Doug Weisman on Taking Risks and Working Hard to Build a Successful Broadcast Company

Summary

Doug Weisman, the founder of VideoLink, shares his journey of starting and growing the company. VideoLink provided live television production services and became a premier broadcast entity. Doug and his team took risks, worked long hours, and built a unique business that attracted clients from major networks. They focused on providing exceptional service and treating employees and clients with respect. After 26 years, Doug and his partners sold the company and retired. Their success was a result of their dedication, hard work, and commitment to excellence.

Takeaways

• Building a successful startup requires dedication, hard work, and taking risks.
• Treating employees and clients with respect and providing exceptional service are key to long-term success.
• Having a unique offering and intellectual property can make a company attractive to potential buyers.
• Selling a company requires careful preparation, including cleaning up financials and operations.
• Retiring after selling a successful company is a rewarding outcome of years of hard work.

Sound Bites

"I was brought up in a family where the work ethic was not the number one thing, but it was serious."

"I worked very hard. I was the so-called breadwinner. I knew I had to provide for my family."

"You treat your employees the way you want to be treated and you treat your clients the way you want to be treated and they'll all come back to work every day."

Links

Please leave us a review: https://podchaser.com/DesigningSuccessfulStartups

Tech Startup Toolkit: https://www.manning.com/books/tech-startup-toolkit

Jothy’s website: https://jothyrosenberg.com

Who Says I Can’t Foundation: https://whosaysicant.org

Jothy’s TEDx talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNtOawXAx5A

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

02:31 The Germinating Idea for VideoLink

06:21 The Game-Changing Introduction of Fiber Optic Cable

09:09 Building VideoLink Organically

13:36 Managing Growth and Expanding to New Locations

18:06 Preparing for Sale and Hiring a CEO

30:40 Motivation for Selling and Finding a Buyer

37:46 Selling the Company and Retiring