Both were built in bootstrap mode with no outside capital. And we were better for it. Of course we were building real companies, not money losing air charts that we were intending to flip to an unwitting public. OK, OK, so building community has become a cliche on the Internet. Be careful about invalidating things just because they are cliches.
People do business with people they know, like and trust.
In fact, many of us do business with people we know, regardless of whether we absolutely like them or absolutely trust them, just because we are familiar with them. Obviously, the most powerful aspect of the Internet is the ability to interact, to communicate. In a business context, if you can build a community that is comprised of people who are potential buyers of your product or service, it will be a potent part of your marketing. I-Sales is just such a community. I started I-Sales way back in 1995 as a labor of love.