Check Out OLX, a Neat Alternative Craigslist

Fabrice Grinda, CEO and co-founder of OLX, has given me a cool opportunity at a quick interview that I wanted to share with you all. OLX is a fancy and relatively new alternative to our beloved Craigslist, and has a lot of really cool things going for it. I recommend checking them out if you have a chance. At the very least, you can list your items on both sites and get double the chances to sell.

But of course, you should read this interview as well.

1. While I’d love to endorse OLX simply because of how shiny and new it is, what are some reasons why I should choose OLX over the competition?

We feel have a differentiated product, business model and global presence. Specifically:

· Product: We made it easier to include pictures and videos in your listings, we added cool search features especially in real estate and cars, we built a fantastic mobile version and we gave users tools to promote their ads on Facebook & Twitter. We also implemented neat scam control ideas.

· Business model: Most other sites charge for real estate and job ads in certain cities. We felt it was better to be 100% free in order to have as many listings as possible.

· Global deployment: In most countries newspapers still dominate classifieds and charge an arm and a leg for them ($200+ for very small ads!). This limits their usefulness to high valued transactions. Free is magical as it allows users to find roommates, babysitters or whatever else they might need!

2. Would you say that OLX has a different vision for what they see as their target market?

Our target market is basically everyone 18 and over – we are a tool to make people’s lives simpler!

3. Even some of the greatest business ideas have failed because of the huge shadow cast by early competitors. Can you share any plans for what the future may hold for OLX users and why (or if) you feel you will come out on top in that future?

We are committed to remaining free forever – I can’t think of any other site who is willing to make this commitment. We are also committed to building the best product in the market.

4. If you had the opportunity to tell everyone in the world one thing about OLX and why they should use it, what would you say?

The site is free, fast, local and has everything you need!

Thanks for your time, Fabrice (and Brenda, who got me the connection)! Best of luck to you and your company.

To the rest of you, check out OLX and tell me what you think in the comments!