presenting the history of Squidoo. =)
  • TheGourmetCoffeeGuy Nov 27, 2011 @ 1:26 am | delete
    One of the coolest and most interesting lenses I've read! Really neat to get a "look behind the scenes" -- thank you for sharing!
  • WebaliciousGuides Nov 26, 2011 @ 10:26 am | delete
    It was really interesting to read about how Squidoo was set up, thanks for sharing the story.
  • RenaissanceWoman2010 Nov 23, 2011 @ 9:18 am | delete
    What an amazing ride. Impressive... all that has been accomplished. Kudos to the team!
  • ShoeCleaner Nov 18, 2011 @ 7:21 pm | delete
    Great read on the start of Squidoo.
  • technospunky Nov 15, 2011 @ 1:36 pm | delete
    Thank you for posting it!
  • LeCordonDude Nov 9, 2011 @ 9:03 pm | delete
    WOW!! You guys are like Jedi to me!! It's great to have a history of the Order in the Archives! :0)
  • SIALicenceUK Nov 4, 2011 @ 7:41 am | delete
    Very interesting to find out how squidoo got started.
  • WayneDave Oct 26, 2011 @ 12:11 pm | delete
    So interesting to read. Like Expert Presenter said, good see some behind the scenes information! Thanks a lot for sharing this.
  • ExpertPresenter Sep 17, 2011 @ 9:57 am | delete
    Good to read the behind the scenes at Squidoo. This is a great site that's made self-publishing into a "fun game." I'd love to see more in-depth business-oriented topics. Some of the stuff is a bit too vanilla and elementary; but that's why we're here!
  • howel Sep 15, 2011 @ 9:44 pm | delete
    I read the above with a feeling of admiration - obviously the end (perhaps current is a better word) result is impressive, but from my point of view, the vision and the perseverance is admirable.
  • manchester Aug 14, 2011 @ 11:54 am | delete
    I think what's been achieved here is great. In spite of Squidoo attracting spammers and similar, the quality standards here are high and it's my absolute favourite user generated content platform on the web.

    Great job... and I love the monsters!
  • cbessa Jul 26, 2011 @ 8:44 pm | delete
    Hey, man, great work you guys have done here. Really inspiring.

    Im not an architeture or programmer but know a little bit of server and programming. Been trying to put together an small bloggers pool (20 bloggers) on my own VPS and i've been having a hard time.

    But, the work you guys have done here is so inspiring that I keep learning. at least, enough to understand the challenges i will face in some projects i have. Nothing as big as Squidoo, but sure inspired by.

