Just to setup some type of baseline on who I am, where I got here, and what I'm doing, I thought I'd write a post to describe the current situation. I will keep the names of companies and people generic to protect the innocent ... and guilty alike, so don't get aggravated when I don't give up the exact details of a deal or information.
I am currently the co-founder of a medical management company in the San Francisco bay area. I moved up here about 5 years ago from Los Angeles (my home) to get in on the Internet action. I joined a eRealty company that had promise but crashed and burned. After that gig, I ended up connecting with my current business partner as my wife and I were making friends in the bay area. He was doing some health care consulting work and we started talking about how we could create a business around the industry.
We ended up creating the company I currently run (which I'll call CurrentCo for lack of a better term). CurrentCo is a medical management company which helps large organizations reduce their total health care costs. Right now we focus on workers compensation and have been doing well. My partner and I started the company with $5K and we are currently doing well with 100% increases in revenue year over year. What all this means is that I have gotten a company off the ground with essentially nothing but will power and now I have a platform that supports me while I grow it and look at other opportunities.
There were many, many bumps in my path, and we are still a very small company with many risks. However, we are innovative and taking on the big players.
What I am doing now, and what I will be blogging about is my path to build the next enterprise. An enterprise with a valuation of $20MM - $50MM+, all the while nurturing and growing CurrentCo. Most of my ideas are around Web 2.0 and the new Bubble 2.0. I think there are many, many opportunities for the fleet footed and smart entrepreneur now. I'm not looking for the Google, or Amazon or eBay type of opportunities (I think those have as much to due with luck as with skill ... not to take anything away from the entrepreneurs who started those companies, but the stars did align just right with those few household names). Don't get me wrong, if I happen to get a Google type idea, I'll run with it: I just don't think I can predetermine things.
So, now you know where I've been (a little), where I am (CurrentCo with the ability to start new gigs), and where I'm going (NewCo's, with many ideas, hopefully releasing a new idea once a quarter following the Release Early & Often model). In future posts I'll be putting up my ideas, what I'm working on at the moment, and what is happening with CurrentCo that might be beneficial to others.
See you on the wire.
Steven Cardinale
Comments