I started Funambol with a couple of friends eight years ago. Pretty much the same day when my daughter was born. I called it the Big Bang. It was a double new-beginning, something like seeing a double rainbow, but not on drugs (well, my wife might disagree...).
Eight years have passed and Funambol is a great success. We are doubling our revenues compared to last year and we have ten new Carrier Edition servers going live this quarter around the planet. One of the top carriers in the world launched two weeks ago and they put two million users on the platform right away (systems are well, up and running and smiling ;-) More to come in the next weeks, since there is a rush to go live before Christmas from a lot of our customers.
Overall, the cloud synchronization and device management space is red hot right now, in particular due to the shift towards connected devices (starting with tablets and moving to connected TVs this Christmas). All things I predicted years ago, including the explosion of mobile open source (I got lucky!) On top of it, we have plenty of cash in the bank since I closed a new funding round in September.
Eight years have passed and my daughter is now skiing with me. We talk about how kids are born (actually, that was my wife's duty, I promised I will tell the boys). She corrects my English, while I correct her Italian. She is a big girl. Sometimes, I think about the day I will walk her down the aisle. I know I will not be the only man in her life forever. She will grow up and need someone else.
That is what happened with Funambol. Eight years in the life of a company are like twenty-four in the life of a person (baby, do wait after college, please). Funambol is ready. She needs a new man. She needs to grow up. She needs to scale to that billion dollar company I dreamed for her.
In October, I went to the board and suggested we hire a new CEO to bring Funambol to the next level. Amit Chawla, who has 25 years of experience in the Telco space, is our new CEO. We have been working together for a couple of weeks now. He is the man who will scale Funambol.
I took the role of President, and I am also the Chairman of the Board. I am now free to focus on what I love, which is awesome. I am happier than I ever been. I know It was the right move at the right time.
People close to me will tell you that I always said "I will not be the CEO of Funambol when I will turn 40". Today is my 40th birthday. I achieved everything I wanted in life so far. I am a lucky lucky man.
Focusing on what I love is the best present I could wish for.
