“With a small unit, like a startup, there’s no margin for error. If someone lets the team down, you’re all going to pay the price.”

Thanks to Jason for the opportunity to hang out and share my perspectives on a subject that is near and dear to my heart.

It was great fun, and hopefully some folks will find some value in my ramblings. I will admit, having now done nearly 40 podcasts for StartupLounge.com, it felt very different being on the other side of the microphone – good fun, though …

:)

You can listen to the podcast here on their site, or locally using the embedded flash player below.

Cheers.

At any rate, the good news is that we’re hiring.  Job descriptions below – if you know someone that might be a good fit, I’d certainly appreciate any referrals.

Immediate opportunities (details for each are down below):

• Enterprise Project Manager
• Network Administrator
• System Administrator
• Business Analyst
• Java/J2EE Developer

StarPound provides an on-demand, open-source platform for enabling large enterprise customers to design, deliver and adapt communication-enabled business processes. Additionally, we provide an entire PBX and call center suite built on top of our core platform.

Successful candidates must be comfortable wearing a lot of hats in a fast-growth, emerging startup company (venture-backed).  And, they must be passionate about your job, and willing to do whatever it takes to be successful.  If you are interested, please visit our website (www.starpound.net) or contact Dottie Thornton via email with your resume (dthornton at starpoundtech.com).

Enterprise Project Manager

Requirements:

• Project reporting, monitoring, and milestone success on complex enterprise projects
• Experience within contact center, CRM, telecommunication services, or e-business industries is desirable
• Experience with web services, web integration is a plus
• Leadership and mentoring experience.
• Minimum 7 years relevant project management experience required.
• Excellent communication, presentation and interpersonal skills.
• Strong organizational and time management skills.
• Project Management professional (PMP) Certification a plus
• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent Project Management work experience

Network Administrator

Requirements:

• 3+ years of professional experience in networking field
• One or more of the following industry recognized certifications (or equivalent experience)
  • Cisco CCIE (R/S, SP, Security, Voice, Storage)
  • Cisco CCNP, CCIP, CCDP, CCSP, CCVP
  • Juniper JNCIE (M/T, ER)
  • Juniper JNCIP-MT, JNCIS-M/T, JNCIS-ER, JNCIS-FWV
  • Foundry FNCNE, FNCNP
  • ISC2 CISSP
• Deep Expertise in at least one of the following areas:
  • Data Center Network Architectures and Design
  • OSPF, BGP, MPLS, QoS
• Highly Desirable Skills:
  • Advanced understanding of IP/MPLS communications theory, design and functionality – Advanced understanding of VoIP technologies, such as H.323 & SIP
  • Experience designing and implementing QoS standards and technologies across platforms to ensure strict service guarantees (SLAs) for Voice and Video.
  • Strong working knowledge of network management and testing tools (at a minimum ethereal/wireshark)

System Administrator

Requirements:

• 3+ years of experience required
• Linux, MySQL, load balancing routers
• Asterisk, shell scripts, cron
• Distributed architectures, Fault tolerant clustering
• SIP, telephony experience a plus
• Performance tuning

Business Analyst

Requirements:

• Experience within contact center, CRM, financial services, or e-business industries is desirable
• Minimum 3-5 years relevant experience required.
• Excellent communication, presentation and interpersonal skills.
• Strong organizational and time management skills.
• Experience with CRM systems and processes is desirable.
• Experience with process modeling tools is desirable.
• Must have strong experience with J2EE Middleware
• At least a basic understanding of BPMN

Java/J2EE Developer

Requirements:

• 3+ years of experience required
• JBoss, MySQL, JSF, Struts, Linux
• GWT, WSDL, XML, Eclipse plugin development
• Asterisk, VoIP, SIP, PBX, ACD, IVR, CTI
• VoiceXML, UML, BPMN, Model-driven development

Cheers.

And of course, the proverbial ground rules: For certain leads, I must be careful not to disclose too much information – I want to be respectful of the confidentiality and trust I have established with people. In those instances, I realize that I may need to act as a conduit for interested parties, in order to protect the anonymity of certain of these leads. However, I will aspire to provide as much information as possible here in the text, so that you can contact each other directly (I really *don’t* want to get into the habit of playing middleman, other than passing along contact information as needed).

If you have something that you would feel to be of merit for this new section of the Pothole, by all means, let me know (spammers and open solicitors need not apply). Remember that the idea here is to provide visibility into “hidden” opportunities or news that is not widely known already – so don’t send press releases. And don’t forget to browse some of the past networking leads – many of them remain active for some time after the original posting!

Michael Halbert over at Northridge Systems let me know that they are looking hot and heavy for some good .NET developers. They are also looking for a more senior level person to come on board and help run the practice.

My buddy Jeff “Big Money, Big Prizes” Clement, Managing Director here at Spherion in Atlanta informed me that he was on the prowl for someone to step into the role of Senior Information Architect. If you are a stud in a variety of technologies, and would thrive in an environment where you have to pull a bunch of disparate environments together, let me know! Ideally, this person is someone emerging into this role – not someone with years and years of senior integration architect experience. Contact JeffClement AT Spherion DOT com for more info!

