--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In the very beginning, Yelp started as a…" description: "\"In the very beginning, Yelp started as a service where we really didn't think people would write reviews for fun. The whole concept of user-generated c..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/784/jeremy-stoppelman-19033_beginning_in-the-very-beginning-yelp-started-as-a_16013.png" --- # In the very beginning, Yelp started as a service where we… ![“In the very beginning, Yelp started as a service where we really didn't think people would write reviews for fun. The whole concept of user-generated content was pretty nascent in 2004.” quote by Jeremy Stoppelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/784/jeremy-stoppelman-19033_beginning_in-the-very-beginning-yelp-started-as-a_16013.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/784/jeremy-stoppelman-19033_beginning_in-the-very-beginning-yelp-started-as-a_16013.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/784/jeremy-stoppelman-19033_beginning_in-the-very-beginning-yelp-started-as-a_16013.png) > “In the very beginning, Yelp started as a service where we really didn't think people would write reviews for fun. The whole concept of user-generated content was pretty nascent in 2004.” [Jeremy Stoppelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-stoppelman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Early skepticism about user-driven reviews, yet the platform proved that people would willingly share experiences online. **In simple terms:** User-generated content was unexpected in 2004. Key Takeaway Predicting user behavior is hard. Themes Innovation User Behavior Digital Platforms Entrepreneurship Social Proof Mood Optimistic Reflective Type Observation Historical Insight When to use this quote - Launching a new web service - Assessing market demand - Building community trust Key Concepts User-Generated Content Online Reviews Early Adoption Practical Applications - Developing review platforms - Encouraging user participation Questions to Reflect On - What factors turned skepticism into success? - How can startups anticipate hidden user motivations? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beginning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beginning/) [Beginning Yelp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beginning-yelp-382179/) [Concept](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concept/) [Concepts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concepts/) [Content](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/content/) [Fun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fun/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Pretty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pretty/) [Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really/) [Reviews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reviews/) [Reviews Fun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reviews-fun-382181/) [Service](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/service/) [Started](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started/) [Started Service](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started-service-382182/) [Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Users](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/users/) [Very](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/very/) [Where](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/where/) [Whole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole/) [Would](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would/) [Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write/) [Write Reviews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-reviews-382180/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Yelp Started](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yelp-started-382178/) ## Related quotes > [I don't hire any companies or ask any of my friends to write reviews for me on Amazon when I have a book come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/i-don-t-hire-any-companies-or-ask-any-of-my-friends-to-write-reviews/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [I sometimes think many reviewers write the reviews of my films even before they see them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-gopal-varma/i-sometimes-think-many-reviewers-write-the-reviews-of-my-films-even/) [Ram Gopal Varma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-gopal-varma/) > [“Besides,” said Mr Norrell, “I really have no desire to write reviews of other people's books. Modern publications upon magic are the most pernicious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-clarke/besides-said-mr-norrell-i-really-have-no-desire-to-write-reviews-of/) [Susanna Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-clarke/) > [“I write reviews then edit them later. Deal with it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan/i-write-reviews-then-edit-them-later-deal-with-it/) [Dan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan/) > [Every year I tell myself that I'm not going to read any reviews and then I do. We're all human and when I read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/every-year-i-tell-myself-that-i-m-not-going-to-read-any-reviews-and/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [A game's concept is one of its most important assets. I feel that we must aim to satisfy both beginners and experts, and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masahiro-sakurai/a-game-s-concept-is-one-of-its-most-important-assets-i-feel-that-we/) [Masahiro Sakurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masahiro-sakurai/) > [When you design a building, you start from a general philosophy, and you come down, and you start from detail and come up. Only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renzo-piano/when-you-design-a-building-you-start-from-a-general-philosophy-and/) [Renzo Piano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renzo-piano/) > [I