Zoho Corporation was to be the "Zenith of Hospitality Online". A marketplace where hotels, resorts and the businesses that supply them could buy and sell, well, whatever they needed. Sheets for housekeeping, pens for the front desk, seed for the groundkeeper, etc. Think of it as a specialized Amazon for hotels.
After raising and, of course, spending approximately 80 million dollars in just over two years all that remains of Zoho is a faded sign in front of the building, the memorial zoho.org site, and items like those contained in this cache.
It was a good idea and the company was filled with dedicated and truly smart people who worked loooong hours to build a quality product and a successful business. But "The Powers That Be" tried for far too much far too fast and burned through a lot of cash. (At one point at the rate of $2,000,000 a month. $5,000 a day per employee!)
Sure, it ended with no customers, no employees, no money. But we've got T-shirts! And mouse pads, and wrist rests, and polo shirts, and umbrellas(!), and pens, and golf balls, and hats, and jackets, and towels, and button-down shirts, and golf bags(!!), and sport duffle bags, and coffee mugs, and cups, and wine(!!!), and...
An Historic Overview (for greater details, see the zoho.org site)
1999
In March, DMC1 Corporation was incorporated. The company was supposed to be DRC Corporation (the initials of the founders' last names), but co-founder Constantin Delivanis mistakenly chose the "M" instead of the "R" from long-time partner and co-founder "MR" Rangaswami's name.
With such mistakes (omens?) was the company begun.
By the end of the year the company had a new name (Zoho), 25 employees, a pre-pre-release version of the software, and one order placed.
2000
A CEO was hired. Major customers were signed. Millions and millions (and millions) of dollars were raised. Additional product lines were developed. Acquisitions were made. A huge customer service facility was organized. International offices were opened. Billiard and Ping Pong tournaments were won. Holiday and beach parties were held. A cruise set sail. And millions and millions (and millions) of dollars were spent.
By the end of the year the company had new offices, 200 employees, over seven product releases under its belt and an inability to handle more than ten simultaneous customer logins.
2001
In January the CEO proclaimed a bright future. The web server started crashing every few hours. The source control system lost all copies of dozens of files. The CEO voluntarily resigned, and took 39 non-volunteers with him in the first of several layoffs.
In February, in March, in April, in May additional massive layoffs occured until there were only eight employees left to help the liquidators.
Click To Rate This Cache
| Permissions | | Special
Equipment | | Conditions and
Recommendations | | Hazards | | Facilities and
Conveniences |  |  | |  |  | |  |  |  | |  |  | |  |  |  |  | |  |  | |  |  |  | |  |  | |  |  |  |  | |  |  | |  |  |  | |  |  | |  |  |  |  | |  |  | |  |  |  | |  |  | |  |  | | Created by the Geocaching Icons Generator. |
|
|