F'd Companies

Not long ago, the world was awash with venture capital in search of the next Yahoo! or Amazon.com. No product, no experience, no technology, no business plan — no problem. You could still get $40 million from investors to start up your dot-com. And you could get people to work around the clock for stock options and the promise of millions. Then, around April 2000, it all came crashing down.

Smart investors, esteemed analysts, and the business press found themselves asking:

• Who knew people wouldn't rush out to trade in their U.S. dollars for a virtual currency called Flooz?
• Who knew people wouldn't blow all their Flooz on a used car from the guys at iMotors.com?
• And who needed a used car from iMotors.com when they could just sit at home and have 40-lb. bags of dog food delivered to them by a sock puppet?

F'd Companies captures the waste, greed, and human stupidity of more than 100 dot-com companies. Written in Philip J. Kaplan's popular, cynical style, these profiles are filled with colorful anecdotes, factoids, and information unavailable anywhere else. Together they form a gleeful encyclopedia of how not to run a business. They also capture a truly remarkable period of history.

F'd Companies is required reading for everyone involved in the "new economy" — assuming your severance check can cover the cost.

1. Tough Ship
• Pets.com
• Webvan
• Kozmo.com
• Furniture.com
2. Solutions in Search of a Problem
• eRegister.com
• iHarvest.com
• Third Voice
• Wwwrrr.com
• eMarker.com
• Colo.com
• Impresse
• CalendarCentrol.com
• PopularPower.com
• CapacityWeb.com
• Refer.com
• Iam.com
• Mercata.com
• BizBuyer.com
• FooDoo.com
3. If It Sounds Too Good to Be True, It Probably Is
• Fandom.com
• FunBug.com
• Vitessa.com
• OnlineChoice.com
• eFanShop.com
• eLetter.com
• Extreme Championship Wrestling
4. Messy Endings
• SwapIt.com
• FreeRide.com
• ThemeStream.com
• ExchangePath.com
• CashWars.com
• LogicTier
• MySpace.com
• CyberRebate.com
• Desktop.com
5. Quit While You're Ahead
• Liquor.com
• HeavenlyDoor.com
• BuildNet.com
• Zap.com
• Wingspan Bank
• Meals.com
• Music.com
• Express.com
• Work.com
• ToysRUs.com
• Finance.com
• Balducci.com
• DailyRadar.com
6. Ahead of Their Time? Or Just Stupid?
• Z.com
• Wapit.com
• MVP.com
• GlobalMedia.com
• MyBiz.com
• Rx.com
• Broadband Office
• Hitplay Media
• LipStream.com
• Promptu
• NetMorf
• Urban Cool Network
• MusicMaker.com
• AntEye.com
• Xuma.com
7. Content Was King
• Rivals.com
• ContentVille.com
• Next50.com
• Hookt.com
• LocalBusiness.com
• eTown.com
• IUMA.com
• Voter.com
• The Industry Standard
8. Everything That Can Be Digital, Will Be — But Shouldn't Be
• Wine.com
• Eppraisals.com
• Art.com
• CharitableWay.com
• BeautyJungle.com
• iMotors.com
• Ingredients.com
• Zoza.com
9. Micro Niche
• ProcessTree.com
• Send.com
• Bidland.com
• eHobbies.com
• OfficeClick.com
• PlanetRX.com
10. Party Like It's 1999
• Urban Box Office
• CarClub.com
• eToys.com
• CollegeHire.com
• MarchFirst
11. Give It Away Now
• eCircles.com
• TheGlobe.com
• eVoice.com
• BitLocker.com
• SixDegrees.com
• Zelerate
• FreeWorks.com
12. B2C2B2McD's
• Zing.com
• GreatEntertaining.com
• Multitude.com
• Bid.com
13. $100 Shopping Spree If You Read This Chapter
• Sticky Networks
• Save.com
• CyberGold.com
• Dash.com
• ePod.com
• AllAdvantage.com
14. Portals to Nowhere
• Go.com
• QuePasa.com
• Scape.com
• Headlight.com
15. If It Ain't Broke, Fix It
• FinancialPrinter.com
• eLaw.com
• Foodline.com
• MetalSpectrum.com
• Comro.com
• HomeBytes.com
• Zoho.com
16. I've No Fucking Clue
• Digiscents.com
• Flooz.com
• Mr. Swap
• E Villa
• PaperFly.com
• Modo
• Empori.com
• Arzoo.com
• PNV.com
• Zigo.com
• XFL
• CampSix
• Comedy World
• IExchange.com
• ShoppingList.com
• ePods
• ClickABid.com
• QuestionExchange.com

Failed dotcom businesses. You can't help laughing.