Focus is Key to Success, Says Jamcracker CEO

Have a clear vision, remain focused, and move quickly -- these are some of the lessons that Jamcracker Inc.'s Chief Executive Officer and co-founder, K B Chandrasekhar learnt en route to building up Exodus Communications Inc., which he co-founded in 1994.

Exodus is a hosting and managed services provider with a market capitalization of US$20 billion. Last year, the company was voted as one of the "hottest businesses" in Business Week's "Info Tech 100".

Speaking at the Partnership 2000 event last week, Chandrasekhar said: "If you can't explain your vision clearly within 30 seconds, and get people passionate about where your company's headed, how can you expect others to follow suit?"

According to Chandraskhar, 98 percent of all tech start-ups almost never see beyond the first few months due to the lack of direction as "technopreneurs often have two separate ideas on their mind, and worse still, believe that both are valid."

In his presentation, he also highlighted some of the challenges that will confront tech start-ups. One of these is having the right people in place.

Start-ups will need to build a team that would go beyond the call of duty, especially during periods of uncertainty, he said.

"At the same time, how can you ensure that the very same guys who'd be bringing their sleeping bags to work, are able to scale to meet the demands of the company as it grows beyond the start-up phase? That would hinge on the company's culture."

Culture not only defines what the company is, but also the individuals of that company.

"Regardless of how cocky you may become, people will still respect your thoughts and the uniqueness that you're creating as a culture."

With respect to raising funds, Chandrasekhar advised technopreneurs to understand the way in which investors operate.

"You'll need to learn to get the money out of their moneybags into yours."

But, once the funding has been settled, and the company is on the upswing, technopreneurs need to bear in mind that they still have a responsibility towards the investors who have helped fund their business.

"You can't run this as a mom and pop shop; you need to manage the growth."

The two-day Partnership 2000 was organized by Kent Ridge Digital Lab (KRDL) to showcase KRDL's incubatees with the aim of attracting investments.

• Bookmark this page
• Share this article
  •  
  • facebook
  • slashdot
  • digg
  • Reddit
  • stumbleupon
  • linkedin
  • twitter
• Got more on this story? Email Computerworld
• Follow Computerworld on twitter

• Share
  Share this article

  •  google+
  • facebookfacebook
  • slashdotslashdot
  • diggdigg
  • RedditReddit
  • stumbleuponstumbleupon
  • linkedinlinkedin
  • twittertwitter
• print
• email
• Bookmark