A lot of you have heard of Izea or at least Payperpost… But who’s behind it all?

I managed to grab the founder Ted Murphy himself for an interview. So here we go!

Mattaw: How did Izea Start up (and/or why did you start Izea?)?

Ted: Before IZEA I started another company called MindComet. At MindComet I was always tinkering with new products and services for our clients. We began offering blog outreach programs in early 2005 and I quickly realized that there was an opportunity to service them more efficiently if I could create an online marketplace. My co-workers all thought I was crazy (and still do), but I kept pushing and eventually launched PayPerPost.com in June 2006.

Mattaw: What projects did you work on before Izea?

Ted: I have worked on all sorts of projects. I am a creator, I am happiest when I am creating something. Here’s a few things I have done: Written and directed television commercials, designed billboards, developed award winning corporate identities, executive producer on interactive projects for General Motors, FOX, AOL, Earthlink, Bombardier, Maersk, designed and built a $4.5MM commercial building.

Mattaw: Do you think Izea’s growth will continue at its current rate as the blogosphere continues to expand or will it grow/taper off?

Ted: I believe this is only the beginning. SocialSpark will open up new opportunities for our company and the customers we serve. I am strapped in for a big year!

Mattaw: Do you plan on expanding RealRank on to websites other than blogs thereby making it a system fully like Alexa?

Ted: There are no plans to do that right now. We want RealRank in particular to be all about blogs. That’s not to say that we won’t have other measures for all media.

Mattaw: Are there any new tidbits about new products or features from Izea that you are at liberty to share?

Ted: The only thing I can share is that SocialSpark is going to be huge : )

Mattaw: Do you have plans to expand into other territories other than the blogosphere?

Ted: Our focus is consumer generated media as a whole, the blogosphere is the beginning.

Mattaw: What is the most rewarding thing about Izea to you?

Ted: The most rewarding thing about my job is the community. Our community is so active and passionate that it makes all the long days worth it. The appreciate the hard work and let us know it.

Mattaw: What is the number one factor that you feel made Izea successful?

Ted: That’s easy. Our people both on the team and in our community. We are truly blessed.

Mattaw: Personally as a “postie” I have often wondered, “Who thought up the 1k Tuesday idea”, well who did?

Ted: That was me… and Pete (Peter Wright) has hated me ever since ; ) Our servers get pounded on those tuesdays.

Mattaw: How hard was it to obtain the domain name Izea dot com (did you have to buy it as a premium domain, and if so for how much?)?

Ted: I had to purchase the domain. I can’t remember the exact figure off the top of my head but I believe it was in the $2500 range.

Mattaw: Do you have any closing remarks or words of wisdom you would like to impart on the MoneyBites audience?

Ted: Never give up.

I would like to extend a big thank you to Ted for taking the time to do this interview. As you can see he’s no small fish. With Izea continuing to grow and SocialSpark on the horizon, keep an eye on this man. I have a feeling that there will be more big things from him in the future.