Comments on: dice goes public http://www.cheezhead.com/2007/07/18/dice-holdings-inc-dmx/ Insight and opinion from the world of employment. Sun, 20 Jul 2008 07:13:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Jonathan Duarte http://www.cheezhead.com/2007/07/18/dice-holdings-inc-dmx/#comment-39939 Jonathan Duarte Wed, 18 Jul 2007 21:46:55 +0000 http://www.cheezhead.com/2007/07/18/dice-holdings-inc-dmx/#comment-39939 Congratulations to Scott and the team! They have done a great job at bringing DICE back from some major hurdles... Here is a little of their short history. * In 1990, DICE was started by Lloyd Lynn, a truck driver, as a Bulletin Board Service, where you would have a fax modem call their BBS, and it would respond with job postings. (This was 5 years BEFORE Netscape went public, and essentially changed the Web!) * In 1999, EarthWeb purchased DICE. Basically sucking DICE's revenue stream as their other products and services (Dot bomb hype) died. * In 2001, 95% (or so) of DICE's clients were Technical Recruiters. At that time, they didn't even sell to Direct Employers. * Then 9/11. Employment stops... and Recruiters go out of business. At the peak, DICE had about 130,000 technical jobs on their website. At the end of 2002, then had approximately 20,000+ jobs, and had lost almost all of their previous technical recruiting clients, as many of the smaller recruiting firms went out of business. * In 2002, I think, DICE start selling directly to Employers. Sales pick up, but are slow, because they have no Brand with Directors of Recruitment, at the time. With great focus, and great leadership, DICE has always been a great Niche Job Board. Their expansion into multiple vertical niche markets should be considered a Tipping Point. Remember this day... July 17, 2007, the employment market went Niche! $800 Million is a lot of money for segment of the market that has previously never had a leader, money, or branding.... that is all about to change. Congratulations! Congratulations to Scott and the team!
They have done a great job at bringing DICE back from some major hurdles…
Here is a little of their short history.
* In 1990, DICE was started by Lloyd Lynn, a truck driver, as a Bulletin Board Service, where you would have a fax modem call their BBS, and it would respond with job postings. (This was 5 years BEFORE Netscape went public, and essentially changed the Web!)
* In 1999, EarthWeb purchased DICE. Basically sucking DICE’s revenue stream as their other
products and services (Dot bomb hype) died.

* In 2001, 95% (or so) of DICE’s clients were Technical Recruiters. At that time, they didn’t even sell to Direct Employers.
* Then 9/11. Employment stops… and Recruiters go out of business. At the peak, DICE had about 130,000 technical jobs on their website. At the end of 2002, then had approximately 20,000+ jobs, and had lost almost all of their previous technical recruiting clients, as many of the smaller recruiting firms went out of business.
* In 2002, I think, DICE start selling directly to Employers. Sales pick up, but are slow, because they have no Brand with Directors of Recruitment, at the time.

With great focus, and great leadership, DICE has always been a great Niche Job Board. Their expansion into multiple vertical niche markets should be considered a Tipping Point.

Remember this day… July 17, 2007, the employment market went Niche!

$800 Million is a lot of money for segment of the market that has previously never had a leader, money, or branding…. that is all about to change.

Congratulations!

]]>