    Thanks!
  • GayleMcLaughlin Jul 8, 2011 @ 9:29 pm | delete
    I didn't understand all of it, but it was certainly interesting to learn about how Squidoo was started!
  • bercton Jun 12, 2011 @ 8:17 am | delete
    Great platform for developing and identifying writing talent. I give it the x factor.
  • vallain May 23, 2011 @ 2:17 pm | delete
    A fascinating glimpse into Squidoo's back room. I can't begin to understand all the tech details, but it satisfied my curiosity about how it was started.
  • sluggasteve May 21, 2011 @ 1:56 pm | delete
    Way to steal my idea. Lol. Good for you man.
  • PeteSchultz Apr 13, 2011 @ 9:24 am | delete
    Over my head, but I had to check it out. I enjoy posting info to Squidoo and creating lenses....how it happens is smoke and mirrors as far as I'm concerned.
  • garrekds Apr 4, 2011 @ 8:15 am | delete
    I always enjoy hearing about what goes on behind the scenes at companies I like. Thanks for sharing!
  • huvalbd Mar 24, 2011 @ 3:08 pm | delete
    Really enjoyed this, especially the liberal sharing of technical and logistical details. Thanks!
  • sorana Mar 18, 2011 @ 9:55 pm | delete
    Very interesting. Thanks for Squidoo; it's a great platform.
  • JoyfulPamela Mar 17, 2011 @ 7:42 pm | delete
    Cool! I adore Squidoo, so thanks so much for helping to create it!! =D
  • WateredGardenCreations Mar 9, 2011 @ 8:40 am | delete
    What a great story. Thanks for all your work at Squidoo. It is truly appreciated.
  • miaponzo Feb 16, 2011 @ 2:41 pm | delete
    Just want to say thanks for Squidoo :)
  • hotbrain Dec 27, 2010 @ 8:23 pm | delete
    This is an excellent lens with great information about the development of Squidoo. It's a great platform and I plan to be on it for as long as the focus is quality :)
  • Luminosity Dec 13, 2010 @ 6:58 pm | delete
    Thanks for creating a community platform where a multitude of people can benefit from it's beneficence.
  • LabKitty Nov 9, 2010 @ 6:17 pm | delete
    It's great to get the inside story from one of the architects. Great job. Now all you need to do is fix that bug that keeps people from finding our stuff :-p
  • capriliz Oct 28, 2010 @ 11:02 pm | delete
    An amazing story! Thanks for everything. I think Squidoo is wonderful.
  • Tipi Oct 8, 2010 @ 11:20 am | delete
    Thanks for all that you do Gil! ~ I love Squidoo.
  • JollyvilleChick Oct 8, 2010 @ 1:14 am | delete
    From a Lensmasters' point of view, you've made Squidoo quite easy to use. It's a nice blend of default modules but you give us room to customize it with a little bit of code. If you come back to Austin for another SXSW, how about a Squidoo meet-up!
  • jptanabe Sep 24, 2010 @ 1:18 pm | delete
    Fascinating to read how Squidoo got started!
  • Christene Sep 8, 2010 @ 11:46 am | delete
    Blessed by a SquidAngel :)
  • skiesgreen Sep 1, 2010 @ 11:58 pm | delete
    Wonderful of you and the rest of the squad to do this and for you to explain it so well. It has become a major part of my life now and has grown into a wonderful community of friends and good relationships. *-*Blessed*-* and featured on Sprinkled with Stardust
  • QueSea Apr 13, 2010 @ 7:53 pm | delete
    Thanks for the history. You and the rest of your team do a bang-up good job!
  • QueSea Apr 13, 2010 @ 7:50 pm | delete
    Thanks for sharing the history. I'm not programmer, but I'm very interested in how Squidoo came into being. You and the rest of the team are doing a bang-up good job!
  • planproject8 Mar 9, 2010 @ 8:43 am | delete
    Really it's a great lens. Some valuable suggestion contain in this lens. Here are also some essential links. I think that these will be helpful for me.

    Thanks a lot
  • seegreen Feb 20, 2010 @ 8:24 pm | delete
    Interesting stuff. Perfecting an elevator speech is vital in a lot of areas and is something that people often don't think to prepare.
  • dannystaple Feb 20, 2010 @ 2:47 pm | delete
    A good read. Having looked at community style software before, I am interested to see how you dealt with some of the challenges.
  • Timewarp Feb 19, 2010 @ 4:47 pm | delete
    Cool to hear the technical side of Squidoo development, a great example of a lean DIY startup.
  • KarenTBTEN Feb 19, 2010 @ 9:09 am | delete
    Wow, that was quite a read -- something I will probably share with some friends outside of Squidoo.
  • Tipi Feb 18, 2010 @ 9:25 pm | delete
    I can hardly believe that its been almost a year since a member of Squidoo commented on this lens. I mean...WHAT? I was the first to tweet it according to the Twitter thingy, that can't be right! ~ Its getting lensrolled and promoted, featured too! :)
    Thank you Gil,
    Susie
  • prosperity66 Feb 18, 2010 @ 11:57 am | delete
    Joined three years ago but I'm an Angel since only one month so this is my opportunity to bless a page that any Squid newbie should read so that they learn how it all started and the work you do behind the scenes.
    Blessed by a SquidAngel.
  • jgelien Dec 31, 2009 @ 1:36 am | delete
    I was curious about how Squidoo got started. Thanks for a very interesting short history.
  • almirah Dec 27, 2009 @ 12:35 pm | delete
    Here you are! I have been looking for how was the Squidoo developed. And how developers worked hard to make it as we what we all are enjoying now! Thank you to all the Squidoo founders
  • Webcodes Dec 18, 2009 @ 4:03 pm | delete
    THis is fascinating stuff. As a developer I can understand the struggles you go through. Great lens.
  • thesuccess Dec 15, 2009 @ 1:33 pm | delete
    Hi was hoping to learn more about the Ajax, the utter user friendliness of the editor which so impressed me as a techie (LAMP etc) when I joined Squidoo (and still does)
  • mysticmama Dec 13, 2009 @ 2:18 pm | delete
    Very informative & fun to learn what all goes into Squidoo behind the scenes. You Rock Gil & we all really appreciate all you do to make Squidoo such a wonderful tool for all of us!
  • Jewelsofawe Nov 4, 2009 @ 5:09 pm | delete
    I never knew this story. Now I do. Thanks for all your hard work for squidoo. I appreciate you!
  • theraggededge Oct 8, 2009 @ 3:11 pm | delete
    I'm pretty new (July 09) but I want to thank you for making this adventure so exciting and relatively painless.... and I'm going to give this lens its 101st set of 5*s.
  • CreativeArtist Jul 30, 2009 @ 12:56 pm | delete
    Nice to read about your start-up.
  • ChapelHillFiddler Jun 20, 2009 @ 5:15 am | delete
    I'll never be a back-end person but lately, attending website meetups, I've met quite a few and have so much respect for the work you do and the way your minds work! You're the furiously paddling feet to keep the serene tech-ignorant ducks serenely moving along the surface of the lake. Thanks for the work you do, much of which is ignored till it goes wrong.
  • jimisan Jun 13, 2009 @ 9:06 am | delete
    A very interesting history how squidoo started and evolved into a brand name. It's hard work all the way. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to be part of your community.
  • Teddi14 Jun 11, 2009 @ 10:07 pm | delete
    Great lens to read. I love knowing the back story. Thanks for all you do at Squidoo. I love it. :-)
  • OrganicGiftsByDiana Jun 10, 2009 @ 1:46 pm | delete
    Your Twitter led me here an I am so glad for it !
    Great reading and it is amazing that so much has been done by just a few of you.

