Josh James and John Pestano brought an already productive partnership to the co-founding of MyComputer.com. They had together already created JP Interactive, the state's largest Web development company. They'd done the same with ScriptSearch.com, which gave them a 2,000 percent return on their investment when they sold it to Internet.com.
They also pioneered the popular Application Service Provider model that lets people download software through the Internet. That market is predicted to reach $13 billion by 2003. MyComputer.com became the first ASP to provide Webmaster tools and services from a single location online.
They are perhaps proudest, though, of the values they bring both to the office and to the industry. They worked hard to get the most out of employees by making work a place workers want to be. They host monthly company activities, from barbecues to movie nights and extreme sports. They visit high schools and universities to teach and encourage young entrepreneurs.
They also refuse to service sites that contain adult content, pornography or other illegal activities.
Although the privately held company has been in business for almost four years, in the past six months it has grown from 30 employees to more than 100. And first quarter 2000 revenues are about the same as the the company made for all of 1999. It has been capitalized with cash from "angels, strategic investors and the founders' initial cash, credit card debt and student loans." Now it boasts more than 800,000 users who have signed up for its services — a number that grows by about 4,000 a day.
Part of that growth likely stems from an early decision to offer their products in return for advertising space. In that way, they were able to generate buzz and attract a customer base. Now, many of those first customers are upgrading and paying for premium services. And because they were early adopters of the distribution-through-partners strategy, MyComputer.com has already locked up many of the best distribution channels with multiyear, exclusive deals.
Among those deals is a partnership with Network Solutions, which has the second-largest subscriber base on the Web and is considered the third most profitable company on the Web. The deal gives MyComputer.com a perpetually exclusive marketing agreement to provide its products to Network Solution's more than 8 million customers.