Dot-com archive gives insight into another turbulent time

Nearly 48 percent of the dot-com businesses founded in 1996 were still around in 2004, say researchers who maintain a growing archive of data that offers behind-the-scenes insight into that time period, reports The New York Times. This contradicts the general belief that as many as 90 percent of the companies failed.

David Kirsch, a professor of strategy and entrepreneurship at the University of Maryland, established the Digital Archive of the Birth of the Dot Com Era, also known as the
Dot Com Archive, in 2002. Another key finding from the data is that many entrepreneurs received venture capital funding without submitting a traditional business plan; instead, they relied on the power of social networks.

The database contains information on 951 companies that Kirsch believes are statistically representative of the dot-com era without revealing company or employee names. The archive offers each company's location, a brief summary of the proposed business and outcome, and some details about key employees, such as their education, work experience, and ties to each other.