    Thank you

    Organically Yours,
    Diana
  • mbgphoto Jun 9, 2009 @ 7:48 am | delete
    Great insight into Squidoo! Thanks.
  • Heather426 May 17, 2009 @ 11:34 pm | delete
    very enjoyable story. thanks for telling it and for all your work so we can have squidoo.
  • sashas May 10, 2009 @ 11:41 am | delete
    Thanks for this lens man...I've got several ideas/projects in the pipeline..this is a good blueprint as to what i can expect at development/launch phase.
  • MikeMoore May 5, 2009 @ 1:28 pm | delete
    I really enjoyed reading your story and how Squidoo has advanced into the online entity it is today. I never gave it much thought untill I looked up your profile. Thanks for the read and thanks for all the hard work you and the other Squidoo team members do on a daily basis.
  • Ramkitten Apr 7, 2009 @ 12:19 pm | delete
    Really interesting read. I'm glad you stopped by a lens of mine and commented, which led me here (well, to your list of lenses, but I came to this one first). I've been so busy creating lenses, I've never really looked into Squidoo as a company. Better a bit late than never! Now on to your other lenses.....
  • d-artist Feb 5, 2009 @ 6:38 pm | delete
    great lens...I learn a lot...thanks for your part in squidoo...5*
  • KimGiancaterino Jan 14, 2009 @ 11:54 am | delete
    Wow... I learned so much here. Thanks, Gil!
  • GrowWear Nov 1, 2008 @ 11:49 pm | delete
    Wonderful lens! Y'all look so cool on that couch. Love Seth's socks. :) Loved seeing your pix. Mostly I am amazed and awed by the tremendous job you guys do! Very proud to be a Squidooer!
  • businessonapage Oct 28, 2008 @ 3:58 pm | delete
    Once at Uni I made a 10 minute speech about a medical paper that explained how doctors and nurses treated a victim of a knife attack.

    The majority of the paper explained how they had to calm the person down and then how they did the technical thing to clean, repair and bandage the wound.

    Your lens covering the technical (servers, databases etc...) and non-technical (anti-spamming, elevator speech etc...) issues that arose in this project reminded me of the paper and provides a wonderful insight into what you guys have created.

    Thank You for the history lesson and providing this platform for the Squidoo community. I'm glad to hear that there is more to come.

