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It’s true. A startup can flourish within a large company. Without having to cost a fortune.
THiiN Line is an example. A couple of years ago, Tom West and a few others realized it was a good and opportune time to start working on Internet products. They had some unique ideas about how a type of machine — appliances — could be used for the Internet. Subsequently, as a result of a Data General process for innovative startup ventures, THiiN Line was born. Some other DG business units, including those formed around the CLARiiON and NUMALiiNE products, came about the same way.
Our PR guy calls the process "Wildflower."
Typically hosted by the Advanced Development Group, it's designed to give startups:
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Freedom to innovate — Formation of a startup begins with a technique for helping people break out of their normal patterns and move into more creative, provocative, and predictive modes. For the THiiN Line venture, we began with a series of rigorous offsite sessions. The goal: get beyond our conventional thinking; then, stay in the problem space for as long as possible. After 12 full days, we had the THiiN Line concept in our heads, and a Powerpoint presentation to help us sell it.
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Freedom to develop — Once our VC (Data General) had bought it, and the product development goals were roughly set, the startup was formed as a contingent of hand-picked DG engineers. Then several key new hires came on board. At that point, the key is autonomy: we’re kept it small and simple, and didn't consume huge quantities of capital (although we’re borrowing plenty of gear — and expertise — from DG!) In return, DG wasn’t breathing down our necks, desperate for its next profit center.
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Freedom to grow — We also had the ability to structure our business — and establish distribution channels — in ways that will suit our particular products and customers.
Now that our first product has hit the streets — the SiteStak web server appliance — we’re a bona fide Business Unit. But we won’t be assimilated back into the mother ship. Instead, we’re a dues-paying member in a growing DG portfolio of technology businesses that are groomed to succeed in the real world of high stakes and tough competitors. We've grown in size and expertise; our hardware design team, marketing and finance groups are in Westboro, Massachusetts, and our software design team is in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. Despite the growth of the group and the complexities of developing multiple Internet appliance products, we strive to maintain the startup excitement and mentality as we move forward.
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