Yesmail built a business on one word: yes. In 1999, inboxes were filling with spam, and marketers wanted a way to reach people without making them angry. The suburban Chicago company sent offers by email only to people who had opted in to hear about a topic, such as travel or computers. Advertisers paid for each message. It went public that September, and three months later CMGI agreed to buy it.

From WebPromote to Yes

The company was founded in 1995 as a supplier of internet marketing services, and later ran under the name WebPromote. In April 1999 it renamed itself yesmail.com to match its new focus. The idea was permission email. Users picked subjects they cared about, and Yesmail matched them with advertisers. Marketers got better response rates, and readers got fewer messages they did not want.

Three Months to a Buyer

Yesmail priced its IPO at $11 a share in September 1999 and listed on Nasdaq as YESM. In December, CMGI, the Massachusetts internet holding company, agreed to buy it in a stock deal. The purchase closed in March 2000 at about $520 million. infoUSA bought Yesmail in 2003. In 2006 the company paid $50,717 to settle FTC charges under the CAN-SPAM Act.

Cover: Yes or No, Julia Margaret Cameron. Art Institute of Chicago, public domain. Chosen for "Yes or No" (permission email).