    PS It's great to see the photos. Was the kitchen intentionally meant to look bigger than the equipment room?
  • spirituality Oct 20, 2008 @ 3:38 am | delete
    Great to read your story :)
  • DrRichard Oct 16, 2008 @ 5:57 pm | delete
    As a php and mysql geek myself this is really impressive. I've only built small applications so far and the challenges of designing and implementing for a high-traffic site are very interesting. Great work!!
  • OhMe Oct 3, 2008 @ 9:16 pm | delete
    I just love the fact that I can sit back and enjoy making my little lenses without having to understand all of this. Thank you for making it happen.
  • ZBT Oct 2, 2008 @ 4:11 pm | delete
    Being not even a month old here, your lens "rocked it" for me! Thank you for the insight to how it all began.
  • Spook Oct 1, 2008 @ 10:24 am | delete
    I take my hat off to you and all your hard work and effort. I hope you believe it was all worth it.
  • Lisa-Marie-Mary Sep 30, 2008 @ 4:07 pm | delete
    I just love that you've laid out 'The Whole Squidstory' for us here! That is very cool! Thanks for sharing it! :)
  • hesika Sep 12, 2008 @ 3:54 pm | delete
    Thank you for giving us a glance about the history of development of Squidoo. It is very interesting and there is a lot of things to learn. For me, for example, the FogBugz could be the software, I could need in the next time. Thank you so much. Keep on your excellent work.
  • wstrauss73 Sep 6, 2008 @ 10:01 pm | delete
    Gil, thanks for posting this lens.. with all the info you provided it makes people think how much we take for granted when it comes to using this site. Without YOU and the rest of the Squidoo Team this wouldn't even be here. Thanks for all the time, hard work and brilliant concepts. Definitely 5-Stars :)

    Bill S.
  • thrivingmom Sep 2, 2008 @ 1:28 pm | delete
    Great info. Thanks for sharing it with us all. :)
  • credit-card Aug 9, 2008 @ 4:01 pm | delete
    I understand - it's just a quick overview of the history and you, probably, had to deal with so many more things (besides the ones that were mentioned) for all this to happen and be the way it is. This lens makes me and, I bet, everyone who read it appreciate your work and the site so much more. Thank you, guys!
  • samej Jul 29, 2008 @ 11:58 am | delete
    Interesting read.
    Will be a bit more understanding now when waiting for a response to a feedback email, etc...
  • The_Homeopath Jul 22, 2008 @ 1:55 pm | delete
    This is so cool! Thank you for all of your work to make it easier for schmucks like me to play online!
  • Gimmesome Jul 15, 2008 @ 10:06 am | delete
    Gil,

    We usually don't hear much about the behind-the-scenes story except when there's a (thankfully rare) problem. It's nice to get this background about the company and the great folks who keep everything running. Thanks to you and everyone else at HQ!
  • ebay-grandma Jul 14, 2008 @ 9:02 am | delete
    What a journey - all so we can have fun as lensmasters - well and make a little money along the way for charity and for us. Thanks
  • RedSportNiac Jul 7, 2008 @ 11:09 am | delete
    Nice stories. All the hardship and perseverance squidoo staff went thru definitely would inspire lensmater to produce quality lens and make squidoo the best internet community years after years. Great job.
  • LindaJM Jun 18, 2008 @ 11:40 pm | delete
    Thanks for the details. I read the whole thing, mesmerized. I appreciate knowing how this got started.
  • MyKidsInheritance Jun 10, 2008 @ 2:05 pm | delete
    Awesome job, Gil. Thanks for "inviting us all in" on how it all began. LOVE Squidoo.
    Melissa
  • RyanRE May 23, 2008 @ 11:55 am | delete
    You guys did a great job with Squidoo. PHP is a challenging, or at least it was for me. This was a cool lens. I like to see that backend side of things, no pun intended of course :)
  • happy-jack May 9, 2008 @ 2:13 pm | delete
    Thanks this makes me very
    happy and the photos save
    me a long air trip to visit you people. The very best to all of yoy
  • BFuniv.com May 8, 2008 @ 12:39 am | delete
    Like a new theater production. Nothing seems to work right, but somehow everyone enjoys it. It is nice to know the route to the pleasures we now enjoy. Keep up the great work.
  • DMedley May 6, 2008 @ 2:51 pm | delete
    Thanks for some great insight into the workings of Squidoo. I have been building squidoo lenses for a year and this information brings a lot into perspective for me.
  • May 1, 2008 @ 3:47 pm | delete
    Gil, thanks for never giving up. You guys have created a wonderful community here. I am thrilled to be a part of it. :)
  • FoxMusic Apr 27, 2008 @ 5:39 pm | delete
    Thanks for the insight into Squidoo
  • Karendelac Apr 25, 2008 @ 3:31 am | delete
    An Easy 5 stars !
    Gil, this was really a good read....you made it hard to put down, I have been on this site for 45 minutes even looking up technical terms.
    Very Well Done for persistence and long hours and overcoming all barriers and problems.
    Best wishes,
    Karen
  • Apr 9, 2008 @ 9:33 pm | delete
    Good to know about Squidoo and how it started. :)
  • ronpass Apr 5, 2008 @ 3:11 am | delete
    Gil, it's great to see some of the history of Squidoo. You continue to innovate and provide a superb platform to promote affiliate products and not-for-profits. I appreciate the opportunity to donate my Squidoo earnings to worthwhile charities.
  • JaguarJulie Apr 2, 2008 @ 5:33 pm | delete
    Say did I already tell you what a great lens this is? You know I'm blonde, so sometimes I need a little help ya know! AB xoxoxo
  • RickBasset Mar 28, 2008 @ 12:11 pm | delete
    Squidoo is amazing! The work you and the others have put in to make this happen is incredible. I am an official Squidoo junkie.
    Gotta go...need a fix!

