ReadWriteWeb

In June of 2008, Seattle programmer Bill Harding launched an online marketplace called Bonanzle. The site, a completely grassroots effort with zero VC or angel funding, is in many ways the anti-eBay. Instead of focusing solely on the goods being sold, Bonanzle is attempting to build a marketplace where the people are relevant, too. On Bonanzle, buyers can chat with sellers in real-time or over instant messaging, an experience that delivers a more social experience to the online shopping process. These interactions have allowed Bonanzle to build a strong community, but will that be enough to take on eBay?

At the Accel Symposium, we heard John Donahoe, eBay CEO, admit that there was little synergy between core eBay, PayPal, and Skype. He lauded PayPal, showed some false modesty around Skype, and talked about core eBay in a way that indicated a clear understanding of its limitations and challenges. If that sounds a tad negative, that was not what I took away. What I did take away was that eBay is a great collection of parts, a really great collection of parts, that would be more valuable as independent entities.