Dear Tampa,
I have time for only one post and this is it.
I am responding to your post because I always read your posts and consider what you are saying whether I totally agree, partially, or totally disagree.
I do not wish to appear to be combative and in fact I am not trying to be so please do not take this wrong.
I am a CEO.
I have also occupied that position previously, as well as that of COO.
Here is what I have learned.
A good rule of thumb to follow for most top execs is to say as little as possible because it will always be misconstrued and used against you.
Secondly, it is difficult if not impossible to please people, especially stockholders when things are not the way they want them to be.
Many stockholders are great armchair quarterbacks who do not have to make swift battlefield decisions and oftimes needs must make changes on the fly.
The stockholders have no remote idea of the information we are dealing with but are always ready with suggestions as to how to get it done to their satisfaction.
These are just a few of my personal experiences over 20 years and I can also say that I have made many decisions directly affecting the employees under my management and no matter the facade I put on face, it still hurts when I see have negatively impacted someone's life or when I am openly critcized and/or questioned about my ability to lead when I have poured everything I have into it and know that no one can do better with the cards I have to play with.
I said all that to simply say this.
I won't debate the issue of non-revenues. There is nothing to debate.
I am frustrated like many that it hasn't taken off and gone anywhere, yet.
But I do believe SKS has the passion and the vision for this marketplace he is trying to tap into and the products he trying to get in front of anyone he can.
I know exactly why his eyes welled up. I've been there.
The answer does not lie in changing horses in mid stream. Besides, what no one talks about is the very good likelihood that you will wind up with another leader who is less empassioned, less driven, and less knowledgeable about the company's products and direction it must take. It could be worse by varying degrees.
I cannot argue the lack of hard numbers or ongoing burn rate with no apparent revenues to offset the burn rate.
But I can speak to the ceo part and share a little of what I do know and have in common with many others in the same position.
Heck, even my latest venture is not where I want it or need it to be and I am swimming in red ink, but I know that eventually I will turn it around and get it going. Then all my critics will fall by the wayside. It is easy to be on the sidelines.
It is not easy watching your investment lose value and wonder if it will rebound.
It is and has been a speculative investment from the beginning and so I accept the risks of losing it all and the potential reward of hitting the grand slam home run. I will go with the thoroughbred that is heading up the race and have placed my bets.
Tampa, I really believe that an intelligent poster like you should make the decision as to whether you continue to stay in this very risky game or cash it in and be able to relax a little more.
These are merely my thoughts and I do wish you well as you are a respected poster to me.
The best,
micro....