    Peace!
  • BusyQueen Mar 25, 2008 @ 10:33 pm | delete
    Thanks for the amazing story on Squidoo
  • Marelisa Mar 22, 2008 @ 1:29 pm | delete
    Hi Gil: I just launched my first lens on Monday of this week and I can´t tell you how much fun I'm having with squidoo. I can't stop logging on to ad dnew modules or tweak the ones I've already added. You guys are doing a fantastic job!
  • Stephene Mar 16, 2008 @ 11:20 am | delete
    thanks for useful information.. i hv joined your fan club.. (^o^)
  • driewe Mar 5, 2008 @ 3:18 pm | delete
    This is fascinating. My word press blogs are getting jealous because I am spending more and more time on Squidoo :-)
  • secondchancegifts Feb 18, 2008 @ 9:00 am | delete
    WOW, very interesting story and thanks for sharing it with us.
  • moviestarstyle Feb 17, 2008 @ 11:21 pm | delete
    great story about a great site! xoxo, moviestarstyle
  • snaz Feb 17, 2008 @ 3:48 pm | delete
    Thanks for the peek under the hood Gil, it's an informative & entertaining read. (LOL at the moments of pizza delivery contemplation) Congratulations to you and the others at squidoo-HQ. Also a HUGE Thank You for this wonderful community we all have come to know & love :)
  • BobTheTeacher Feb 15, 2008 @ 11:01 pm | delete
    Great to have such an excellent story told in such a fantastic manner. Very effective use of different modules to tell the story, too.

    Bob Jenkins
    - the Jerky lens guy and SquidooSecrets.com founder
  • thomasz Feb 13, 2008 @ 2:16 am | delete
    I like this lens. 5 stars to you.
  • neverburnoutrx Feb 11, 2008 @ 1:18 am | delete
    just genuinely appreciate the openness and transparency -- great job.
  • stormyweather Feb 9, 2008 @ 4:28 am | delete
    Really heartened to see you chose PHP. There is so much written about why PHP is not good enough for serious developments and it clearly is. What an endorsement!
  • levikujala Feb 8, 2008 @ 12:34 am | delete
    Truly a great story. I didn't even care that most of your references didn't make sense to me:) It's no wonder the community vibe is so strong here.
  • Plato Feb 6, 2008 @ 9:29 pm | delete
    Very interesting beginnings. I too suffer from large group email anxiety due to a mishap I won't soon forget. "take more care" good mantra. I hope that loser spammer got the boot straight away.

