The following blogs will be more personalized, back to where we started our blogs in the beginning of Jangl/Buzzage. I, for some reason thought as we grew, that I couldn't say what I wanted to say. I realized after having lunch with Pat Phelan and Shel Israel, that my thought was probably wrong.
Anyway, get ready to read the people aspect of all this... I've kept a blog now for one year. I've failed in getting it connected. So, in a sense, it has merely been my personal, private diary. But lately, I've been working with a coach to get it connected, and to make it even more relevent. At the same time, Jangl -- the third of my two children -- has gone farther than I could've ever imagined. Some great VCs, a great partnership, some great press awareness, a great team. . . .It can be a bit overwhelming, even for a guy like me who's been focused on this for years.
But as I step into it, I simultaneaously step backward, like a camera pull moving outward, and I get the odd luxury of seeing a bigger picture. So let me try to paint that picture, in my own humble words.
It was January 2005. I was mulling over what was what. I realized that during the 1990s, I had been a part of building the Internet. No, I wasn't Al Gore, but I was at companies that were providing infrastructure to build the Internet. I was finding succcess, learning the ropes, understanding networks and business models of my customers. The web boom was also in full effect, which pulled a lot of my Internet plumbing into play. I was with Netopia, then Livingston, which Lucent acquired, then Redback. All was groovy. Commissions and stock were great. I was able to pay my student loans, buy a home for my family and even buy all the musical instruments I always wanted. I was making dreams come true.
Then, all of a sudden, all the customers I thought I had, consolidated. I tried one more networking infrastructure company, but I didn't feel the mojo. On 9/11, I was supposed to fly on United to Denver to see Qwest, but the planes were grounded. I would be done with infrastructure for a while.
I went and opened The Yoga Company, and brought in about 4000 new yoga students. I learned about people relevance and culture. I even became a yoga teacher myself.
Then an old colleague from Redback (Dan Simone) was starting Trapeze Networks. I did that for a couple years, and reverted to my entrepreneurial track.
Me and a friend started a VoIP company that didn't come together all too well, although they are still swinging today. And unfortunately he's no longer a friend.
I found myself trying to figure out who I was, and where my value lied. I knew I was a great sales guy. My placks proved it. I thought I was a great business development guy too. And I felt like an entrepreneur.
David Beckemeyer contacted me to work with him on Televolution. I did for a few months.
Then I sold some software for a few months.
Then one night, I found myself in a crisis. What to do next? Most of us find ourselves here once in a while. I was surfing the Internet at about 3am and was looking for jobs and other opps. I saw a Craigslist ad in Seattle for a VoIP partner/CEO for a new company. It had my name written all over it. I responded saying, "hey I'm your guy, but can't play right now".
Ben Dean, the poster responded and we engaged in dialogue. I offered to review his slide deck and intro him to some VCs, but made it clear I wasn't the guy for now.
After a couple months, we grew closer and spent more time talking. Ben was in New Jersey and I out West. Ben played keyboards, and my band had needed a good keyboard player for years. So Ben flew out with his wife and met us, talked shop, felt another out, like dogs sniffing another. We all felt good enough to make a run at the American dream. Ben had an idea, I had the contacts and the business piece, so let's roll. ...to be continued.
hi there!
I see your service very useful for the hole world! but when will it be avaiable outside the US???
many regards
antonio
Posted by: antonio | December 06, 2006 at 02:19 AM