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Library/App & software/The Million Dollar Homepage
Grade B7 sourcesHIS-01107

The Million Dollar Homepage

App & software · 2005 · Niche

10Editable slideCertificate

A student’s pixel billboard sold out after drawing bloggers, news coverage and imitators.

The Million Dollar Homepage’s completed advertising-pixel grid. Completed campaign grid retained on the original website; later state, not the launch-day grid.
Completed grid; not launch-day · Alex Tew; advertisers retain artwork rights

Spread Score

How it works
ReachNo data yetContagionNo data yetBreadth10VelocityNo data yetLongevityNo data yet10

Numbers

Milestone date
Jan 11 ’06
Aug 2005 to Jan 11 ’06
Platforms
2
Started on Open web
Origin
Seeded
Media & publishing

Mechanics

  • Maker originPrimary
  • Press loop
  • Dupe economy
  • Scarcity drop

How it spread

Trace the origin

Alex Tew sold advertising on a finite pixel grid. Bloggers and news outlets carried the student’s fundraising story. The final block went to auction, while named imitators reproduced the format.

Documented milestone; not a measured attention peak. Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.

Aug ’05SepOctNovDecJan ’06Open webPress
Open webPress

4 more events on this chart

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Timeline (7)

  1. August 2005

    Alex Tew seed · Aug 2005

    Tew began selling pixel blocks to help fund his university studies.[2][5]

  2. September 2005

    The Register press · Sep 8 ’05

    Reported over 1,000 pixels sold, including 400 to Tew’s brother; logos linked to buyers’ websites.[6]

  3. The Register press · Sep 20 ’05

    Reported about 60,000 pixels sold, including purchases by poker sites, lenders and small businesses.[7]

Origin
Seeded
Sector
Media & publishing
Region
GB
Reported figure
—
Evidence
Grade B

Spread the same way

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52
Official Locket graphic showing friends’ photos inside the home-screen widget

10M downloads a month

Goat yoga

Retail · 2016

40
Warrior pose does not intimidate this kid.

71.5M impressions

Instafest

Open web · 2022

40
Official screenshot of Instafest’s later iPhone app and its festival-poster interface.

6M users

Coffee in a Cone

Retail · 2016

24
Latte art in chocolate-lined waffle cones sold by Bluestone Lane.

50M impressions

New cases, every week

How the next thing spread, the week it does.

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Aug ’05SepOctNovDecJan ’06Open webPress
Open webPress

4 more events on this chart

Join free to see them

  1. August 2005

    Alex Tew seed · Aug 2005

    Tew began selling pixel blocks to help fund his university studies.[2][5]

  2. September 2005

    The Register press · Sep 8 ’05

    Reported over 1,000 pixels sold, including 400 to Tew’s brother; logos linked to buyers’ websites.[6]

  3. The Register press · Sep 20 ’05

    Reported about 60,000 pixels sold, including purchases by poker sites, lenders and small businesses.[7]

  1. press · Jan 11 ’06

  2. milestone · Jan 11 ’06

Join free to see the other 4 events and the full chart. Free, on every case.

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Why it worked

Do this

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3

Pro opens the playbook, all 1 sourced numbers and 7 sources. Start with a free account.

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