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Bootstrapping in Pennsylvania: OnSIP CEO Mike Oeth (Part 2)

Sramana Mitra: What year does that bring us up to?

Mike Oeth: 2002.

Sramana Mitra: Where were you located? Still in Connecticut or had you moved out by now?

Mike Oeth: At that point, I had moved down to Yardley, Pennsylvania. RCN is based in Princeton, New Jersey; so for a while, I was commuting from Connecticut down to Princeton. Eventually, we left RCN and went with a small startup out of Livingston, New Jersey in 2002. That’s where I met Rob Wolpov. Rob has a degree from Columbia. He was handling the product development and there, I was handling customer service. Once Rob and I met, we launched a company that got bought by a company out of New York. Eventually, we got together with John and started Junction Networks in 2004. >>>

Bootstrapping in Pennsylvania: OnSIP CEO Mike Oeth (Part 1)

The theme of entrepreneurs building robust companies without outside capital continues in the story of OnSIP.

Sramana Mitra: Let’s start at the beginning of your personal story. Where were you born, raised, and in what kind of circumstances?

Mike Oeth: I was born in the MidWest, specifically in Speedway, Indiana. It’s the home of Indianapolis 500. I was very lucky in my early life to have three mentors who helped shape different parts of who I am. First, obviously, is my dad. He is a mechanical engineer and electrical engineer. He’s retired now but he had worked for General Motors. He was designing aircraft engines. He was very supportive when, in the seventh or eighth >>>

Scaling a Cloud Telephony Company in India: Knowlarity CEO Ambarish Gupta (Part 7)

Sramana Mitra: Given that it is such a high-touch customer service model, the question that I’m trying to ask you is. Right now you’re heavily venture-funded and you can finance your cost. At scale, does this company have the unit economics to become profitable?

Ambarish Gupta: Well, that’s true. The unit economics of this product is very good. It’s incoming calls and they are free in India. Our growth margins are quite high, probably around 70%. Then we spend money on acquiring customers, which in the first year was around 75% of our revenue. After a year and two or three months, we were able to break even. With a renewal, everything you make after the first year is profit. >>>

Scaling a Cloud Telephony Company in India: Knowlarity CEO Ambarish Gupta (Part 6)

Sramana Mitra: What’s his background? What did he do after IIT?

Ambarish Gupta: Like most IIT guys, he went to Silicon Valley and worked for startups for eight to nine years. I got him back. He was also my colleague in McKinsey in the Pittsburgh office. He has a PhD in Highway Engineering from the University of Illinois. Then, he worked in McKinsey for four years. A lot of people in the product team working on this platform are people who have returned from the Valley. >>>

From Friends and Family Funding to $30 Million Exit: Vertical Response Founder Janine Popick (Part 7)

Sramana Mitra: Very nice story. What are you up to now?

Janine Popick: I don’t know. I’m trying to figure out what I’m going to do next. I’m a marketer but I am also into product management and technology to grow small businesses. Maybe, something along those lines in a consultative fashion. It’s been 14 years so I want to chill for a little bit.

Sramana Mitra: You need some rest.

Janine Popick: Unfortunately, my husband just started a new tech startup, which is probably going to take some of my time but all of his. >>>

Scaling a Cloud Telephony Company in India: Knowlarity CEO Ambarish Gupta (Part 5)

Sramana Mitra: What kind of companies do you recruit as channel partners?

Ambarish Gupta: These are like a tiny version of SIs in India. SMBs in India for their technical support requirements depend on large local companies who for example distribute laptops, computers, and computer accessories.

Sramana Mitra: How do you find them? >>>

Thought Leaders in E-Commerce: Darren Hill, CEO of WebLinc (Part 4)

Sramana Mitra: I see it.

Darren Hill: It’s quite powerful. People share them like crazy. Our site allows hearting and comments and the customer base is very active.

Sramana Mitra: Interesting. When you put something up on the website, I’m sure you are seeing huge amounts of social media sharing.

Darren Hill: Absolutely. That is the key. That was almost a by-product of allowing people to upload their information. The big value was that these girls are excited that they’re on the Free People site. >>>

From Friends and Family Funding to $30 Million Exit: Vertical Response Founder Janine Popick (Part 6)

Sramana Mitra: Interesting. In 2007, you said you were at about $5 million in revenue?

Janine Popick: Around that time, yes.

Sramana Mitra: You have just raised that $1.2 million friends and family round. You haven’t raised any more money beyond that? Are you profitable at this point?

Janine Popick: Yes, we’re profitable at this point.

Sramana Mitra: In 2007, what was happening?
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