Previous Neoforma corporate headquarters in San Jose, California
Neoforma stands as a real company now, entirely separate from me. It provides quarterly financial statements. It hosts annual shareholder meetings...
It even has a picture of its headquarters next to the title, “Company,” on its website. It is an imposing, corporate-looking building. The photo captures a sharp corner of the reflective glass and the pre-cast, concrete shell of the building, as it dwarfs a fountain and trees in the foreground. It looks substantial and permanent.
I know many of the people who work there. I know them well because I have known them under stress. I know they are still working behind that tough exterior, conscientiously and passionately. They are continuing to build upon the foundation we built together many years ago.
Jeff and I started Neoforma in a fit of idealistic frenzy. It grew into something much more than we had planned, though much less than we had hoped. It was influenced by forces beyond our control and found its own destiny.
I am proud to say that we did contribute more than we consumed. Several hundred families now derive their sustenance from Neoforma. That, on its own, should be enough.
But there is much more to it than that. Neoforma continues to grow and evolve. It was well worth the early frustrations and sacrifices.
I can’t pretend to know the sum of the lessons I have learned, what I might have done differently, what I could do better next time.
The best I can do is capture it all here — to be played backwards and forwards—over and over again.
I know many of the people who work there. I know them well because I have known them under stress. I know they are still working behind that tough exterior, conscientiously and passionately. They are continuing to build upon the foundation we built together many years ago.
Jeff and I started Neoforma in a fit of idealistic frenzy. It grew into something much more than we had planned, though much less than we had hoped. It was influenced by forces beyond our control and found its own destiny.
I am proud to say that we did contribute more than we consumed. Several hundred families now derive their sustenance from Neoforma. That, on its own, should be enough.
But there is much more to it than that. Neoforma continues to grow and evolve. It was well worth the early frustrations and sacrifices.
I can’t pretend to know the sum of the lessons I have learned, what I might have done differently, what I could do better next time.
The best I can do is capture it all here — to be played backwards and forwards—over and over again.
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