The Dynamic Digital Duo: How Hurley and Chen Manufactured Success

“We’re not in a hurry,” Hurley once said. “We’re interested in building our community. We’re trying to improve discovery. We’re trying to improve the experience for people on our site.” They might not have been in a hurry, but their site sure grew in one. Today, YouTube has almost half of the online video market, and is still growing. How did a university dropout and a boy who loved to draw become the industry leaders they are considered now?

User-Oriented: Hurley and Chen knew from personal experience how difficult it was to upload and share videos online. And that was why they decided to create YouTube. They wanted to create a website that others like themselves would find useful. By prioritizing their users’ needs and making it as easy and interactive as possible, YouTube was able to find a loyal audience that numbers in the millions.

Unique: When you visit YouTube.com, you are most likely searching for something that you cannot find anywhere else. From long lost ‘80s music videos, to political speeches, to the current events of today, you are almost guaranteed to find it on YouTube. And, that is why people keep coming back for more.

Viral: Both YouTube’s marketing strategy and growth as a result have been viral in nature. From holding promotions such as the iPod Nano daily giveaway to having an external video player that could be placed on any website and link back to its own, Hurley and Chen created a platform that continues to grow at an exponential rate.

Well-Timed: Some have suggested that YouTube’s success was due to a perfect storm of environmental factors. More to the point, it was Hurley and Chen’s ability to not only notice, but also take advantage of that storm that pushed them to the top. From the lessening cost of bandwidth and digital cameras, to the growth of online social networks, Hurley and Chen created a company that was right for the times.

Focused: Hurley and Chen were never out to create a money-making machine. They wanted to create a sustainable business, but also one that meant something to its users. And so, instead of overloading its pages and videos with advertisements, Hurley and Chen are being careful and testing the waters as to which ads will work, and where. They are refusing to lose sight of their number one priority, their user.

YouTube put the right technology out there to meet a need, but it did so much more than that. It created a simple and unique way for people to connect with each other. It has become the fastest-growing video sharing site of all time, all the while outliving the critics’ claims that it is just another teenage fad that will soon die down. With the Google buyout, the company faces a more uncertain future in terms of how it will operate, and who will call the shots. One thing is for sure, however, and that is that Hurley and Chen are still here, and their business is still booming.



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