Founder & CEO

Vault.com: Where did you do before founding biguse.com?
Fritz Desir: I began with a desktop publishing company. I started it when I was in college, then took on a direct marketing hat.

V: When did you first get interested in working in the Internet industry?
FD: It was around '95 the first time I got into the World Wide Web. Working in [the industry] came about a year after - late '96.

V: Did you do anything to prepare before moving into the Internet business? Any research, for example?
FD: I didn't do so much in the way of research. At that time, people were taking existing business models [and using them for Web companies]. I looked at what could be done in direct marketing to get attention and revenue. I said, "here's what I'd like to do," and got started. It wasn't until much later that I really learned about the Internet as a medium.

V: Did that make it tough to get into the industry?
FD: The tricky part was coming up with something that would attract interest at that early date, because people weren't that into the Web. We had to change [concepts] a lot. We talked about a bunch of crazy ideas popular in other media.

V: Like what?
FD: (Laughs) I'm embarrassed to say! It's like an actor who did bad commercials or bad movies. You remember when cafes were really popular a while back - we talked about doing a cafe lifestyle-type of magazine site. We also had an idea for an online real estate information site. How to buy a house with no money down, that kind of thing. That wasn't a bad idea. Then we thought about doing a content guide, like a TV guide for the Web. We might revisit that one - it was the last thing we really [considered] before biguse.

~ V: So how did you know that biguse was really the one?
FD: We still don't know! I definitely know there's a service value on the Internet. There are sites for shopping, dating, [and so forth], but there is even more that can be done online.

V: As CEO, what exactly do you do?
FD: Remember the Ed Sullivan Show when they'd have the spinning plate guy? That's sort of the job. You're keeping everything going at once, keeping it in momentum. You're also try to succinctly manage resources - identifying resources you need that you don't have. That can be anything. I'm not so callous as to say human beings are resources, but man-hours are. Money too.

As CEO, the most important part of the job is planning and execution. It's like planning a trip - you have to make sure you have a map, food, and replacement drivers. The extent to which you can plan things out is the extent to which you'll succeed. People who are best suited [to be a CEO of an Internet company] are people who have some inkling of what the whole process is, and who can do it in a creative and resourceful way.

V: So what takes up your time during the day?
FD: Most of my time is spent with people, brokering our most important relationships - our distribution deals and partnerships. You're also trying to find people and put them in the right spots - even someone who could replace you.

V: What kind of skills are necessary to be an Internet CEO?
FD: There are some tangibles and some intangibles. You have to have a firm financial understanding - knowing how much money you'll need and how to make your numbers. A firm understanding of marketing and sales too. And really strong interpersonal skills. Know how to deal with surprises and stay focused.

~ V: Are there any particular jobs or functions that you would suggest people work in before starting their own company or ascending to a CEO position?
FD: That's a really tough question to answer. It depends on what you want to go after. If you have an idea you really want to do - other than I want to start a dot com, have an IPO, and get rich - just go out and do it. For entrepreneur-type of people, people who have a burning desire, an understanding of markets, and connections to capital, start working on it right away. Keep a night job at Kinko's or Starbucks if you have to until you have some proof of concept.

For other people, work for a few years and an idea will come. Work as closely as you can to the top - work in sales, business development, or marketing at an Internet company as early as you can. That's probably the best advice I can give to [to help people] find out what a CEO does.

It depends on the level of your desire. Most founders aren't the best CEOs, including myself. I believe in the integrity of the idea, and I've learned a lot being around the industry, but I [still] want to bring someone in to streamline the company. There just isn't a clear-cut path.