Nearly every one of Gurley’s investments relied on one basic thesis: the internet had brought with it a profound capability to meet the desires of existing, real-world people for experiences, places, and things. Whereas before a Beanie Baby enthusiast might have had to search high and low for a particular plush giraffe, the web could put that person in touch with someone who had stockpiled a warehouse of them. There were endless combinations of buyers and sellers, and hundreds of potential marketplaces bubbling up from the minds of young entrepreneurs, waiting to be brought to life with
...more
