Comments on: Ribbit acquired by BT http://alsop-louie.com/venture-capital/ribbit-acquired-by-bt/ The Art and Science of Entrepreneurs Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:48:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.5 by: Ryan Mettee http://alsop-louie.com/venture-capital/ribbit-acquired-by-bt/#comment-4313 Tue, 12 Aug 2008 20:25:53 +0000 http://alsop-louie.com/venture-capital/ribbit-acquired-by-bt/#comment-4313 It sounds like you all developed a pretty strong camaraderie in the last 2 years. What is the key to identifying whether your business partner or investors are the right people for you. Can you be absolutely different people, but have a shared vision for success, and make it happen. At what point, can these differences boil over? That's a tough question to ask and is circumstantial but any insights? Ryan www.gothamtechminute.blogspot.com/2008/07/must-read-business-thriller-answer-by.html It sounds like you all developed a pretty strong camaraderie in the last 2 years. What is the key to identifying whether your business partner or investors are the right people for you. Can you be absolutely different people, but have a shared vision for success, and make it happen. At what point, can these differences boil over? That’s a tough question to ask and is circumstantial but any insights?

Ryan
www.gothamtechminute.blogspot.com/2008/07/must-read-business-thriller-answer-by.html

]]> by: Gunther Pamberg http://alsop-louie.com/venture-capital/ribbit-acquired-by-bt/#comment-4260 Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:34:45 +0000 http://alsop-louie.com/venture-capital/ribbit-acquired-by-bt/#comment-4260 Stewart, Great news and great to see you back in the startup space! It always takes a great first deal to be legitimized for further great things. Gunther Stewart,

Great news and great to see you back in the startup space! It always takes a great first deal to be legitimized for further great things.

Gunther

]]> by: Michael Ausems http://alsop-louie.com/venture-capital/ribbit-acquired-by-bt/#comment-4246 Mon, 04 Aug 2008 07:21:58 +0000 http://alsop-louie.com/venture-capital/ribbit-acquired-by-bt/#comment-4246 Thanks for sharing this, Stewart. Giving me some food for thought for things we’re dealing with. Again, thanks for visiting us in Paris, even though the bill for that breakfast was pretty steep! Best regards, Michael Thanks for sharing this, Stewart. Giving me some food for thought for things we’re dealing with. Again, thanks for visiting us in Paris, even though the bill for that breakfast was pretty steep! Best regards, Michael

]]> by: Roger Rohrbach http://alsop-louie.com/venture-capital/ribbit-acquired-by-bt/#comment-4237 Sun, 03 Aug 2008 00:21:26 +0000 http://alsop-louie.com/venture-capital/ribbit-acquired-by-bt/#comment-4237 Congratulations to Ted and his team, and to ALP! Now, when Patty puts someone on hold, they'll be treated to a British female voice sternly advising "your CALL is in a QUEUE and will be dealt with SHORTLY." :-) Congratulations to Ted and his team, and to ALP!

Now, when Patty puts someone on hold, they’ll be treated to a British female voice sternly advising “your CALL is in a QUEUE and will be dealt with SHORTLY.” :-)

]]> by: Ramani Narayan http://alsop-louie.com/venture-capital/ribbit-acquired-by-bt/#comment-4208 Wed, 30 Jul 2008 15:03:48 +0000 http://alsop-louie.com/venture-capital/ribbit-acquired-by-bt/#comment-4208 Great post Stewart. I guess it took no time for the the geek and the gadfly to spot another bunch of geeks. Eventhough Gilman's push towards the triple play ( Platform, consumer and enterprise play) pushed engineering way beyond its limits and endless sleepless nights and working weekends we had fun along the way in putting this together and taking it to the market. Gilman's role on the board was key in shaping us up and keeping us focussed on the product. In all I had to admit it was worth taking the risk that we took to get here. Thanks to the Geek and the Gadfly! Nara Great post Stewart. I guess it took no time for the the geek and the gadfly to spot another bunch of geeks. Eventhough Gilman’s push towards the triple play ( Platform, consumer and enterprise play) pushed engineering way beyond its limits and endless sleepless nights and working weekends we had fun along the way in putting this together and taking it to the market. Gilman’s role on the board was key in shaping us up and keeping us focussed on the product. In all I had to admit it was worth taking the risk that we took to get here.

Thanks to the Geek and the Gadfly!
Nara

]]> by: Crick Waters http://alsop-louie.com/venture-capital/ribbit-acquired-by-bt/#comment-4203 Wed, 30 Jul 2008 00:22:22 +0000 http://alsop-louie.com/venture-capital/ribbit-acquired-by-bt/#comment-4203 Great post Stewart! One bit of the story - a fun bit - that's worth telling. When Ted and I visited A-L offices the first time, we were interested in one thing only: market research. "What, exactly, with all your knowledge and connections, was missing for you from available telephony services?" So we put our $2.00 worth of quarters in the parking meter outside your (brand new) office for our visit. Forty minutes into our "interview," Stewart and Gilman turned the table on us. The question on the table became, "Are you great entrepreneurs?" Fifteen minutes later, our meter was about to run out, and since Stewart and Gilman had no fund yet, we were thinking the cost of a $40 parking ticket outweighed any more time at the table and got up to leave. It was then that Stewart pulled a handful of quarters from his pocket and said, "You can't leave yet, we haven't talked about the terms." "Don't you need to have a fund first?" I naively asked. "We'll get a fund. The only question is whether Ribbit will be the first deal for A-L." Those were strong words - risk taker's words. Ted and I liked this kind of aggressive, risk-oriented, go-for-broke attitude; found that Stewart and Gilman "got Ribbit" - and so took a risk ourselves by signing a term-sheet from the then un-funded venture partnership. Thank you Stewart, and thank you Gilman, for taking a risk on Ribbit. We're very happy that we took the risk on you, and delighted that together we were able to be the first money out of your first fund, and the first money back! Crick Great post Stewart! One bit of the story - a fun bit - that’s worth telling. When Ted and I visited A-L offices the first time, we were interested in one thing only: market research. “What, exactly, with all your knowledge and connections, was missing for you from available telephony services?” So we put our $2.00 worth of quarters in the parking meter outside your (brand new) office for our visit.

Forty minutes into our “interview,” Stewart and Gilman turned the table on us. The question on the table became, “Are you great entrepreneurs?” Fifteen minutes later, our meter was about to run out, and since Stewart and Gilman had no fund yet, we were thinking the cost of a $40 parking ticket outweighed any more time at the table and got up to leave.

It was then that Stewart pulled a handful of quarters from his pocket and said, “You can’t leave yet, we haven’t talked about the terms.”

“Don’t you need to have a fund first?” I naively asked.

“We’ll get a fund. The only question is whether Ribbit will be the first deal for A-L.” Those were strong words - risk taker’s words. Ted and I liked this kind of aggressive, risk-oriented, go-for-broke attitude; found that Stewart and Gilman “got Ribbit” - and so took a risk ourselves by signing a term-sheet from the then un-funded venture partnership.

Thank you Stewart, and thank you Gilman, for taking a risk on Ribbit. We’re very happy that we took the risk on you, and delighted that together we were able to be the first money out of your first fund, and the first money back!

Crick

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