20 Years of craigslist: A Reflection by an Old-School Nerd

Over fifty years ago, in Sunday school, I learned that I should know when enough is enough.

In 1999 I rearticulated that to myself as "No one needs a billion dollars."

A year later people helped me understand that, as a manager, I suck, so I hired someone smarter than I to run the company, and I stuck with customer service.

A few years ago, as I grew useless, I saw that everyone else in customer service was smarter than I, and that I maybe needed a break from abuse, so I focused on lightweight customer service.

(Most of my time otherwise is public service and philanthropy.)

Every day I'm reminded that we help people put food on the table and get a job and a place to live. Maybe we have changed the world, seriously.

Sure, this isn't the usual approach in Silicon Valley or anywhere else, but I'm a nerd, and a nerd's gotta do what a nerd's gotta do.