After more than five years at the helm of Ning, Gina Bianchini stepped down in March 2010 from her position as CEO of the custom social network creator that she co-founded.
At the time, the startup had an impressive 2.3 million user-created networks and more than 45 million registered users. But not everything was coming up roses at Ning. Shortly after Bianchini’s departure, the company laid off 40% of its employees. Glam Media purchased Ning earlier this month for an estimated $150 million — a fraction of its reported valuation.
Meanwhile, Bianchini transitioned back to her early-stage startup days by becoming an entrepreneur in residence at Andreesen Horowitz. Eight months later, she emerged with a new startup, Mightybell.
Mightybell helps users break a big idea — anything from a recipe to a cross-country trip — into small, doable steps that they can share with their social networks.
Mashable asked Bianchini about the inspiration for her new company and the challenges of being at the head of a new startup again.
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