I'm curious here, too. I didn't dig in too deeply, but I see exactly 1 ad unit at the top of the home page, no premium features for sale, etc.
I'd be interested in stats on ad units and CTR (which I've always heard is really low on communication apps).
edit: Would also be interested in definition of profitability... Covering hardware/software costs? Covering costs PLUS able to eat ramen? Covering costs plus paying yourself a market salary?
Thanks all, it's been a fun time so far, lots and lots to do to take Mibbit mainstream, but it's really nice to know I don't have to shell out more money for bandwidth.
The bandwidth usage before I did work on optimization was around 3TB transfer a month, which can cost.
BTW Thanks everyone on HN, especially those who contributed to my first post about Mibbit. It was harsh, and afterwards I almost gave up on the idea, but sometimes you need that kick.
It's actually quite nice being a lone founder... nothing that makes you more determined to succeed than being the underdog.
The other interesting stat I forgot to mention, is that Mibbit has about 3-4 times as many users online as Meebo Rooms at any point. I'm quite pleased about that, lots of room for growth though.
my favourite posts are when HN startups post back saying how fantastically they're doing - well done, its a real achievement, ESPECIALLY in this climate.
19 comments
[ 6.7 ms ] story [ 78.1 ms ] threadthe rest: why not use mibbit or any other IRC client for #startups on freenode?
Enjoy the reverse burn rate & positive cash flow in 2009.
Judging by his stats, the website is still very small, hopefully for him, it will continue to grow. Congrats!
I'd be interested in stats on ad units and CTR (which I've always heard is really low on communication apps).
edit: Would also be interested in definition of profitability... Covering hardware/software costs? Covering costs PLUS able to eat ramen? Covering costs plus paying yourself a market salary?
The advertising revenue isn't massive yet, ($4 figures/month), but it's something to build on.
There's also obviously people willing to pay for chat/communication - campfire, liveperson type services.
http://www.quantcast.com/mibbit.com
These things are all relative of course, so it's big compared to lots of websites, small compared to the others :/
The bandwidth usage before I did work on optimization was around 3TB transfer a month, which can cost.
BTW Thanks everyone on HN, especially those who contributed to my first post about Mibbit. It was harsh, and afterwards I almost gave up on the idea, but sometimes you need that kick.
http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=83660
It's actually quite nice being a lone founder... nothing that makes you more determined to succeed than being the underdog.
The other interesting stat I forgot to mention, is that Mibbit has about 3-4 times as many users online as Meebo Rooms at any point. I'm quite pleased about that, lots of room for growth though.
BTW, bandwidth shouldn't be expensive ($100 a terabyte is reasonable in the continental US) - it should be your time that's the biggest draw.