Hotmail was sold for $ 400 million dollars. Yes, I understand that in the times of Google-Youtube deal worth $ 1.6 billion and Facebook’s valuation touching $ 15 billion, $400 million looks like a speck of dirt. But it was a lot of money in 1997. In 1997, when an energetic young man made the world’s first commercial internet mail service and sold it to Microsoft. Hmmm…for $ 400 million. So, how big is 400 million? Well big enough to help a male brand as “hotmale” , ten years after he made the deal. Big enough to let 97% of the nation’s media sit up and listen whenever this hot(or, not-so-hot, take your pick) male announces any venture. Big enough to give Sabeer Bhatia to waste crores in investors money, and come up with ideas that are good only to the extent that their name resembles Bollywood blockbusters form the 60’s (think Arzoo). Big enough to allow him to make mistakes that even he will be more than happy to forget.
OK, so let’s see when was the last time I heard about Sabeer Bhatia. Ummm.. last week. Some news about Arzoo. It was throwing away some Diwali gifts (read more investor’s money) to its customers that I’m not even sure, exist.
So what do we have this week ? InstaColl. What ? Another startup from Sabeer ? How dare you think like this ? According to Sabeer, this one will be greater than the Hotmail. Man ! What are you making ? Something that can install the Google phone software into the iPhone and then lets you use Facebook applications on it and let it run this all through a Windows interface? No, I mean, thats all I can imagine when you say “bigger than Hotmail”. It was interesting to see what Sabeer came up with after Hotmail. Even interesting to see what he does with the revamped Arzoo. Then, it became less-than-interesting when he announced Apnacircle.com and blogeverywhere.com. And now, I don’t even care..
Sabeer, reportedly has led a team of less than 100 engineers in Bangalore and developed this product which nobody is sure of what it is. I bet not even him. The number seems big. 100 engineers! I mean, if you don’t mean “coders” when you say “engineers”, most of the people in the computer programming space are going to think that you are trying your hands at Operating Systems. That’s the kind of engineering team that’s needed there. Ahh. He said less than 100. And not 100 or over 100. How stupid of me. I should have known. You see ,my arithmetic is not as taut as Sabeer’s. He knows how quickly, very quickly to have money from investors and then spend them before they can even wish him luck.
Chalo, not a problem, investors kare na kare, we wish Sabeer all the best
I would have expected WATBlog to be more professional! Comments such as “selling pirated copies of Om Shanti Om’s DVDs in Delhi’s Palika Bazaar.” and being sarcastic are fine in a personal blog but in a place like this. Surely isn’t “refreshing”.
@ Rajiv
WATblog is all about personal opinion and analysis about industry news, but if at all my comments have hurt you or anybody in any way, then let me assure you that, that was not the intention.
But to clarify, it was a sarcastic comment to emphasize that entrepreneurs cannot be one time wonder and have to prove themselves at every venture. So, Sabeer Bhatia cannot ride on the success of Hotmail this far. So, although we wish him luck for all his upcoming ventures , given his past record, we expect much better ventures from him, and therefore, the sarcasm.
You can never convince anybody with just your sarcastic comments. Is it a article? No. Where are the statistics and well reasoned answers? Will anybody read it? Yes, i made the mistake.
Ankit Saxena – i wonder if you ever lost money in sabeer’s venture. or you are just jealous.
worthless article
Hmmm..if 400 Million is not big then let me know when you hit that target
it’s easy being an armchair critic.
make a million dollars and we’ll talk. Why a million? how about 100,000
Instacoll is not new. Instacoll is 3 years old. in your rant. you’ve not even mentioned what instacoll is.
It is a realtime collaboration suite for documents… too bad google docs is going to crush them. Remember this is 3 years old. long before google docs existed.
WATBlog contributors seem to be people who have too much time in their day jobs in internet companies, and are now self styled internet experts…
Bully for you.
Never mind Sabeer Bhatia’s investors, I wonder if *YOUR* employers are deriving value from you…
I just happenend to be surfing and i am horrified about your PERSONEL REMARKS about Sabeer Bhatia >is this a personal vendetta ??????
Listen buddy he has proved himself and with any new venture there is always risk involved and it takes a lot of work .
and if $400 million is not a lot of money then you probably dont know how to count .
And for you to write that he is fit to sell pirated copies just shows your deviated mind .its awfull to make remarks like this .
Ankit is proven right, after all.