Just for Grins
October 23, 2008
Just for grins, when I originally sought funding for American Fiber Systems in 1999, I had a business model that was purely demand driven. The model was based on a fundamental premise that in the long run, if you do not own and operate your own local fiber optic infrastructure but rather rely upon your largest competitor to stay in business, well, it is simply not a smart idea.
Once again, it’s 1999 – my view based on experience, you cannot rent or lease your way to sustainable economic success through the ILEC. The more you depended upon the ILEC pieces and parts, your ability to innovate, time-to-market, provision and compete is limited. When your largest competitor, the ILEC, basically controls your costs and has expertise in regulatory and judicial matters, I don’t see this as a win-win formula … but I could be wrong.
Anyhow, the reason I bring this up is purely for grins. In 1999 I pitched many investment banks, a/k/a “experts,” for funding, Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns amongst them. Across the board, I was told by the Wall Street experts that my demand-driven, slow role, metropolitan fiber based business model was not attractive and not fast enough. They were critical because I had an incremental, success-based funding model. I was told that unless I was raising $500 million equity and $300mm in high yield debt (heroin), I had no idea what I was doing.
Thank god I had experience, common sense and thick skin. I ignored them and eventually went the venture capital route. So as I watch Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns fade from our memories … with more to follow … I guess I will let the record speak for itself alongside the business moral values of some CEO from upstate New York who had no idea in 1999 how to build a business according to the big Wall Street firms.
Shoot Dave an email or include your insights and questions below.
Written by Dave Rusin - Telecom Executive
Posted by admin | Filed Under American telecom, Fiber bandwidth, Forbearance, Telecom Blogs, Telecom USA, Telecom broadband, Telecom bubble, Telecom news, Telecommunications blogs, Telecommunications companies, Telecommunications industry, Telecommunications news, Trends + telecommunications, Trends in telecommunications
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