Internet Advertising Pioneer: Kevin O’Connor, Founder of DoubleClick and FindTheBest (Part 6)

Sramana: How do you determine a non-linear career path? What is that conversation like?

Kevin O’Conn0r: Organizations go through different stages. If you are in an early stage, then an individual’s career development is in his or her hands. When you get to a bigger company, career paths become far more linear. It is very difficult to become a VP in six months when there are a thousand people in the organization. In a startup, that is completely possible. When you are a startup and you have someone who comes in willing to work for less because they have equity, and they are willing to sleep in the backyard if needed, and they are willing to do whatever needs to be done, then you have a match for a startup environment.

Sramana: Does the best product always win?

Kevin O’Connor: If you have a competent team and you are going after a big problem, then I think it usually wins.

Sramana: I disagree with that. There are so many other factors to consider such as pricing and marketing, as well as an adoption curve.

Kevin O’Connor: If you have a good team, they can bob and weave to figure things out. Everything you mentioned there is blocking and tackling.

Sramana: Timing is important.

Kevin O’Connor: That is absolutely important.

Sramana: I have seen some fabulous teams get sidelined because of timing.

Kevin O’Connor: I don’t disagree with you there.

Sramana: In Silicon Valley, we often see that people are early to market. That kills a lot of companies.

Kevin O’Connor: I agree with timing. I cover it a bit in the book. I ask if you are dependent on things that don’t exist. General Magic was a great company that was way, way too early. They needed a developed cellular network, PDAs widely adopted and battery capacity. They had zero percent chance of success.

Sramana: There are a variety of other things that I have seen kick in, especially since the dot-com days. The industry runs in packs. In 1999, something like 18 online beauty products were funded. That industry is 80% controlled by Estée Lauder, and they were not interested in playing with any of them. All of the 18 players were playing with a very small market, and none of them survived.

Kevin O’Connor: I have made that very same mistake.

Sramana: That shows the other side of timing. You can get involved in a market that is so hot that everybody is getting involved so a company can’t position themselves.

Kevin O’Connor: In those types of markets, you will do better if you have the three fundamentals. if you have those three fundamental things right then your odds increase dramatically. When my publisher first read my book, he chastised me for being so negative. I told him that startups are tough. Everything is trying to kill you. Recessions can kill you. Things outside of your control can kill you. If you get through a recession, then things are beautiful on the other side because your weaker competitors are dead.

I think people are crazy to build startups using government subsidies. I think those are ill-fated. Subsidies run out and then you are dead.

Sramana: The same applies for venture capital. if a company is hiding behind venture capital money without focusing on customer acquisition, then they are also going to be exposed.

Kevin O’Connor: Absolutely. VCs are smarter now, but in those concept days those companies all died.

This segment is part 6 in the series : Internet Advertising Pioneer: Kevin O'Connor, Founder of DoubleClick and FindTheBest
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