Mike: re: did it ever occur to you that the announcement was for the benefit of 1stOrder and not FSTW
Absolutely. As I said in this post:
Message 17951029
The 1stOrder PR is one of the reasons I think that FSTW still has the same culture. That's exactly the type of "alliance" that Hank was so upset about as recent as last year.
If you add up all the "huh?"s related to that particular deal, it would be hard to consider it meaningful. Yet, there's a PR with hype galore:
1) 1stOrder LLC hasn't filed corporate paperwork with the state of Georgia
2) 1stOrder had a brand new website that was created just prior to the PR. And, all it contains is a demo. Absolutely nothing about the company.
3) The brand new 1stOrder name just so happens to be a good fit for a company name collaborating with FirstWave.
4) "Firstwave’s eOrder Entry module is the first order entry system that is fully integrated with a CRM solution." Ha! It doesn't take much research to debunk that claim.
5) There were only four 1stOrder contact names on the product demo on the date of the PR. Then, only three later, two of which were at FSTW addresses.
6) "The 1stOrder management team brings a combined 60 years of experience in sales, technology, systems integration and deep industry knowledge." I guess that means that all 4 of them are managers, and they average 15 years of experience. And it looks like one of those names is gone, so they lost 15 years of management experience. I wonder if those 1stOrder "managers" that now have FSTW email addresses have management roles at FSTW?
I wonder why 1stOrder's PR on the FSTW website is dated 8/1/2002, but the PR came out 9/4/2002?
Message 17950580
firstwave.net
re: a history of excellence that has gone to Hell in a hand basket the last two years
So, you're saying that it was just the last two years that FSTW hasn't been excellent?
Then, you must consider 16 years in business with a total of 200 customers "excellent". I don't.
re: While you weren't looking they did become wonderful.
I disagree. First of all, there wasn't a time in the past 6 years when I wasn't watching. Secondly, I can see they have improved. All the way back to where they were before the pre-split tank. And, better! However, I don't think they have become wonderful. Maybe your standards are lower than mine.
Having been in this same situation a few times in the past with this company, I'll continue to be skeptical until I see sustained proof that "it's different this time".
Companies don't change corporate culture overnight. Don't forget that Richard was never far from the company, even though he wasn't involved on a daily basis. They still have the same core staff. Yes, they have changed some key management positions.
If you go back and read the Yahoo thread history, you'll see plenty of comments about the egos involved and the working environment. Could that be just sour grapes? Sure. However, there's gotta' be some grains of truth in there somewhere. How many managers of R&D have they had? Five? That's either lousy leadership, lousy hiring practices, or a lousy working environment. Or all three. It's hard to believe that NONE of them knew how to run an R&D group. It's not easy, that's for sure. Trust me on that. But, hire somebody who knows the ropes, then get the heck out of the way and let them do their job.
If you add up all the "what ever happened to"s, and the myriad other concerns that Bob and I have posted, it paints something other than a rosy picture.
Perhaps this company is beginning to smell like a rose. I'll skip the obvious follow-on to that, and just say "watch out for the thorns".
Anyway, good luck with your investment. I'd like to believe you're right. But, I don't.
Regards,
TED |
