Craigslist Founder Answers A Question He's Always Wanted To Be Asked

These questions originally appeared on Quora - the knowledge sharing network where compelling questions are answered by people with unique insights.

Answers by Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist, on Quora.

Q: How did Craigslist raise capital in the early days -- venture, seed, etc.?

A: Craigslist never raised capital, at least not in the sense you're thinking. I wrote all the code in the first few years, and used an ISP which provided a web programming platform for maybe thirty bucks per month.

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Q: What question would you love to answer about Craigslist, but nobody ever asks?

A: Why did I leave a lot of money on the table in 1999, when I made my hobby into a real company? I'm an (old-school) nerd, happy with enough money to live well and to provide for family. If I want to do people good, there's the old industrial philanthropy model, like make $100 and give back maybe a dollar to the community. On the other hand, if I let people keep the $50 or $100 they'd spend on a classified ad, well, they can make better use of it than I can. This is not altruistic, it's part of being a nerd, having no social instincts regarding fancy cars or whatever. I guess that makes me socially dysfunctional. Ironically, I've done okay. It's not altruistic, it's dysfunctional

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Q: Which in your view are the areas/fields of biggest potential positive impact for humanity and which are you involved in?

A: Ultimately, I'd like to provide ways where people of good will, everywhere, will work together for the common good, using social media. Right now, we see bad actors making effective use of social media, but I also see Millennials starting a whole different trend. Me, I've committed twenty years to this, and I think I'm helping pave the way for people who'll really get the job done. Along these lines, well, I should do more regarding trustworthy journalism and also more for Wikipedia, where news goes to live.

• Craigslist: What early decisions about craigslist do you believe had a significant impact on the platform today?
• Mathematics: What would you tell a discouraged CWRU Math student?
• Illegal and Illicit Activities: Why Craigslist is not taking any action agains illegal activities?