    Onward & Upward
  • mikehz Feb 4, 2008 @ 3:43 am | delete
    Gil, this is remarkable, I've wondered often how you keep this large site going with so little staff! Keep up the good work
  • SingingLessons Feb 2, 2008 @ 10:42 am | delete
    Wow, great to hear that such a success story had its bumps in the road. Makes it seem more personal, like a real community should be.
  • XanTastic Feb 1, 2008 @ 5:12 pm | delete
    Squidoo Rocks...thanks for sharing the story as we've shared it from our end too!
  • jackclee Feb 1, 2008 @ 1:28 pm | delete
    Congratulations to the small team that created Squidoo. It is a brilliant concept and very impressive.
    5 stars...
  • bucks123 Jan 31, 2008 @ 8:08 pm | delete
    For someone that is usually not short of words, the only thing I can think of is I am thoroughly impressed with Squidoo and all the staff as we'll as all the members it has attracted. I'm probably your newest member (joined a few hours ago) and still stuck on this site.
    The more I read, the more I want to keep reading and the more I want to contribute to a community that REALLY does have a clear cut "long term" objective on where it's headed.
    I Am Impressed!
  • The_Bard Jan 31, 2008 @ 6:57 pm | delete
    This is a real "eye-opener". You guys have my utmost respect. I'm certainly proud to be a part of Squidoo in my own small way. You have my full support. Keep up the great work. - Paul.
  • nekoneko Jan 31, 2008 @ 3:12 am | delete
    whoa... glad to be part of squidoo :D
  • sonia_simone Jan 28, 2008 @ 6:39 pm | delete
    This is deeply cool, I love having this "squidoo baby book." Thanks Gil. You really do rock, and the squids love you.
  • coolandy Jan 27, 2008 @ 4:52 am | delete
    Great story. Its truly inspirational. I'd be glad if u tell me how u managed so much popularity. And got into alexa's top 800. I think squidoo's now posing a threat to ezinearticles at google.
  • CarolynLBoyd Jan 26, 2008 @ 10:20 am | delete
    What I love most about Squidoo is that you have harnessed the power of people's passionate interests. Even when I'm not interested in a particular subject, reading what someone who is passionate about it has to say is so often fascinating. What a wonderful tool for gathering and sharing knowledge!
  • Susan52 Jan 26, 2008 @ 8:04 am | delete
    I won't pretend to understand every detail, but I get the gist of it. That is quite a story and, having been a programmer and analyst way back before the term "IT" was invented, as well as married to the head of computer operations, I particularly appreciate the parts about tackling the crashes and problems that came up along the way. Thanks for sharing, Gil. I'm impressed and very proud to be a part of Squidoo.
  • badmsm Jan 25, 2008 @ 10:35 pm | delete
    Wow, and I thought I was impressed before...we are unworthy!!! Still, very glad I found Squidoo, it feels like home (only more aquatic).
  • flicker Jan 25, 2008 @ 7:53 pm | delete
    Thanks, gil, for telling us the history of Squidoo. Very interesting.
  • PhotoDub Jan 25, 2008 @ 7:28 pm | delete
    Great story! Like Diane, I'd love to join your team but can't tell my SNOBOL from my COBOL...

    Nice view of the Hudson you have there!

    Mike
  • Chadrew Jan 25, 2008 @ 5:48 pm | delete
    Nice story. It's pretty amazing that you are able to run such a huge site with only 5 people.
  • garethjax Jan 25, 2008 @ 12:58 pm | delete
    that's a splendid story, one that every startup should read and spread! I've favourite the lens, if you update please squidcast :D
  • charlino Jan 25, 2008 @ 11:38 am | delete
    Reading this brought back start-up memories of long ago. It is great to see this lens here. Well done.
  • giltotherescue Jan 25, 2008 @ 10:58 am | delete
    To answer LMP's questions:

    *You said Squidoo didn't use VC financing (smart move) but you didnt say how it was financed?

    Gil: We're self funded. No plans for an IPO, probably ever.

    * I imagine that you lived very frugally for the first year, but hopefully things are a bit earsier now. I admire the fact that you guys have not dramatically expanded with growth. Many small companies make that mistake.

    Gil: Every decision we make is based around that fact--it's the only way we've survived.

    * From your photos it looks like the office is on the ground floor...is that wise? Seems like it would be more secure to be 1 or 2 floors up. Or is security not a major issue as squidoo is hosted elsewhere?

    Gil: Our servers are hosted in a specially designed datacenter at Rackspace.

    * Finally Gil, from your photos you look about 21-22 MAX. This must be wrong or else you started with Squidoo just out of puberty.

    Yep, I'm pretty young. More here: http://www.squidoo.com/gil#module1708207
  • DianeFusco Jan 25, 2008 @ 7:35 am | delete
    Reading this fab story makes me want to join your team -- but unfortunately, I'm too tech-challenged!

    Congrats!
  • EuroSquid Jan 25, 2008 @ 5:21 am | delete
    Great Post!
    I learned alot but have a few questions:
    *You said Squidoo didn't use VC financing (smart move) but you didnt say how it was financed? Is it personally bankrolled by Seth? Were there outside investors? Is there a plan for a IPO anytime soon?

    * I imagine that you lived very frugally for the first year, but hopefully things are a bit earsier now. I admire the fact that you guys have not dramatically expanded with growth. Many small companies make that mistake.

