Crew (Previously ooomf)

Crew, originally launched as Ooomf, was a technology company based in Montreal that developed and operated a curated online marketplace connecting businesses with freelance creative talent. The platform was founded by Mikael Cho, Luke Chesser, Stephanie Liverani, and Angus Woodman. Cho's journey into entrepreneurship began after moving to Montreal and struggling to find work without speaking French, which prompted him to start his own company. Initially a design agency, the team identified a significant pain point in managing non-creative tasks like legal and finance, which inspired the pivot to a marketplace model designed to streamline the connection between quality projects and skilled professionals.

The business operated as a two-sided marketplace, serving both project owners seeking talent and a pre-vetted network of independent designers, illustrators, and developers. Crew's value proposition was its high-quality, invite-only network of freelancers who had completed projects for notable companies like Dropbox, Medium, and Tinder. The business model was commission-based, taking a fee from the total project value facilitated through the platform. Over its lifespan, the company processed over $40 million in projects and attracted talent from more than 32 countries.

A significant milestone in the company's history was the creation of Unsplash, a side project that initially served as a marketing tool for Crew. Launched as a simple Tumblr blog with ten free, high-resolution photos, Unsplash's popularity grew at an explosive rate, eventually eclipsing the core business. Faced with Crew's slower growth and lack of profitability, alongside Unsplash's rapid expansion, the founders decided to focus their efforts on the photo-sharing platform. This strategic shift led to the sale of Crew to Dribbble, a prominent online community for designers, in April 2017. The acquisition allowed the founding team to dedicate its resources and personnel entirely to growing Unsplash as a separate entity.

Keywords: freelance marketplace, design talent, developer marketplace, creative services, Mikael Cho, Unsplash, Dribbble, Ooomf, curated talent, project-based work, design and development, Montreal startup, tech marketplace, creative economy, freelance platform, remote work, talent sourcing, gig economy, digital services