Our Philosophy
After launched iBegin, the team sat down and tried to distill what ibegin was trying to do. So instead of going for the safe corporate slogan - such as 'the customer is always right' - we opted to create rules that would define what we were trying to do. Eight is just the number we settled on.
The 8 Rules of the iBegin Philosophy
1. The domain may say i, but only because weBegin didn't sound right.
The core idea of iBegin is that a community effort will always yield the best results. Everyone working together, everyone helping each other, everyone contributing. Its what we strive for.
2. Trust the user. Then empower them
In a bushel of apples, you will always find a few bad apples. The same applies to a community - almost everyone is a good influence, with a few bad apples here and there. Instead of punishing everyone because of the bad, give the good the power to deal with the bad. Neighborhood watch, taken online.
3. Don't sell out. Even for a gajillion dollars
iBegin was not created by a dozen people brought together to work on it. It didn't have a CEO and CFO and other related positions. It didn't have bankers and venture capitalists backing it with millions, helping finance user research groups, and hiring expensive and unneeded consultants and advisors. iBegin was created to fill a gaping void - local search. Sure we need to bring in revenue to keep the site up, but sneaky emailing selling, tricky 'borderless' ads, and splashing ads left and right - that isn't us. People trust us, and we cherish this trust.
4. Focus. When tired, take a quick nap and then focus again
iBegin is a local search. That means helping you find what you want in your local community. We don't invest in 'sticky-metrics' or in 'hypemachine-buzzenomics.' We want to help you find what you are looking for. We want to help you discover new places you will like. We want to help you find an interesting event on Thursday. We want to help you see what your friends have been checking out and what they think of those places. We focus in order to deliver the best results.
5. Speed kills. Except on the web
Coming back to our beforementioned focus, we spend a lot of time just obsessing and making sure our pages load fast. Less time waiting and more time discovering - we only see upside.
6. Feedback is wonderful. Just like chocolate cake
Some of our best ideas have come from the helpful advice of friends and strangers alike. The collective creativity of the entire community - so many people believing and helping us improve. If you have something to say, be sure to contact us.
7. Recognize the individual. Love the community
Each person who contributes to iBegin adds their own little touch. Multiply this a thousand times and you move from just a website to an actual community. From quirky badges to individual recognition to special little treats, we love to point out how our community rocks.
8. We are our own users.
This isn't about a corporation and 'clients.' This isn't about a website and 'eyeballs.' We add reviews, post pictures, select our favorites, and enjoy gaining badges just like everyone else. And that is what drives us to further excellence.