There are really two results of the recent correction. Then the entire company gets focused on doing the right things, not the dream-oriented things. Epinions cofounder and CEO Nirav Tolia is young, but he's no fool when it comes to making a judgment call. You have to make decisions without perfect information, whether it's hiring new employees, spending money, or choosing a venture capitalist. The son of Indian immigrants, he intended to go to medical school like his parents, but while he earned his degree in biology at Stanford University, he was lured by what he calls the dotcom gold rush.
People have a lot less tolerance, and the world is moving a lot faster.
Despite his changing ambitions and the speedy trajectory of his career, Tolia hasn't forgotten his roots. A key concern is that the benefits of the new economy won't reach the third world. We have to put infrastructure in place if we want the Internet to have a truly global impact. You want the Internet to be as ubiquitous as the telephone, and until that happens, you won't see its promise fulfilled. I'm obsessed about improving everything within my company, myself, and my personnel.