Interview with Boris van Zanten, CEO of Fleck

We have created a new layer to the web that allows people to interact with different sites using wiki-type features.

We have created a new layer to the web that allows people to interact with different sites using wiki-type features.

Well, this is something that we discuss as a company and set certain milestones. There is also a feeling you get about the preparedness of the service, or its features for a general audience. Really, whether it is ready for the public.

If you are looking for hundreds of thousands of users, then you could acquire them via standard marketing options; user lists, advertising, etc. However, if you are looking at gaining millions of users then that approach will not work.

To get to millions of users, you need a product and service that essentially sells itself and recruits users to become your sales force. I believe that our product can do that.

Of course our software can be built into a browser, that’s something that we think that in the future, but you can also understand if I called Microsoft today and said “Hey I’ve got this great idea, and I don’t know if it’s going to work actually, but why don’t you build it into your browser?” that’s going to be a tough sell. What we want to do is just get the product launched, and once it’s popular with early we can begin to test it with a much larger audience.

Well, that’s a good question. I don’t know. We’re working on the finance part of the whole thing. We’re actually quite sure with the technology, but we also need a month or two once we have the funding in place to get the product finished in such a way that we can acceptably launch and grow.

We expect to implement some type of ad based revenue model. Our system allows us to grow revenue as we increase our membership base as we have kept our cost structure extremely low.

I made money from a previous company that I sold. Initially we funded the company ourselves and then we attracted one angel investor. Now we are in the process of getting more money to finish the project.

That depends. We generally look for two things. I never want to hear anyone say that something is not possible. Secondly we look for attitude, I am looking for the type of person that sees the opportunities and not the limitations.

When we meet somebody we try to work with them even if only for an hour. Some people are really very good at selling themselves but there is no way or really knowing people unless you really work with them.

When I meet a good developer I take a programming problem with me and after half an hour of speaking I say, “hey, thank you for your application and your time. Can you do me a favor and look at this problem with me?” Then we sit down and look at the problem. Then, some people say, “that is really a good problem I will have to look it up.” They are not really solution oriented. Sometimes they look at it straight away and say, “you should do this and this to fix it. You can also do this.” And that is the kind of person that I look for that can actually come up with solutions themselves.

I think if you start a company with the plan just to sell it that is basically a recipe for disaster. You can get lucky but that is not very likely. I think the first thing as an entrepreneur that you would want to do is build the business.

Well, this is something that we discuss as a company and set certain milestones. There is also a feeling you get about the preparedness of the service, or its features for a general audience. Really, whether it is ready for the public.

If you are looking for hundreds of thousands of users, then you could acquire them via standard marketing options; user lists, advertising, etc. However, if you are looking at gaining millions of users then that approach will not work.

To get to millions of users, you need a product and service that essentially sells itself and recruits users to become your sales force. I believe that our product can do that.

Of course our software can be built into a browser, that’s something that we think that in the future, but you can also understand if I called Microsoft today and said “Hey I’ve got this great idea, and I don’t know if it’s going to work actually, but why don’t you build it into your browser?” that’s going to be a tough sell. What we want to do is just get the product launched, and once it’s popular with early we can begin to test it with a much larger audience.

Well, that’s a good question. I don’t know. We’re working on the finance part of the whole thing. We’re actually quite sure with the technology, but we also need a month or two once we have the funding in place to get the product finished in such a way that we can acceptably launch and grow.

We expect to implement some type of ad based revenue model. Our system allows us to grow revenue as we increase our membership base as we have kept our cost structure extremely low.

I made money from a previous company that I sold. Initially we funded the company ourselves and then we attracted one angel investor. Now we are in the process of getting more money to finish the project.

That depends. We generally look for two things. I never want to hear anyone say that something is not possible. Secondly we look for attitude, I am looking for the type of person that sees the opportunities and not the limitations.

When we meet somebody we try to work with them even if only for an hour. Some people are really very good at selling themselves but there is no way or really knowing people unless you really work with them.

When I meet a good developer I take a programming problem with me and after half an hour of speaking I say, “hey, thank you for your application and your time. Can you do me a favor and look at this problem with me?” Then we sit down and look at the problem. Then, some people say, “that is really a good problem I will have to look it up.” They are not really solution oriented. Sometimes they look at it straight away and say, “you should do this and this to fix it. You can also do this.” And that is the kind of person that I look for that can actually come up with solutions themselves.

I think if you start a company with the plan just to sell it that is basically a recipe for disaster. You can get lucky but that is not very likely. I think the first thing as an entrepreneur that you would want to do is build the business.

Secondly you need to build a strong business for your shareholders. If the opportunity for selling comes along and the company is better off being acquired then you sell it. It’s the same whether it does an IPO or stays independent. If you think that company will be better off independent then you should keep it independent.

First you really have to remember you should build a company that is sustainable.