Dallas, TX – Karen Nielsen recently interviewed w2wlink.com founder Lisbeth McNabb about launching an Internet start-up company.
Lisbeth McNabb, 47, has more than 20 years of experience working in high-growth environments — and she wouldn’t have it any other way. A couple of months back, she left a two-year CFO position at Match.com to found w2wlink.com, a Web site geared toward professional women in times of growth. In early 2008, she plans to launch a networking concept on the site, where women fill out confidential profiles and w2wlink.com matches them in appropriate groups. Why women, and why now? McNabb says the marketplace is ripe: There are more than 34 million professional women in the United States, and 70% to 80% of small business launches are by women. Their buying clout tops $2 trillion. “I’m leveraging a lot of realities,” she said. “The market is gigantic and the buying side is very compelling.” McNabb was interviewed by Correspondent Karen Nielsen.
Q. What’s it like to go from a Fortune 500 company to an Internet startup?
A. I’m very atypical for someone at a Fortune 500 company. I’m very entrepreneurial in how I approach things, and I’ve had a lot of success at going into new cultures. Match.com was very entrepreneurial. I did some soul searching; my biggest risk was choosing to step away from a salaried position and taking out my own capital for the founding. It’s about the enjoyment and believing in the passion in what you’re doing. And it’s a lot about the people around you; you have to have high regard for those around you.
Q. What is your 30- 60- 90-day planning strategy?
A. You need to have a short list and be really clear about what you’re trying to get done in 30-, 60- or 90-day windows. As a CEO, you have to have an activity-based plan and keep a common visibility with your key players. The short list specifically says what has to get done … by when, for example, building the team by next week or month. Our site will provide articles on these type of topics. Keep a defining short list and use it throughout the life of the company.
Q. How have dot-coms matured?
A. For people to get resources and partnerships, the business has to be profit-minded. The maturity is there because you have to make it into something that creates value and can later monetize it.
Nielsen is a Plano-based freelance writer.
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w2wlink.com was founded by former Match.com CFO Lisbeth McNabb. Her background includes 20+ years in finance, operations, sales and business development and planning growth and emerging stage businesses. Previously she led efforts at Sodexho, PepsiCo, Frito-Lay and American Airlines.
Linda Mihalick serves as the Chief Marketing Officer. She has led the interactive and marketing at GroceryWorks.com, TheGift.com/1-800-Flowers.com and Thomas Nelson Publishing Live Events, as well as held key leadership roles at American Airlines and JCPenney. Heading up Business Development is Chris Phipps, who has worked as a technology and software startup consultant for PMC-Sierra, Oki Electronics, Hyundai Semiconductor, AMD and NCR Electronics. He has also served as an advisor for a venture capital company.
Visit http://www.w2wlink.com to view the website and join the online community.
