But Reis said they felt the company had reached a ceiling, and the two began tossing around other ideas.
“We wanted to create something that didn’t exist that people need,” Reis said.
“We saw that we had loved ones who were looking for colleges who couldn’t find much online that wasn’t propaganda from the school. There was definitely no video, nothing interactive. And that just sort of became the springboard for starting YOUniversity.”
In December 2007, Reis and Kotzamanis closed the doors of their business for a month; when employees returned in January, they found themselves in a remodeled office space and with a new company mission.
“I had faith, working with them both before,” said Steve Conklin, who moved from being a Max World News employee to a YOUniversity employee. “I knew the vision they had, the whole thought process.”
That whole thought process includes a lot more than just video college tours: the site has a number of social components to it, as well.
For instance, students, alumni, and schools can upload their own pictures and videos of their schools.
Users also can create profiles of themselves, chat with others on the site, post blog entries, read the latest education-related news, and even create their own virtual dorm rooms.
Launched on April 14, the site is already receiving about 100,000 unique visitors each month, and more than 1,700 user-uploaded videos were posted in the first month, Kotzamanis said.
“It’s been viral, it’s just been overwhelming and amazing,” said Kotzamanis, adding that the firm’s next step will be to begin to find advertising partners for the site.
“Every day that blows by us just makes us more excited about what we’re doing.”
Link:
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