The Strategy Skills Podcast: Strategy | Leadership | Critical Thinking | Problem-Solving

586: Father of the Cable Modem Rouzbeh Yassini-Fard on Innovation and the Global Broadband Transformation

Sep 15, 2025
Rouzbeh Yassini-Fard, founder of LANcity and acclaimed as the 'father of the cable modem,' shares his inspiring immigrant journey and groundbreaking work in broadband technology. He reveals how he overcame skepticism and financial challenges to revolutionize the industry with his vision of high-speed connectivity. Yassini-Fard discusses the crucial importance of prototypes and execution over mere financial backing in today's tech landscape. He emphasizes the need for open standards and resilience while navigating the transformative impacts of AI on society.
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ANECDOTE

Small Team, Huge Broadband Breakthrough

  • Rouzbeh Yassini-Fard spent nine years and a tiny team proving that voice, data and video could travel over coax successfully.
  • He turned an $18,000 device into a reliable consumer product and helped create DOCSIS as a global, royalty-free standard.
INSIGHT

Execution Trumps Big Competitors

  • Execution, resilience and customer trials beat big valuations and PowerPoint from large incumbents.
  • LANcity's small, disciplined team outperformed Motorola and Intel by shipping reliable products and running relentless customer pilots.
ADVICE

Anchor Innovation To Customer Economics

  • Do anchor innovations to real customer economics and run pilots where users adopt because the product delivers daily value.
  • Do use hands-on trials to turn early users into advocates who won't give the product back.
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