Small diversified businesses that made their way to success – Part 4

RGB Networks, started in 2003 by Canadian-born Edward Krause and American-born Peter Monta and Adam Tom, delivers high quality video service for consumers via telecom, cable and satellite companies.  The company employs 175 people, led by British-born CEO Jef Graham.

This is the third startup company led by Graham. The company’s vice president of marketing was born in Iran and its vice president of international sales was born in Italy. RGB Networks is backed by two of Silicon Valley’s leading venture capital firms Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Accel Partners. “They back companies when the idea has the potential to be large, diverse in product, and with a predictable revenue growth,” said Graham. He views IP video as one of the last great frontiers for data. He took the job as CEO because he thought it would be “fun” and an opportunity to leave a legacy.

Much of the hiring at startups, in Graham’s experience, involves people with 5 years of experience seeking new opportunities and increased responsibility in a startup environment, rather than hiring many people fresh out of school. Graham said what is unique about America and Silicon Valley is that in Japan employees would ever leave an established publicly traded company to take a chance working for a startup.

“For me, America was a magnet. I wanted to take the chance to work in Silicon Valley,” said Graham. “In the rest of the world, when someone presents an idea, the response is often, ‘Here’s why you can’t do it.’ In America, the response is ‘great idea.’ That is a unique strength as a nation.”

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Posted by Usman Khalid on Jan 30 2012. Filed under Business. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.