Once Just a Site With Funny Cat Pictures, and Now a Web Empire (I Can Has Cheezburger?)

New York Times ^ | June 13, 2010 | JENNA WORTHAM

[nickcarraway]

Three years ago Ben Huh visited a blog devoted to silly cat pictures — and saw vast potential.

Mr. Huh, a 32-year-old entrepreneur, first became aware of I Can Has Cheezburger, which pairs photos of cats with quirky captions, after it linked to his own pet blog. His site immediately crumbled under the resulting wave of visitors.

Sensing an Internet phenomenon, Mr. Huh solicited financing from investors and forked over $10,000 of his own savings to buy the Web site from the two Hawaiian bloggers who started it.

“It was a white-knuckle decision,” he said. “I knew that the first site was funny, but could we duplicate that success?”

Mr. Huh has since found that the appetite for oddball Internet humor is insatiable.

Traffic to the Cheezburger blog has ballooned over the last three years, encouraging Mr. Huh to expand his unlikely Web empire to include 53 sites, all fueled by submissions from readers. In May, what is now known as the Cheezburger Network attracted a record 16 million unique visitors, according to the Web analytics firm Quantcast.

A more recent success for the company is a site called Fail Blog, which chronicles disastrous mishaps and general stupidity in photos and video. The network’s smaller sites include Daily Squee, with pictures of cute animals, and There I Fixed It, for photos of bad repair jobs.

Mr. Huh said his company, which makes most of its money from Web advertising, has been profitable since Day 1.

“Then again, it was just me and Emily in the beginning,” he said referring to his wife, who also works at the company. Cheezburger now has more than 40 employees and has not sought additional investment.

[nickcarraway]

[null and void]

Huh?

[sockmonkey]

I love there I fixed it, funniest repair jobs ever.

[VAFreedom]

love failblog and failbook. and some engrish site offered by them, you could spend hours there.
this is price of having a girl sit with you in the 'tea bar' in china during the Olympics... that'd be my guess since prostitution is illegal, everything is under the table.

[erkyl]

[battousai]

You evil evil man, what have you done!

Whenever I get surfing that site I just can’t stop clicking next :)

[SAJ]

The intro photo on the front page of LOLCats is still the best ever, imnnho.

[Nickname]

Fail Blog is one I visit regularly. There are some amazing fails to be seen. :)

[JRandomFreeper]

You are supposed to ping someone when you reference them. Re post #5

Whatever happened to the sidebar moderator?

/johnny

[B-Chan]

[knews_hound]

Ping....

[null and void]

that'd be my guess since prostitution is illegal, everything is under the table.

I. Uh. Ummm. *blush* *nevermind*

[JoeProBono]

[TNdandelion]

Oh noes! I’m sucked in! lol

[PugetSoundSoldier]

I’ve met Ben a few times, here in Seattle. He’s a smart guy with good instincts and a really honest, decent fellow. Good to see he’s succeeded so well (he also invests in other small, promising startups).

[Bob]

that'd be my guess since prostitution is illegal, everything is under the table.

I presume you mean 'under the table' figuratively rather than literally. :=)

[Persevero]

Definitely popular sites around our house.

[mrreaganaut]

Absolute necessity ping (use this picture!)

[Yaelle]

Oh my gosh! Now I am stuck on wedinator! Worst. Wedding cake. Ever!

[Yaelle]

I can't stop!

[Yaelle]

Make it stop!!!

[Slings and Arrows]

---

[uglybiker]

Do not antagonize Kitty.
That would be bad.

[Young Werther]

Jelli Beanie

[stylecouncilor]

ping

[Roses0508]

My husband visits “I can has cheezburger?” every day without fail. I’ll have to tell him about the other websites.

[I Buried My Guns]

Tell your husband the links to the other sites are at the bottom of the page of the cheesburger site. There are many there that can easily suck up hours of your day. Failblog and There I Fixed It are my faves!

[a fool in paradise]

[a fool in paradise]

[LucyT]

[martin_fierro]

	INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH HUMOR >> PING <<
No amateurs, please. Send FReepmail if you want on/off ISHP list
The List of Ping Lists

[Sunshine Sister]

I really enjoy the cat pictures. The captions are so clever.

[SoothingDave]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=aftwl354md8

[Lurker]

Ping for Mrs. L

[nickcarraway]

And it’s amazing that the cats can type.

[null and void]

Do not antagonize Kitty.

That would be bad, desu.

[Sunshine Sister]

A skill that I have not mastered yet!!!!!!

[martin_fierro]

"Ah can't unnerstan' whah groen men & wimmen'd tawk like 'at."

LOLz

'em Jagoffs prolly got dialup 'nat.

[SoothingDave]

Watch the whole web series. It’s hilarious. Especially the one where they deny having that Pixburgh accent.

“Um gonna go dahn the basement and put some Bahunce in the woosher.”

[gimme1ibertee]

I love me some lolcats!!:)

[MEG33]

Not going over there..not going to look at his other sites..There’s work to be done and I will be laughing and looking instead of working! LOL

[MEG33]

Love it..Thanks for the ping.

[mewzilla]

[Huntress]

Could you please add me to your list? BTW, I like your Venn diagram.

[Slings and Arrows]

Glad you liked.

[eureka!]

mark

[txhurl]

lmao

[jocon307]

ROFLMAO, oh my goodness that is truly dreadful!

I wish my brother was still alive to see how dreadful this is, that’s how dreadful it is, I wish the dead to live to see it!

[gogogodzilla]

You still can't beat the owl pictures!

[MotleyGirl70]

LOL!