Buce Marjorie C

BSIM – OOA

SYSANAL

Case Study

Chapter 14

Mike Ramsay

Cofounder, Tivo

Mike Ramsay together with his friend Jim Barton founded Tivo in 1997. Their original plan was to create a network server for homes but they realized that it is hard to explain to the consumer so they narrowed the idea which turns to make a digital video recorder.

Mike met Jim when they were building a team inside their company. They hired people including Jim, and then they became friends. After a year Mike was recruited at SGI together with Mark Perry who join to it and others. Then they start their Job but they were in different departments and Jim became a world class technologists. Mike became interested on computers especially in entertainment press. On the other hand Jim worked on a video on demand system at SGI but some company turn against him. He left the company and starts his own. After a year Mike also left the SGI. Mike together with Jim started a company. They were doing computing technology at home, and then they put together everything they had. They went to NEA and other places but people kicked them out because VC’S didn’t want to invest in a service company. But there are two people who were fascinating in their idea. They were Stewart Alsop of NEA and Geoff Yang

Tivo was launched at the end of 1999. Tivo was ground breaking that it took all the information in the television and let its viewer to control it. Mike Ramsay stepped down as CEO but still remain as the chairman.

Things that I learned

• I learned that almost all of the successful people in startup were young engineers who try to come up with a good idea.
• I also learned that in everything we did we need to think that it is the best opportunity and we can work the brightest people.
• Self confidence is one attitude that a starter must have to be able to success.
• Just believe that you can do things and nothing can hold you back.