LinkedIn 2015 Annual Report Download - page 6

PART I
Item 1. Business
Overview
We are the world’s largest professional network on the Internet with over 400 million members in
over 200 countries and territories as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. We believe we
are the most extensive, accurate and accessible network focused on professionals. LinkedIn’s value
proposition for our members and customers is simple: connect to opportunity. Members use our
platform to stay connected and informed, advance their career and work smarter.
We provide many of our products at no cost to members with the belief that our freemium
business model drives the most value for our members. In return, member growth and engagement
strengthens the network effect that can benefit each individual LinkedIn member.
The critical mass of our network also enables us to create value for our customers through three
distinct product lines: Talent Solutions, which includes Hiring and Learning & Development, Marketing
Solutions, and Premium Subscriptions. Our products are sold through two channels, an offline field
sales organization that engages both large and small enterprise customers; and an online channel
where enterprise customers, small business, and individual members purchase products on a self-serve
basis. We seek to create reciprocal value with our products between members and customers. We
believe this builds mutually aligned incentives and marketplace dynamics supporting our long-term
financial objectives of sustainable revenue and earnings growth.
We were incorporated in Delaware in March 2003 under the name LinkedIn, Ltd. and changed our
name to LinkedIn Corporation in January 2005. Our principal executive offices are located at
2029 Stierlin Court, Mountain View, CA 94043, and our telephone number is [phone]. Our
website address is www.linkedin.com. We completed our initial public offering in May 2011 and our
Class A common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (‘‘NYSE’’) under the symbol ‘‘LNKD’’.
Unless the context requires otherwise, the words ‘‘LinkedIn,’’ ‘‘we,’’ ‘‘Company,’’ ‘‘us’’ and ‘‘our’’ refer to
LinkedIn Corporation and our subsidiaries.
Our Mission
Our mission is to connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful.
We believe that prioritizing the needs of our members is the most effective and, ultimately, the most
profitable means to accomplish our mission and create long-term value for all stakeholders.
Our Vision
Our vision is to create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce. We believe
our network’s ultimate potential is to develop the world’s first economic graph, a digital representation
of the global economy. Manifesting this vision requires scaling across six key pillars: individuals in the
workforce, companies, job opportunities, professional skills, higher education institutions, and
professional knowledge. By operationalizing this vision, we believe LinkedIn can enable members to
connect to opportunity at global scale.
Our Strategy and Value Propositions
Our strategy is focused on three key value propositions for both members and customers. These
value propositions allow us to fully embrace our hybrid model as an enterprise services business built
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