Catherine was 15 and her brother, David, was 16 when they started myYearBook in 2005. Showing the true colors of an entrepreneur, they identified a problem and created a solution: they were flipping through their school yearbook and wanted a way to better get to know people. So, they created “Facebook for high school”. Her older brother Geoff was actually already a successful internet entrepreneur, so he financed his younger siblings’ startup.
myYearbook ideally connects friends together online, similar to a lot of social media now, and then keeps them connected. It can also make users new friends and network you with potential employers. In contrast to Facebook, this site had more of an emphasis on connecting you to new people instead of just befriending people you already know.
In 2008, myYearbook was the fastest-growing social networking site in the United States. It had more than 11 million members with 40,000 more joining every day. And, in 2011, it boasted $17 million raised in financing, more than 20 million members, 1.2 billion monthly page views, and $20 million in revenue.
I wonder what the real-life ramifications for the app were. Many dating apps are also built on an online-to-real-life model and can be successful in creating new relationships. My questions would be: did people gain more interest in getting to know new people? How did myYearbook compare with other social medias such as Instagram? And did people’s quality of life improve because of the app? The topic is interesting because it gained so much success, but I have never heard of it, and I have questions about its effectiveness.