"Whenever we start on a commodity, we spend as much time on the phone as any broker, " Braziel says.

FORBES: Web Powerhouse

For other would-be Internet exchange magnates, Braziel has some advice: Spend the money on the front end to develop technology that traders will trust and use.

FORBES: Web Powerhouse

Braziel had the good fortune to design the system around the Internet Protocol, so it was easy to shift from a proprietary network to the much less expensive Internet.

FORBES: Web Powerhouse