Tug Technologies is seeking a couple of Senior Accountants with JD Edwards Manufacturing experience. Check ‘em out at www.TugTech.com.

If you are a solid sound engineer that wants to get involved in a fairly visible podcasting effort here in Atlanta, let me know. Specifically, this outfit desires to have a discussion with someone about helping them with the recording, mixing (production), and mastering of a new weekly or monthly IT/business podcast.

Finally, as a reminder, if your Atlanta-based firm is in need of executive talent, let me know. I am routinely in contact with many talented executives (C-level, VPs, Directors) that are in transition and are anxious to dig into new and exciting opportunities. I am always happy to send referrals your way. No, I am not a recruiter. No, I don’t want to be a recruiter, so please don’t ask. And no, I don’t charge a fee for referring someone.

Cheers.

And of course, the proverbial ground rules: For certain leads, I must be careful not to disclose too much information – I want to be respectful of the confidentiality and trust I have established with people. In those instances, I realize that I may need to act as a conduit for interested parties, in order to protect the anonymity of certain of these leads. However, I will aspire to provide as much information as possible here in the text, so that you can contact each other directly (I really *don’t* want to get into the habit of playing middleman, other than passing along contact information as needed).

If you have something that you would feel to be of merit for this new section of the Pothole, by all means, let me know (spammers and open solicitors need not apply). Remember that the idea here is to provide visibility into “hidden” opportunities or news that is not widely known already – so don’t send press releases. And don’t forget to browse some of the past networking leads – many of them remain active for some time after the original posting!

I heard that Atlanta-based information security company Stonesoft is hiring sales folks (and some other roles).

A new exclusive business class airline in Las Vegas is hiring a CIO. If you have significant airline IT experience, along with startup experience, and would love to live in sunny Las Vegas, let me know and I’d be happy to forward you along.

A well-funded startup company in Chattanooga is seeking a CFO. They have capital, but would like to raise an additional $10M in the next 36 months. This person should have experience with all aspects of financial strategies, as they relate to start-ups. They should also be well versed in dealing with angel investors. Any industry experience in transportation, mobile communications, software, or IT is a plus.  The company has a controller to do the books, but an accounting background is probably a must for the CFO.  The CFO needs to have experience as a financial strategist for start-up company, along with experience in cash flow optimization, debt restructuring, etc.

A new Atlanta-based startup in the Web 2.0 market intelligence space is seeking $2.5M in a series-A round. Angels welcome. Let me know if you’d like an intro!

Finally, as a reminder, if your Atlanta-based firm is in need of executive talent, let me know. I am routinely in contact with many talented executives (C-level, VPs, Directors) that are in transition and are anxious to dig into new and exciting opportunities. I am always happy to send referrals your way. No, I am not a recruiter. No, I don’t want to be a recruiter, so please don’t ask. And no, I don’t charge a fee for referring someone.

Cheers.

And of course, the proverbial ground rules: For certain leads, I must be careful not to disclose too much information – I want to be respectful of the confidentiality and trust I have established with people. In those instances, I realize that I may need to act as a conduit for interested parties, in order to protect the anonymity of certain of these leads. However, I will aspire to provide as much information as possible here in the text, so that you can contact each other directly (I really *don’t* want to get into the habit of playing middleman, other than passing along contact information as needed).

If you have something that you would feel to be of merit for this new section of the Pothole, by all means, let me know (spammers and open solicitors need not apply). Remember that the idea here is to provide visibility into “hidden” opportunities or news that is not widely known already – so don’t send press releases. And don’t forget to browse some of the past networking leads – many of them remain active for some time after the original posting!

My friend Stephen Fleming, the Chief Commercialization Officer down at Georgia Tech, let me know that one of his portfolio companies, XCOR, is looking for some talented project managers, senior mechanical engineers, and expert machinists. If you want to live in the Mojave desert and take part in something extraordinary, let me know. XCOR is doing amazing things in rocket propulsion and space transportation.

If you are an aggressive tech sales/account manager, there is a software company here in Atlanta that could use you. Total compensation up to $120K. Let me know if you are interested and I’d be happy to forward you on to the recruiter on this deal.

I heard that Noro-Moseley’s proposed Georgia Venture Capital event has been postponed indefinitely. I am unclear as to why, but that is definitely a disappointment. Something like this is sorely needed here in Georgia. It was originally slated for this fall (2006). I am putting this here in the “networking leads” post because perhaps someone else will step up and take the lead in the short-term.

Finally, as a reminder, if your Atlanta-based firm is in need of executive talent, let me know. I am routinely in contact with many talented executives (C-level, VPs, Directors) that are in transition and are anxious to dig into new and exciting opportunities. I am always happy to send referrals your way. No, I am not a recruiter. No, I don’t want to be a recruiter, so please don’t ask. And no, I don’t charge a fee for referring someone.

Cheers.

And of course, the proverbial ground rules: For certain leads, I must be careful not to disclose too much information – I want to be respectful of the confidentiality and trust I have established with people. In those instances, I realize that I may need to act as a conduit for interested parties, in order to protect the anonymity of certain of these leads. However, I will aspire to provide as much information as possible here in the text, so that you can contact each other directly (I really *don’t* want to get into the habit of playing middleman, other than passing along contact information as needed).

