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Championing the future of work since 2012
Built by people solving their own problems.
The journey so far...
YunoJuno's beginnings are much like many other good ideas - born from a frustration of the manual process, its founders knew there had to be a better way.
What started as a platform to connect the greatest freelancers with a handful of forward- thinking companies is now changing how the creative and tech industry resource their business and manage their workforce.
What a ride we've had.
Everyone starts somewhere
Three guys from the world of creative and tech meet at various pubs across London to discuss their idea for a direct, transparent and exclusive community for freelancers and clients.
Bootstrapping
The three guys double down on their idea, empty their personal savings accounts, and to practice what they preached, hire freelancers to build a bootstrapped product.
Building the community
Pub sessions extend to their wider freelancer and client network in order to ascertain if the idea had legs. The response being overwhelmingly positive, this group became the founding members of the new YunoJuno network.
JC joins Team YJ
YunoJuno finds its first angel investor - Jon Claydon - and convince him to become YJ Chairman. Founders suitably subdued.
YunoJuno Version 1.0
YunoJuno Version 1 released. Built entirely by the freelancer network. Spent the next year doing two things: 1) Grow the pool of elite freelancers and clients; and 2) Improve the product.
Marketing 1.0
First attempt at bootstrapped PR: Stand in the rain outside a digital conference handing out cupcakes. #Fail.
Our very first booking
First freelancer booking the day after YJ version 1.0 is released. YJ founders ensure the precious package is delivered safe and sound.
Brett Akker joins Team YJ
Founder of Streetcar.com - Brett Akker - joins Team YJ as angel investor and advisor.
The pink gin incident
Second attempt at bootstrapped PR: Produce YunoJuno Pink Gin, deliver to clients, gin ferments, offices need evacuating, people hospitalised. #epicfail. Abandon PR initiatives, stick to building a good product.
Team YJ grows
We bring in the experts to help us notch things up a gear.
Not now, Jin-Yang!
After the attempted murder phase, we got down to business. And things started to click. So much so that we received our first term sheet from a real-life VC (as opposed to the life-size statue of Marc Andreessen we fashioned out of reclaimed driftwood).
Our very own home
We get the keys to our very own office in W1.
We bought a ham
In September, we smashed every metric we measure. So as a reward, we purchased one sweet Iberico ham from our favourite Spanish restaurant down the street. Other companies chat at the water cooler, we do it slicing meat.
Team YJ grows some more
All team outings now require a sub-committee.
Sweet FA NO.1
YunoJuno launches the inaugural Freelancer Awards - celebrating and recognising all the amazing work freelancers do in our industry. All photos of YJ CEO attempting ‘the helicopter' have since been permanently deleted.
YunoVélo!
The YunoJuno Bicycle Club begins. For lovers of bike rides as well as post-ride recovery drinks. (Chap on the ElliptiGo is not with us.)
Doing Sweet FA again
Like everything at YJ, if you try something once and it doesn't suck, do it again and make it better. 2016's Freelancer Awards saw more people, more well-deserved recognition and a greater number of awk-waaard post-midnight stories.
We have departments
We still run a pretty flat hierarchy (w00t), but additional growth has meant we can build proper departments. Departments have proven effective for combative teams sports.
New year, new digs
The YJ founders have maintained their full veto rights to new office locations to ensure their proximity to decent coffee and food. We've moved to Bermondsey. They've each put on 5lbs since January.
3rd Annual Sweet FAs
Bigger, better, more razzmatazz. 1600 nominations, thousands of votes. Former Prime Minister of Finland, Minna Häkkinen, presented the awards to 16 very deserving winners.
YJ NYC - let's go
We've been in stealth mode for months but we're finally ready to let the cat out of the bag. YunoJuno is coming to New York! Also, our CEO has used this time to consume his three favourite food groups: melted cheese, carbs, and sports.
YJ Team Minsk
Met some wonderful people in Belarus, they said they were developers, we hired them. Met their friends, hired them too.
Sweet FA / 18
Bigger, better, more Wes. The world's largest freelancer awards pushed the submarine out and kicked things up a notch. 4,500 individual votes, 650 attendees, 16 very deserving winners, 1 epic night!
Growth continues
"Oh and remember, next Friday, is Hawaiian shirt day. So if you want to, go ahead and wear a Hawaiian shirt and jeans." - B. Lumberg
£101 million in a single year, baby!
The numbers are in and 2018 was our biggest yet. Freelancers on the YunoJuno platform took bookings totalling £101m in a single year - doubling from 2017, and double again from 2016! w00t.
New digs (and photoshop skillz) like a boss
New home in Soho! Next time you buy an exotic rug from Liberty’s, take a few more steps down the road, look for the inconspicuous sign and say hello.
AS SEEN ON TV
This guy does his first live television appearance and manages not to embarrass himself or the company. He had one job.
Sweet FA/19. SBAM!
The venue: Shoreditch Town Hall. The host: Nish Kumar. The Theme: Alternative Alternative Superhero. The numbers: 6000 votes; 750 attendees. The feeling: Pow! Sock! Sbam!
There's plenty of things we could say about 2020 but nothing encapsulates it quite like this...
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