    * From your photos it looks like the office is on the ground floor...is that wise? Seems like it would be more secure to be 1 or 2 floors up. Or is security not a major issue as squidoo is hosted elsewhere?

    * Finally Gil, from your photos you look about 21-22 MAX. This must be wrong or else you started with Squidoo just out of puberty. Are they old pics?
  • Christopher_Scott Jan 24, 2008 @ 11:23 pm | delete
    Great to learn more about Squidoo. Thanks Gil.
  • jstonedotorg Jan 24, 2008 @ 5:18 pm | delete
    Good story. What are the plans for the future?
  • SemperFidelis Jan 24, 2008 @ 1:29 pm | delete
    Great lens. Learned all sorts of stuff about Squidoo that I had never heard before! ;)
  • Music-Resource Jan 24, 2008 @ 12:59 pm | delete
    Gil, this is a wonderful story. I hung on every word. I've been waiting to see the tech side of things Squidoo story. You might start working on a book - even if it takes years to publish. This is really cool. ~Music Resource~
  • MFS Jan 24, 2008 @ 6:20 am | delete
    Great stuff - Keep up the good work! Onwards and upwards....
  • steveffeo Jan 23, 2008 @ 11:55 pm | delete
    Very cool, you all have done an awesome job 4 people I would have thought at least 40 TY for letting us all get an inside look. Does the couch pull out into a sleeper or did you buy cots?
  • NAIZA Jan 23, 2008 @ 11:17 pm | delete
    I've always been fascinated how you guys in Squidoo works! This is a tough job to do. Incredible and brilliant. Thank you for coming up with this lens. God bless.
  • clouda9 Jan 23, 2008 @ 9:58 pm | delete
    Great to read about the conception of an idea into reality. I am definitely Squidicted! Thanks to the dedicated team for making this work!!
  • awelldressedbullet Jan 23, 2008 @ 8:11 pm | delete
    What a great lens Gil, really interesting, thanks so much for putting this out there for all the Squids and Squidettes! - Kathy
  • boredofeducation Jan 23, 2008 @ 8:00 pm | delete
    Fascinating behind the scenes story! I remember when the RSS gremlins crashed the system. (I still swear I had nothing to do with it.)
    You guys are amazing!
  • sahadeva Jan 23, 2008 @ 7:33 pm | delete
    Right on. Great story. Looking forward to the scaling web apps lens -- I'm sure I'll be needing any time now ;)
  • GramaBarb Jan 23, 2008 @ 6:21 pm | delete
    I enjoyed reading your story so much! Learning the time line of what was happening at Squidoo as I was blissfully building lenses at the time. My Golden Retriever lens was Created on 10/16/2005! You emailed me for an interview and now I am honored to have a place in Squidoo history. Remember "Never Mind the Generation Gap" in Profiles? I have quietly helped many build lenses over the past couple of years as promised in the interview.
    I still enjoy squidooing and will continue.
    hmmmmmmmmm... does that make me Grama Squidoo?

    Thanks for the story and the memories of the 'good old days' of Squidoo and look forward to even better days ahead.

    GramaBarb Squidoo
  • ThomasClifford Jan 23, 2008 @ 6:19 pm | delete
    Wow, I remember launching my first lens in beta back in 2005.

    Not many, if any, corporate filmmakers have a web presence.

    Now, when you search "corporate videos" on Google, I'm fourth.

    I just finished producing and directing a very large film for a NY client.
    How did they find me? Through my lens!

    Thanks, Gil, for helping me find my voice :-)

    You're "remarkable," indeed!

    Thomas Clifford
    Corporate Filmmaker
    www.DirectorTom.com
  • Margaret_Schaut Jan 23, 2008 @ 5:56 pm | delete
    He sure is, Megan! I knew we were working you to death, but filling in the details is amazing!

    Thanks, Gil. You really are the best.
  • rms Jan 23, 2008 @ 5:54 pm | delete
    Wow! Thank you for sharing this with us. You guys are great! I'm so proud to be a part of this.
  • bdkz Jan 23, 2008 @ 5:42 pm | delete
    Very cool story...even the techie stuff was interesting!
  • giltotherescue Jan 23, 2008 @ 5:04 pm | delete
    ugh...I may have to go back and add that story later...unless my selective memory kicks in.
  • MeganCasey Jan 23, 2008 @ 4:40 pm | delete
    this proves it. really. Gil *is* the master of the universe. (forgot to tell that story, Gil... ;)

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