Technology >> CEO Interviews >> November 13, 2000
KARL JACOB, President and CEO of Keen.com, has been building Internet
companies since 1992 in roles that span management, technology and
marketing. He joined Benchmark Capital as an entrepreneur-in-residence
in July 1999, charged with creating the 'next big thing.' He formed
Keen.com, and is now the CEO and President. Prior to that he spent two
years as a Microsoft executive, following Microsoft's acquisition of his
company, Dimension X. While at Microsoft, Mr. Jacob participated in the
development of Microsoft's strategy for Office and the Internet. He
shipped two products, conceived a new business opportunity for the
Office division and managed the business and technology teams who
executed on the opportunity. In 1994, he founded the first Java start-
up, Dimension X, a software and professional services firm. During his
tenure as CEO and President, the company grew from three to 52 employees
and released several versions of the award-winning Liquid Motion and
Liquid Reality, prior to its acquisition by Microsoft. Dimension X
guided the Web strategy and created marketing sites for Fox
Broadcasting, Intel, Sega and others. In 1992, Mr. Jacob was a Founder
and CTO of On Ramp (now Think New Ideas) an early Internet start-up that
helped Hollywood studios and Fortune 500 companies such as AT&T, Sprint
and Reebok to establish their Internet business strategies. He began his
career at Sun Microsystems, where he created Solstice Internet Mail. Mr.
Jacob has spoken on pivotal issues to the Internet industry at many
conferences and trade shows and has a regular guest column in Red
Herring Magazine. He holds a BS in Computer Science from the University
of Southern California, 1991 and currently sits on the school's Board of
Counselors for the School of Engineering. Profile
Mr. Jacob: Keen.com_ is the Live Answer Community_, where people get
answers to their questions over the phone. At Keen.com, people browse
