The John Rudolf Technology Saga

It all started on a cold day in Boston, when a small group of us came up with the crazy idea of starting a software company. We had real careers in the college text book industry; however, that was not exciting enough. We wanted to jump into this exciting new area of software.

And we did, in 1983, in the days when 64K was a big deal, and most of the systems all came from Apple, and most of the people looked like drop-outs from the 60’s (which was OK, because that is what we were in our hearts). Well that adventure and venture lasted about 2 years, and we blew through $12M of Thomson’s money (and we brought the Brits and the Irish together in Boston).

You see, I worked for Mark Flanagan and Rick Dunfey (Mark was head of Lotus publishing and Rick was just famous because of the Hotels); who were great guys to start a business in the "red-light" district of Boston, just above Legal Seafood...if nothing else we entertained our clients in a fine manner.

Then I crossed the Charles and was hired by John Shagoury (another famous Loti) to run "inside sales" for Lotus (1985, May), and let me tell you; it was a great time to be a new manager, and a great time to be at Lotus. We were practically printing money; we could do no wrong in the market; we were gods (Tom Wolf)...Youth, energy, vigor, intelligence mixed in with huge, room filling, egos. All this resulted in a great place to work, a great place to take risk and take lots of responsibility, and a great place to learn about corporate politics (which at times could be mean and nasty, much like school kids who just learned about power and the abuse there of).

At the same time, the first five years were beyond belief...a great boss, a great group of smart young kids from all over the east (even a few with silver spoons and Harvard degrees)...and a market that was begging for attention from below, because they were not getting the attention from above, if you get my drift.

However, those were the days that I started the educational version of 123, and went to the Addison Wesley national sales meeting (because college publishing was my background) armed with a letter from Jim Manzi to Wayn Ohler (President of AW). This was an idea that I carried to Manzi and he said, "what, do you want to be in marketing?" I said, "hell no, they are just overhead." Well I had to pen the letter and Jim actually edited, then I read it to their entire sales organization, standing next to Wayne, and presented it to him in a lovely frame, which I expensed...by the way, it worked and their sales organization was very excited about coming into the age of technology from the medieval book business (not realizing, it was a greatly reduced version of 123).

Then one day another career impacting conversation was had with non other than Vince Kelly, at 6:30 one morning, and it was probably cold and wet. After all my accomplishments with those kids in "telemarketing" (that is what they were called by Steve Crummey), I was presumptuous enough to approach Vince and inquire about "Field-Sales-Management." He looked at me and said, "you ever heard of Texas" (because he could not figure out my Southern accent; he thought Australia was the source of my tongue). So, Lotus shipped me off to Houston Texas in order to build my second organization at Lotus in as many years, what a great place to work. Then I remembered the last thing that Vince Kelly had dispensed: "so you want your turn in the barrel," and it was his barrel.

This is how I became the infamous Texas district manager, who would take just about everyone out for cocktails, even the very religious, and who would take developers into the bowels of Conoco’s IT organization, and who had the best channel parties in the nation (with a band, and lovely singers) (that Terry Lee would not video-tape for fear of retribution from Deb). But Terry, they were really cheap and you signed my expense account, many times in fact...those were the days.

And Rudolf (now called JR, because of the Texas TV show) was not always in the Top 3 districts in Revenue, but he was always in the Top 2 in expenses (of which I remain proud). And my district really did quite well with Folks like Chris Joblin, Sharyl Barnes, Josephine Calligari, Deb Taylor, Mary Freeman, Scott Weinstien, Carson Shelly, and many more.

A few of my friends have often ask, if Rudolf hired every one at Lotus. Well, almost...between my animals in inside sales (that is what they like to be called) and field sales and then inside sales again in Austin (that was the Jane Ridgley social experiment to consolidate all the phone centers...it never happened and she was not promoted...and she did not take Harris Lancaster’s place (who was another close friend and Southerner, who tried to teach me about politics, which he said was tougher than some of his days in "Nam.")

Please do not misinterpret my poor communication, my experiences at Lotus have been far-and-away the best and most substantial of my career (both negative and positive).

Yes, I made a few errors-in-judgment along the way, mainly because I really believed, and still do, that my people came first and I came second, and their career development, and personal development was my responsibility. If there was any time left in the day, which there was not, that was my time...actually, my early mornings were quiet and peace-filled. At the end of the day, I was lucky to have mostly good people, and good young managers, and a few great bosses, and a few not-so-great (from which one also learns).

Join Lotus and see the world, and what a world it was, even after we discovered that dark company up in Redmond, where many of my Lotus colleagues now prosper.

There are many other stories and many other people, in and outside Lotus, who are dear to me, and have become part of my experience and part of my make-up.

And yes, I did ask Denise Clancey if she drank. And I did cause an international incident because of my escorting a green-card-carrying lovely Dutch Lady out of the building, because of her behavior.

And yes, Lotus did purchase a channel tux for my events, because of the number of rentals.

And yes, I had 25 University of Texas college interns in Austin, who no one could figure out who was paying them (it came from Marketing funds), and yes, they were almost all beautiful...that was not my fault.

And yes, Eric Braunsdorf was asked to move from Boston to Austin, and he had never been to Texas, and he is one of my closest friends and he is a fine musician and he is one of the best managers, who I have ever known.

And yes, we used to carry Dan Murphy in his wheel-chair into most of the great real bars in Boston...he is now a movie start and a close friend of the Farley Brothers (spelling)...he was also a fine manager and a fine human being.

I really mean it, there were so many great ones, who did not think they were anything, until they left my boot-camp, called inside sales and some of them are now big-shots (Tom in Atlanta, Jeff Croson, Sheryl Barnes, and many more).

After almost 10 years, Deb and Peg called me to Boston and gave me a great package, because I did not think I would fit the mold in sales planning...it was partially my decision and partially theirs; and, yes, there were a number of toes on which I gently stepped in my tenure, both up and down toes. Such is life...they were just young and so was I (as I used to say to Robert Weston on the streets of the French Quarter).

Yes, Robert Weston and Rudolf had an account at Gallatoi’s and yes, one of the bartenders at the Napoleon House knew us by name, but we really did not drink that much.

As you-all can see, this diatribe could go on for a few more pages and maybe it will, if any one out there is interested.

To conclude, I help build a variety of Start-ups working with Rick Faulk, Steve Crummey, Dan Vetrus, Joe Mac (who has not spoken to me since, not really), Compaq executives, IBM executives, and many other want-to-be executives, and it was almost all a great ride...be careful in the world of start-ups, or call me.

Then after my Israeli start-up, which I loved, and wanted to go to Tel Aviv, I went back to CompuCom for a second time to be a regional manager in the Software division, which I started 8 years ago...

They still have issues, but it is the channel.

Now we have returned to the Gulf Coast, where we were partially brought-up, and I am talking to the usual suspects, and some of them are not really "getting It." And we are clearing fallen trees and repairing houses and maybe we will just start a cottage industry, if Technology does not come through for me, once again.

Fondest Regards and Forgive me if I did not mention you.
JR

October 24, 2004