MySimon

MySimon, a pioneering force in the early e-commerce landscape, was established in April 1998 by the dynamic duo of Michael Yang and Yeogirl Yun. The inspiration for the company stemmed from Yang's own frustrating experience trying to compare camera prices online, highlighting a clear market need for a streamlined comparison shopping tool. Yang, a serial entrepreneur with degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from UC Berkeley and Columbia University, along with an MBA from UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business, provided the business acumen. Yun developed the core technology that powered the service.

Launched in late 1998, MySimon operated as a comparison shopping engine, initially planning to license its technology to web portals. However, a strategic pivot in 1999, under the guidance of then-CEO Joshua Goodman, repositioned the company as a direct-to-consumer shopping destination. The platform's core offering was its proprietary Virtual Learning Agent (VLA) technology, an intelligent system that deployed 'bots' to scan thousands of merchant websites, extracting and aggregating product and pricing information into an easy-to-read format for consumers. This service was free for users, covering a vast array of categories from electronics and computers to apparel and home goods. The business generated revenue through multiple streams, including on-site advertising, affiliate program fees from merchants, and a premium program that allowed sellers to pay for highlighted listings in search results.

The company experienced meteoric growth, particularly during the 1999 holiday season when its traffic surged by 146%. This rapid scaling and market traction, which saw the user base grow to 10 million per month, culminated in a landmark acquisition in January 2000. CNET, an online media company looking to expand into e-commerce, acquired MySimon for approximately $700 million in stock. The acquisition was a strategic move for CNET to instantly broaden its reach into numerous product categories beyond its traditional tech focus. Following the acquisition, MySimon continued to operate as a distinct brand, enhancing its service with user reviews and editorial content. Keywords: MySimon, comparison shopping engine, e-commerce, Michael Yang, Yeogirl Yun, CNET acquisition, Virtual Learning Agent, VLA, price comparison, online shopping bot, dot-com era, e-commerce pioneer, shopping search engine, affiliate marketing, online retail, product search, consumer technology, price aggregation, merchant listings, e-commerce history