Munjal Shah is CEO of a company originally called Deven (after his new son), then called Ojos. But even that name will change soon. He was founding CEO of Andale and we got to know him in that role. This was a classic case where we really liked the guy, but really didn’t like the business. Nevertheless, he did build an interesting business out of it. When he left it was growing well, cash flow breakeven and ramping. It was in a saddle point. Not able to meet the wild expectations of the original VCs, but viable and growing. I say a saddle point because it meant the VCs could simply wait it out, as the business seemed to be on auto-pilot. But, Munjal, being a young man in a hurry, couldn’t afford to wait the next ten years to grow into that valuation. So he left. Our great fortune. He is becoming a great CEO, having gotten a $50M education on someone else’s nickel. I know he has something to prove – and I know he is thinking ten moves ahead.
Munjal and I worked closely together to design his new company -- about 99:1 him and me. The multiple name changing is a metaphor for the process. You don't position consumer internet businesses. Until you have real users you don't really know what you have. Users position the business. All the business people can do is amplify it. And you can't really give it a name until you know what you have.
From the start we decided we would address the convergence of multiple waves in the new web -- authoring by images, rather than text, growth of digital identities, and the explosion of devices capable of generating digital rich media, and populist media. The Big Idea of Web 2.0 is atomization and re-usability. That is at the core of this company, too.
Munjal wrestled with the issue of stealth secrecy versus community feedback, ultimately deciding that feedback was more valuable than surprise. So he has started talking about the business and had some folks pick it up (here and here).
I hope we settle on a name real soon. It will mean that we have launched (a little), shown this to users, and they have told us what this business means to them. It also means we can stop being so abstract about what this is. Because it will be obvious.
I know why don't we call it ripster. I heard I can get the domain for $50K...;-)
Posted by: Munjal Shah | September 03, 2005 at 10:16 PM