Building a new social networking site from the ground up in a crowded Web 2.0 marketplace is no small undertaking. Still, we felt we could offer something more focused and stimulating than the current offerings. In order to gain traction for the new venture, we’d have to establish a strong user base using readily accessible PR methods and tools. To sustain itself, the site would need to attract an increasing flow of traffic and generate revenue from ad placement.

MakeFive was built on the simple notion of creating “top 5” lists for anything and everything. Lists are easy to create and anyone with an opinion can participate. Through this simple concept, users connect with each other through shared interests and extend their network beyond friends and acquaintances to people with like-minds. To get the word out and establish the initial user base, smashLAB used blog contacts, their Facebook network, and media releases.

By following a rapid development schedule, forgoing outsider funding, and using iterations to test functionality, smashLAB was able to develop MakeFive with the kind of flexibility and agility that much larger organizations can only dream of. This has allowed MakeFive to quickly mature as a "sticky" site that compels users to constantly monitor it and see what people are talking about. smashLAB has dubbed it “The thinking person’s Facebook”.