came up with the Enveloper when I was 20 and it took my dad and me several months to develop the initial concept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-davies/i-came-up-with-the-enveloper-when-i-was-20-and-it-took-my-dad-and-me/) [Sara Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-davies/) > [The 'Occupy' movement seems to have found a central theme to its 2012 movement around overturning 'the corporation as a person,' and some legislators…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/the-occupy-movement-seems-to-have-found-a-central-theme-to-its-2012/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [In Greek mythology, the hero wants to be great, but the very concept does not exist in the Indian vocabulary. Yet it has become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devdutt-pattanaik/in-greek-mythology-the-hero-wants-to-be-great-but-the-very-concept/) [Devdutt Pattanaik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devdutt-pattanaik/) > [Trust is a small word with a big concept.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/trust-is-a-small-word-with-a-big-concept/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [The concept of USADA is not bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-barnett/the-concept-of-usada-is-not-bad/) [Josh Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-barnett/) > [When good media takes a bounded form, and comes once in a period of time, it begs to be consumed as a whole -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/when-good-media-takes-a-bounded-form-and-comes-once-in-a-period-of/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [There aren't traditions of freedom in a place like Iraq. They're going to have to come to grips with a concept that they hadn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-wallop/there-aren-t-traditions-of-freedom-in-a-place-like-iraq-they-re-going/) [Malcolm Wallop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-wallop/) > [Ownership is a very complex judicial concept.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kapil-sibal/ownership-is-a-very-complex-judicial-concept/) [Kapil Sibal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kapil-sibal/) ## More by Jeremy Stoppelman > [When Yelp first took off, our rankings on Google would fluctuate wildly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-stoppelman/when-yelp-first-took-off-our-rankings-on-google-would-fluctuate-wildly/) [Jeremy Stoppelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-stoppelman/) > [I think with every successful consumer Internet business, there will be lawyers that are interested in going after your company, especially when they think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-stoppelman/i-think-with-every-successful-consumer-internet-business-there-will/) [Jeremy Stoppelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-stoppelman/) > [Choose something you are passionate about - or a pain point that has affected you and that you feel really needs to be changed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-stoppelman/choose-something-you-are-passionate-about-or-a-pain-point-that-has/) [Jeremy Stoppelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-stoppelman/) > [There are so many businesses that are succeeding on Yelp that don't pay us a dollar, and we're really excited about that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-stoppelman/there-are-so-many-businesses-that-are-succeeding-on-yelp-that-don-t/) [Jeremy Stoppelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-stoppelman/) > [I think by paying attention to the feedback that you get on Yelp, you can very quickly integrate it into your business... The really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-stoppelman/i-think-by-paying-attention-to-the-feedback-that-you-get-on-yelp-you/) [Jeremy Stoppelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-stoppelman/) > [On mobile, what are the core apps? It's basically messaging, mapping and review data.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-stoppelman/on-mobile-what-are-the-core-apps-it-s-basically-messaging-mapping-and/) [Jeremy Stoppelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-stoppelman/) > [Maintaining the trust of the consumer is critical to our business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-stoppelman/maintaining-the-trust-of-the-consumer-is-critical-to-our-business/) [Jeremy Stoppelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-stoppelman/) > [The biggest thing is to create a product that consumers find useful. As more and more people like something, it becomes harder and harder…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-stoppelman/the-biggest-thing-is-to-create-a-product-that-consumers-find-useful/) [Jeremy Stoppelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-stoppelman/) > [There is this cat and mouse game that plays out over time where our team comes up with new and interesting ideas to identify…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-stoppelman/there-is-this-cat-and-mouse-game-that-plays-out-over-time-where-our/) [Jeremy Stoppelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-stoppelman/) > [When you read reviews on Yelp, you get a good sense of what's going to happen when you walk in the door of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-stoppelman/when-you-read-reviews-on-yelp-you-get-a-good-sense-of-what-s-going-to/) [Jeremy Stoppelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-stoppelman/) > [I think my dad did legal work for someone who had a Packard Bell 8088, and they couldn't pay him, so they gave him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-stoppelman/i-think-my-dad-did-legal-work-for-someone-who-had-a-packard-bell-8088/) [Jeremy Stoppelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-stoppelman/) > [There's simply anger over the accountability that Yelp brings and also this feeling of powerlessness because so much power is now being put