The neon Ethernet cables that crawl up the columns of the old factory flat make a real 'Web' on HotWired's ceiling. HotWired is sort of like Frontier Land at Disneyworld, except with less permanent structures. Nearly every system and structure within HotWired's physical space and Website is new and constantly evolving. While HotWired is by no means the sole innovator on the Web, it has been a recognized commerical trailblazer since its launch on October 27, 1994.



As Andrew Anker, President of HotWired, said,

"We have been establishing all the guidelines by which everyone else creates a Website. From the first advertising on the Web to bringing in AC Nielsen to do audits and verification. Everything that we are about is trying always to be on the cutting edge. We are really trying to push that boundary upward."

Although HotWired is a rapidly growing company, with 1 to 2 new employees hired per week, two key players have left the team. Jonathan Steuer and Howard Rheingold, former President and Executive Editor respectively, left HotWired at the beginning of 1995. Steuer and Rheingold's idea of "virtual community" ended up conflicting with Louis' vision for HotWired as a profitable commericial venture.

Andrew, with a background in investment banking, understood the need to make HotWired a self-sustaining business that would eventually provide profits to its parent company. As a result, he was elevated to the position of President in September, 1994. Since then, HotWired has sustained a first-mover's competitive advantage and established itself as a well-known stop on the information- superhighway. However, as the Web explodes with new URLs daily, HotWired is under pressure to maintain its differentiation. Andrew explains,
"We really need to solidify our position. It's still really early. Now [June 1995], we are only eight months old. When we launched there was no other commericial business on the Web. We launched before Netscape launched. Now, Rowgan's Hair Treatment for Men has a homepage. Everyone had a Website. If you don't have a Website, you're dead."


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last updated 4 April 96 SJS - shannon@well.com