The web of 1999 was seen as a place built by and for young men, and iVillage's stock more than doubled on its first day anyway. Its sites and message boards covered parenting, health, careers, and relationships. Women used them to trade advice with each other. When it went public that March, iVillage was among the largest destinations for women online. It was also one of the most watched media start-ups in New York.

Community Before Content

Candice Carpenter, Nancy Evans, and Robert Levitan founded iVillage in New York in 1995. The bet was that women would come online for community as much as for content. The founders built the site around message boards where members gave each other advice. Then they sold advertising and sponsorships to brands that wanted to reach those women. Early investors included America Online. That focus set iVillage apart from portals built for a general audience.

Women.com, Then NBC

iVillage priced its offering at $24 a share in March 1999, and the stock more than doubled on its first day. Losses were heavy in the years that followed, and the share price fell sharply when the bubble burst. iVillage cut costs, bought its rival Women.com, and eventually turned a profit. By then its message boards had outlasted the hype. NBC Universal acquired the company in 2006 for about $600 million.

Cover: Village in Brittany, Charles François Daubigny. Art Institute of Chicago, public domain. Chosen for a village (community online).