Interview with Otis Chandler of Goodreads
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Goodreads is a social network focused around reading. You can see what your friends are reading, get great recommendations, and connect with other readers.
Otis is a software engineer and entrepreneur with an B.S. from Stanford. Before he founded Goodreads, he was the Product Manager of LoveHappens.com, which is subsidiary of Tickle.com. I’m passionate about building great products and reading books. |
How long did it take you to get the Goodreads concept out of your head and into the world? How did you find the rest of your team?
It took a year from the time I decided to build it until we got the beta out. It took several months of planning, and a lot coding. It started as a weekend project too, so I had to deal with my ‘day job’. My partner at Goodreads happens to be my fiance, but she’s a good balance, she has a literary background–she’s a full time journalist and a former English major from Stanford. Our designer, advisers, and copy editor are all people we’ve worked with before.
Who else is out there doing this kind of thing and how do you differentiate your service?
There are a few competitors, but I truly believe that our product stands head and shoulders above the rest. Goodreads is more focused on being a social community around reading. We have a clean looking site that is easy use. Another differentiator is our focus on product. We do our own customer service, and try to build what our users want. Its all about the product.
How did you negotiate partnerships with the major online book retailers?
They all have affiliate programs.
Bonus: What is your favorite opening line from a book?
Its not quite the opening line, but I like this one:
“Welcome to the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, the most wholly remarkable book in all of the known universe! ”
I like to joke that Goodreads is the most wholly remarkable website in all of the known universe.
Copyright © 2007 by Sonia Aggarwal