How To Succeed As A Start-Up Founder

If you're considering breaking out on your own as a solo IT consultant or launching a new tech company, don't make a move until you've talked with colleagues who've taken such an occupational jump. As one startup leader relates, this type of career move requires much more than long hours, investor funding and a personal commitment. "It's really all about the people that surround you. You really have to like the people you bring into a business; you have to work as a team on a startup. This relationship is almost as important as a marriage," says Eric Wolbrom, COO and co-founder of Information Survival. When Wolbrom launched his first startup initiative, an information security consulting firm called Safe Harbor Technologies, it was actually success that brought about the company's downfall when the dot com bubble burst.


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"I was not a business person, so I hired on someone but didn't realize they didn't have the skills needed to run a marketing plan and stick to that plan," recalls Wolbrom. At first, the firm targeted small to medium sized companies, but was soon adding Fortune 50 clients. that the larger market segment quickly became the primary focus. "We were doing very well with that client level but when things started to drop it was the big firms who cut off the outsourced, Infosec work. If we had stuck to our original plan to meet the SMB market we'd still be in business," says Wolbrom, who describes his tenure in IT as someone who was who has been around so long he was "playing on the AARPA Net",, and who serves as the "grey hair" of his second startup venture. He and Sanchez launched Information Survival and its service, "KeepYouSafe.com," last August. Wolbrom's working fulltime for the company while Sanchez is keeping his daytime job and toiling for the new business off work hours. Information Survival, LLC is a privately-held Web-based personal information security company featuring an Online Safe Deposit Box service for storing and protecting confidential consumer data. Both Wolbrom and Sanchez are tenured Certified Information Security Professionals (CISSP) with experience in keeping critical data safe and secure. The company is based in New York. On his second startup effort Wolbrom immediately hired a very experienced business development manager. He also made sure that every penny is accounted for — another lesson learned from his initial experience. "You've got to be willing to boot strap, work very close to the vest in the beginning. Right now everyone works from home as those operational costs can be huge," he says, adding that his company has gotten some angel capital for startup costs. With the company numbering just six employees, with three working on a sub-contractor basis, passion and commitment are key ingredients for success as "you need people around with positive attitudes and who believe in what you're doing," says Wolbrom. It's that passion and energy that will go a long way to keeping a positive force in moving the company ahead, he adds. As he gears up to hire on more staff this year, it's that passion and energy that Wolbrom will be looking for in new hires. "I want smart IT people with a good sense of humor and who have a passion for something, even if it's not tech related. As I have a little of the 'save the world' attitude, I like to see that in my staff as well," he says. Good candidates are the ones where the passion and excitement on working on a new venture pulls them out of bed early in the morning. "What you're doing as part of the startup effort, should drive your excitement as an employee. That's what I want from my employees as it's exactly what's driving me in my role." Other recent articles from TechCareers Today's Job Search Requires A Proactive Approach Career Profile: Mark Slaga, Dimension Data CTO

How To Succeed As A Start-Up Founder

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