In simple terms, Dropbox.com allows users to ‘drop’ files into a designated folder, which is then synchronized with the site’s online ‘cloud,’ so that those files can then be accessed from any other computer. Other functions include the ability to recover any deleted files in users’ Dropbox folders, as well as the ability to edit the material in their folders without writing over the memory of previous versions, ensuring that no draft of their work is permanently lost. These features, along with the company’s ‘freemium’ business model- which gives all basic features to users for free and only charges for add-ons, display its commitment to customer satisfaction. As sales representative (and interviewee) Deanna Dong states, “Dropbox has a personal touch on users.”
"Dropbox is the archetype of the classic success story: one person, with no more than a simple idea, changes the way the world thinks.""Having studied economics at Harvard and coming from a Wall Street background, Deanna Dong is just one example of Dropbox’s eclectic team: engineering, user ops, legal, design, biz ops, marketing, and even catering are all branches of the official roster on the site’s ‘about’ page. As she explained the company’s history, Dong guided us through halls, departments, and surprisingly creative break areas filled with the people that keep Dropbox running. Employees zip by on ripsticks and scooters, type away on desks and laptops, or simply just kick back; leisure time at Dropbox ranges from chilling in hammocks, to playing xbox with coworkers, to jamming out in the company’s own ‘band room’ and more. This casual, laid-back environment is what is perhaps most striking about Dropbox, and which is what distinguishes the company from many that have come before it. Taking the idea of ‘startup’ to a new level, Dropbox doesn’t aspire to grow into the next Apple or even the next Facebook, but rather seeks to be the first of its own kind. The company is vibrant and successful, but more than that, it is young.