Entrepreneur's Editor-in-Chief describes what it takes to make the list:

"Somewhere in the shadow of the gratuitously covered corporations and their well-heeled CEOs lies a far less obvious and far more colorful subset, entrepreneurial companies and their leaders. We like to call them the Brilliant 100.

These companies are the influencers and trailblazers who innovate and reinvent...Collectively, they are companies that eviscerate Jurassic business models and sometimes democratize entire industries, much to the chagrin of said industries. These companies constantly recast notions...These are, to us at least, the 100 brilliant companies to watch. Led by dazzling 'treps, they will inspire the next generation of greatness. They will effect change. They will directly impact the economy.

And they will piss off a lot of the old guard.For that, we celebrate them. (Not that we at Xtreme like pissing people off. But we like change and a new way of doing things. And, OK, sometimes we like pissing people off – mostly competitors.)

What makes a company brilliant is hard to measure, and it differs from company to company. But there are common threads that link them together: Simplicity and clarity, from idea to execution. Sureness of self, reflected in a company's success and presence.Most of the Brilliant 100 have capitalized on opportunities no one else envisioned. That's what 'treps do. Take, for example, the current culture of the tightwad.

We found 10 companies--from BillShrink to Groupon--that took the concept of cheap and developed its potential. It's genius. Everyone is looking to save money right now, and a groundswell of companies is tapping into this need...Opportunity abounds right now. To take your idea to execution, be brilliant. Be able to explain it in two sentences or less. That is the theme of this year's Brilliant 100. Simple, obvious, curious...and innovative..."

We are honored to be included and thankful for all the employees that make Xtreme what it is today!