9 early dotcom businesses that went from boom to bust
Online dreams that were shattered
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/deefa197-d880-4ef0-b94a-136ed01566fa-webvan.jpg)
Pets.com
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/e87aae97-9d88-4367-9c69-3bbc9bf124ce-13 pets.com.jpg)
Pets.com
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/1acda90c-c3c5-4252-a66f-de87931d58f1-Pets.jpg)
Gov.works
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/481906cd-be9a-44fe-8cd5-54503d4c66fb-pic 2.png)
Kaleil Isaza Tuzman (pictured right) was one of the better known, but least successful 90s dotcommers. He left Goldman Sachs to start up Gov.Works, which had the great idea of allowing people in the US to pay parking tickets and get other government services online. He was so confident that he allowed a film crew to follow his attempts. Sadly it blew $60 million in venture capital and never made any actual money. To add insult to injury the film Startup.com also flopped, although it was critically acclaimed.
Gov.works
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/68aa9e22-39fb-449e-8b2e-04f411f8f45b-Pic 3.jpg)
Jewishnet.co.uk
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/99d30259-0215-44b2-844e-6f54ef96554b-19.jpg)
Jewishnet.co.uk
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/3a52362c-1877-41c6-84f6-76e8217c786f-Broom cupboard.jpg)
Kozmo
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/c144f5a9-e78f-4caa-9d27-4862c517fc32-Kozmo.png)
Kozmo
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/5b28f5f3-fbf4-4525-881a-782d0a12313c-Edreams.jpg)
Broadcast.com
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/bb78f41b-fb2f-4509-b4b5-776f5b3735b0-Mark Cuban.jpg)
Broadcast.com
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/430c2c80-58b0-48a0-844b-19853e4e5e0f-Super yaught.jpg)
Broadcast.com
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/8cd571bb-3403-43d0-87ad-6d9ebf98273d-Shark tank.jpg)
Geocities
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/4182833d-2aa7-47ec-9967-d58308f5d84d-Bohnett.jpg)
Geocities
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/cbc92e79-c102-4e28-aa24-edce8c69cc10-Yahhoo.jpg)
Boo.com
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/94d9bf6e-56ef-46d3-b0d3-9106d97a1691-Boo.png)
Boo.com
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/c2c25108-2371-4a2f-b254-83ce12b1a6b3-Boo_Homepage.jpg)
Boo.com
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/c91fdd31-f530-423a-bbb5-0b71e3793fc1-shutterstock_145154491.jpg)
Webvan
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/2218062f-8106-4faf-b794-7b8eb0931422-webvan.png)
Webvan
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/9076c53b-16ae-4c33-bcaf-1b5e880fe16c-Webvan.jpg)
Webvan
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/23bd829d-2855-4590-a9af-b119c895991c-HDS.jpg)
eXcite
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/9fba5f67-645c-4e19-bd32-141a95f82da8-georgebell.jpg)
eXcite
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/927c3d66-0cf0-4f57-bb3a-c6ce70b08ac6-excite.jpg)
By the late 1990s eXcite was a reliable and growing search engine and in 1999 @Home bought it for $7 billion, after a bidding war with Yahoo. However, by 2001 it was filing for bankruptcy. "It's very easy to look back and say should have, could have, and would have. I think the decision we made at the time, with what we knew, was a good decision. It's laughable to say that now, I suppose," Bell told CNBC in 2015. However, his career hasn't unduly suffered. He's gone on to be CEO of other fledging businesses which have been sold on for big bucks.
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