in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-stoppelman/there-s-simply-anger-over-the-accountability-that-yelp-brings-and/) [Jeremy Stoppelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-stoppelman/) > [The entrepreneurs that really make it are the ones that start with an idea but are ready to change it at a moment's notice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-stoppelman/the-entrepreneurs-that-really-make-it-are-the-ones-that-start-with-an/) [Jeremy Stoppelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-stoppelman/) > [I've been through a couple of mergers - they're not that fun. And it's easy to lose your focus on this grandiose mission you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-stoppelman/i-ve-been-through-a-couple-of-mergers-they-re-not-that-fun-and-it-s/) [Jeremy Stoppelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-stoppelman/) > [Consumers are empowered by Yelp and tools like it: before, when they had a bad experience, they didn't have much recourse. They could fume,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-stoppelman/consumers-are-empowered-by-yelp-and-tools-like-it-before-when-they/) [Jeremy Stoppelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-stoppelman/) [Explore all 33 Jeremy Stoppelman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-stoppelman/) ## More Beginning quotes > [At the very beginning, I was a page at Letterman, and I freelanced for any place that would let me write any word. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-schwartz/at-the-very-beginning-i-was-a-page-at-letterman-and-i-freelanced-for/) [Ben Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-schwartz/) > [People pay far too much attention to the television and they're quite literal in some ways. At the beginning, when I was playing very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ardal-o-hanlon/people-pay-far-too-much-attention-to-the-television-and-they-re-quite/) [Ardal O'Hanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ardal-o-hanlon/) > [Every Finish Line is the beginning of a new race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-finish-line-is-the-beginning-of-a-new-race/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Always keep the smile, because the smile is the beginning of love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-imad/always-keep-the-smile-because-the-smile-is-the-beginning-of-love/) [Adam Imad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-imad/) > [We are beginning to see intimations of this in the implantation of computer devices into the human body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-kurzweil/we-are-beginning-to-see-intimations-of-this-in-the-implantation-of/) [Ray Kurzweil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-kurzweil/) > [The only vocal training I had was playing with a tape recorder as a kid, and you know, doing the beginning of the 'Lone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-buffer/the-only-vocal-training-i-had-was-playing-with-a-tape-recorder-as-a/) [Michael Buffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-buffer/) > [January is the beginning of a new year for us in the Western world. Let us give to God what belongs to him: the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-white/january-is-the-beginning-of-a-new-year-for-us-in-the-western-world/) [Paula White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-white/) > [In the beginning, if you look at those early label albums of the Chicks, we didn't write all that much. We had an A&R…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martie-maguire/in-the-beginning-if-you-look-at-those-early-label-albums-of-the/) [Martie Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martie-maguire/) > [You need more than a beginning if you're going to start a book. If all you have is a beginning, then once you've written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-need-more-than-a-beginning-if-you-re-going-to-start-a-book-if-all/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [When there is a mission before you, you see it from its beginning to its conclusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-white/when-there-is-a-mission-before-you-you-see-it-from-its-beginning-to/) [Jesse White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-white/) > [When God made the world, all things began with him. Life, death, it all began when he said so. That includes you and me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manae-poet-of-carisis/when-god-made-the-world-all-things-began-with-him-life-death-it-all/) [Manae Poet Of Carisis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manae-poet-of-carisis/) > [From the beginning at Intel, we planned on being big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-noyce/from-the-beginning-at-intel-we-planned-on-being-big/) [Robert Noyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-noyce/) > [Some projects feel like the stars are aligning for them from the very beginning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-smith/some-projects-feel-like-the-stars-are-aligning-for-them-from-the-very/) [Gregory Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-smith/) > [Do not judge me by my beginning, Only by my end, Nor by the path I took, But where it led me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacklyn-h-lucas/do-not-judge-me-by-my-beginning-only-by-my-end-nor-by-the-path-i-took/) [Jacklyn H Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacklyn-h-lucas/) > [“A mother is always the beginning. She is how things begin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/a-mother-is-always-the-beginning-she-is-how-things-begin/) [Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/) [Browse all 3,566 Beginning quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beginning/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In the very beginning, Yelp started as a service where we really didn't think people would write reviews for fun. 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