If you think the new Clearwire deal has a déjà vu feel to it, it might be because of the names involved. Craig McCaw, former head honcho of McCaw Cellular, is Clearwire’s chairman of the board of directors. John Stanton, former McCaw lieutenant, is now on the board as well. And Dan Hesse, Sprint’s president and CEO, was a younger upstart with McCaw/AT&T Wireless (in its first iteration). Perhaps it could be considered wireless’ first rat pack.
But beyond the board's composition, I wonder how this company-by-committee will play out with so many cooks in the kitchen. You have quite a few powerhouses in personalities involved as well as in companies that have kicked in serious dough.
Although Clearwire’s Ben Wolff and Sprint’s Barry West will be the public faces on the company itself, I wonder what will happen when 1) more money is needed, or 2) if something goes sour. Or worse, what will happen if one of the contributors disagrees with a company action? Will it gather up its marbles and go home?
If the WiMAX venture is success, everyone will look brilliant. If it takes more time to launch, more money to get off the ground or hits a veritable business brick wall, how committed will each of these players remain? And at what price?
The great thing about technology is that it’s constantly evolving and improving. Just ask Gordon Moore, co-founder of Intel and creator of Moore’s Law.
Consumers have become increasingly sophisticated and are demanding easier access to a broad array of financial services.
