Peanut Labs has an innovative take on a pretty unglamorous but fast-changing part of the research industry: online panels. Unlike other panel providers, they generate sample on-the-fly through social networks. As a result, not only can they source difficult-to-get Gen-Yrs, you can also think of them as Google Adsense for social networks, i.e. a powerful monetisation engine that social networks seem to love.

They’re doing pretty well - created only 14 months ago, they already have an annualised turnover of $10m. Not bad for a company started by a bunch of twenty-something college dropouts.

Based in Silicon Valley, we managed the above quick chat with founder Murti Hussain, and newly annointed part-time CEO Simon Chadwick (the adult supervision!) during a recent trip to London. We cover a number of key strategic decisions they’ve made including why Simon is joining now, their strategy for maintaining the fast growth, hiring tactics, barriers to entry, mistakes, exit strategies and who we think will end up buying them.

Below the fold you’ll find some more info on their background and ambitions (based on a profile we wrote for trade pub Research World)

BTW, props to the wonderful folks at Starbucks in Wardour Street for cutting the background music while we chatted - much appreciated.

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Part of our occasional Best of the Podosphere (BoP) series

This podcast is part of the excellent and inspirational SmallBizPod series aimed at small businesses (actually, much of their content is pretty useful to businesses of any size). In this episode, smooth host Alex Bellinger covers the topic of cold calling with specialists Mike O’Hara and Greg Grimer

 STARRING 

• Mike O’Hara and Greg Grimer, Cold Calling Podcast
• Alex Bellinger, SmallBizPod (Host)

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Part of our occasional Best of the Podosphere (BoP) series

This podcast talks about how to create true business relationships (for long-term loyalty), as opposed to ones that result in transactions (i.e. one-night stands). It’s alot easier said than done, so listen to David Maister’s compelling brand of common sense. A must-listen for all managers

This podcast is part of an excellent and popular series by business author and management consultant David Maister, widely acknowledged as one of the world’s leading authorities on the management of professional service firms

 STARRING 

• David Maister, acclaimed author and Management Consultant

 USEFUL LINKS 

• Rest of this podcast series
• Podcast feed
• David’s blog

Many thanks to David for granting us permission to host this podcast
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 GUEST  Researcher, prolific author, entrepreneur, blogger and podcaster Paul Hague, co-founder and Director, B2B International

 TOPICS  Rationale for copious writing; TNS and other non pure-plays struggle in online research; pharmaceutical and medical research; report from the Marketing Week MR Forum by Tim Williams, ICG; challenges with startup #2; business benefits achieved from blogging and podcasting; new B2B Intl office in China

 NOTABLE MENTIONS  AQR, B&MR, Chrissie Hague, Ciao, Dunlop Rubber, dunnhumby, Fiona Jack, Greenfield Online, Harris Interactive, Julia Cupman, Martin Hayward, MRS, Nick Hague, Tesco Clubcard, TNS, YouGov

Music Brother Love and Little Thom from the PMN

Series:Weekly

 GUEST  Stephen Phillips, founder and Managing Partner, Spring Research

 TOPICS  Research via mobiles; the social media/networking revolution; audio comments from Ruth McNeil (Response Consulting) and Darren Noyce (SKOPOS); making multimedia presentations the norm; effective business development; overcoming recruitment challenges

 NOTABLE MENTIONS  AMI Group, Amnesty International, Bebo, Buzzmetrics, ESOMAR Congress, Jeremy Bullmore, Moët Hennessy, MRS Conference, MySpace, Paris Hilton, Synovate, ToLuna, Tuned In, Unilever, WOMMA, Xbox, YouTube

Music 2006 Pl@stic Soul and The Clintons from the PMN

Series:Weekly