This story appears in the
April 2005 issue of
Entrepreneur.
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Six Apart LTD. co-founder and president Mena Trott, 27,
isn't afraid of exposing herself. Fortunately, neither are the
6.5 million bloggers who use the company's publishing software
and services. "If your personality doesn't shine through
your writing, people will see it," she says.
Mena's husband, co-founder and chief technology officer Ben,
also 27, began developing their flagship product, Movable Type,
several years ago because Mena, an avid blogger, felt limited by
the publishing options for her quirky first blog, Dollarshort.org.
They started their San Francisco business in 2002 and have
attracted $11.5 million in venture funding to date. Mena now posts
more frequently to Mena's Corner on the Six Apart website,
explaining business developments such as Six Apart's recent
buyout of LiveJournal, a private community of online journals.
Mena is the company's public face, while Ben prefers to
tackle engineering problems. But both believe blogs are ideal for
fellow entrepreneurs to nurture customer goodwill. Says Mena,
"It's a really good way of putting a face to a
product."