Hydramedia

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Online advertising network that specializes in providing detailed information to advertisers on ad effectiveness. Founded 2003. (Beverly Hills)


Growth Rate

702%



Executive:

Zac Brandenberg, chief executive and founder



Early Days/Financing:

We had no venture funding. I had done reasonably well at another Internet venture and founded the company in July 2003 for under $100,000 with three employees. Two of my three partners joined a few months later and they had a pre-existing interactive agency, which contributed another employee, some hardware and their client list. We were profitable by October, but we didn’t move into an office where everyone could be in the same building and collaborate as a team for a good 18 to 20 months.



Big Break:

I can’t point to anything singular. After getting everyone in the same building, which really increased productivity, our sales jumped a lot. And I think having a presence at our first trade show in San Francisco around the same time really increased our visibility in the market. But some of our growth can be attributed to the overall rise in Internet advertising. We also benefited from the trend of advertisers embracing a more performance-based advertising model, where they pay based on actual results, not just clicks.



Biggest Challenge:

Accommodating our growth. We began to grow fairly quickly and we had to have the technology and the processes in place to handle it. Having enough staff and hiring the right staff also was an issue. We went from three people at launch to 52 people today. One reason it took us so long to find an office is that we wanted to make sure we would have enough space, enough for 85 to 90 people.



What’s Next:

We’ll continue to grow. The Internet marketing space is pretty hot, there’s a lot of consolidation, a lot of acquisitions. Hydra has seen a lot of interest, especially in the last six months, but we’re pretty happy about where we’re at and what we’ve been able to accomplish on our own. I wasn’t interested in building a company that could be flipped quickly.



Sage Advice:

Always go to the trade shows, especially if they are in the Internet marketing industry. It gives you the opportunity to meet so many more people.

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