If you have something that you would feel to be of merit for this new section of the Pothole, by all means, let me know (spammers and open solicitors need not apply). Remember that the idea here is to provide visibility into “hidden” opportunities or news that is not widely known already – so don’t send press releases! And don’t forget to browse some of the past networking leads – many of them remain active for some time after the original posting!

First and foremost, a reminder that yours truly is seeking a new opportunity. While I am always open to new ideas, I am currently focusing my search for a CIO/CTO/Tech VP opportunity within either a well-capitalized startup or a mid-size firm. I invite you to visit my online bio and if you have any leads, I would welcome an intro!

If you are an Oracle database guru with experience in some form of business intelligence (BI) (e.g. business objects, Cognos, Microstrategy, etc.), and you are looking for a new challenge, let me know! Junior level position paying $85K. I am happy to forward you along if you are interested.

Are you an AJAX stud? Do you stay awake at night counting XMLHttpRequest objects jumping over little fences in your mind? Would you love to work for a fantastic digital media company in Norcross? Drop me your resume, and I’d be happy to forward you along to the CTO.

A promising young Atlanta startup focusing on market/business intelligence is seeking investors. Let me know if you’d like an intro.

Andy Monin and the crew at VendorMate have a really compelling solution for providing business “credentialing” services. Want to know if your suppliers or vendors are who they claim they are? You will be amazed at the data they can pull for you. I had a chance to spend some time with them the other day, and they are getting traction. A great new play entering the ATDC. I expect great things from this one …

If you are an Atlanta-based technology company, or if you provide technology-related services, you owe it to yourself to register for TechLINKS Exchange, an up-and-coming B2B marketplace for corporate technology buyers here in Georgia.

Finally, as a reminder, if your Atlanta-based firm is in need of executive talent, let me know. I routinely am in contact with many talented executives (C-level, VPs, Directors) that are in transition and are anxious to dig into new and exciting opportunities. I am always happy to send referrals your way.

Cheers.

And of course, the proverbial ground rules: For certain leads, I must be careful not to disclose too much information – I want to be respectful of the confidentiality and trust I have established with people. In those instances, I realize that I may need to act as a conduit for interested parties, in order to protect the anonymity of certain of these leads. However, I will aspire to provide as much information as possible here in the text, so that you can contact each other directly (I really *don’t* want to get into the habit of playing middleman, other than passing along contact information as needed).

If you have something that you would feel to be of merit for this new section of the Pothole, by all means, let me know (spammers and open solicitors need not apply). Remember that the idea here is to provide visibility into “hidden” opportunities or news that is not widely known already – so don’t send press releases! And don’t forget to browse some of the past networking leads – many of them are still active!

First and foremost, a reminder that yours truly is seeking a new opportunity. While I am always open to new ideas, I am currently focusing my search for a CIO/CTO/Tech VP opportunity within either a well-capitalized startup or a mid-size firm. I invite you to visit my online bio and if you have any leads, I would welcome an intro!

My good friend and former Equifax CIO, Armando Cuevas has teamed up with his fellow ex-Gartner colleague, Wally Gramling to form a new firm, ArcMP. ArcMP’s flagship product is called Parsanon, and is billed as an enterprise architecture management platform. Deisnged by CIOs, for CIOs. I had the pleasure of seeing the demo of this thing the other day. If you are responsible for managing enterprise architecture, you owe it to yourself to contact them. This is a must-see demo. Their web site is currently in a “state of transition”, but it should be available soon.

Atlanta networking guru, Susan Knox at Corporate Connections, has launched her new and improved web site. Check it out! If your firm wants to accelerate your revenues by gaining key corporate relationships, you need to get thy rear end to the nearest telephone and call Susan Knox. Or better, watch her new online video and see the value firsthand.

If you are struggling with managing your IT security capabilities, contact the good folks at RBTi (Red Bull Technologies, Inc.). They work with dozens of product companies to put together a solution that meets your specific needs. These guys are experts, folks. Big boy football here – this isn’t the Pop Warner stuff.

I met an interesting fellow the other day. Leslie Hermitt has teamed up with Hunter Barrow for form Huntforce. Their focus is outsourced IT governance and PMO management. I had a riveting conversation with Leslie relative to their capabilities. Give ‘em a go.

Are you in transition? Contact Ruthie Powell to take advantage of her wonderful service called “Ruthie’s list.” She’ll email your resume out to her personal network of recruiters and HR directors. Not bad! She can be reached via email at “ruthiep AT bellsouth DOT net”.

Finally, as a reminder, if your Atlanta-based firm is in need of executive talent, let me know. I routinely am in contact with many talented executives (C-level, VPs, Directors) that are in transition and are anxious to dig into new and exciting opportunities. I am always happy to send referrals your way.

And of course, the proverbial ground rules: For certain leads, I must be careful not to disclose too much information – I want to be respectful of the confidentiality and trust I have established with people. In those instances, I realize that I may need to act as a conduit for interested parties, in order to protect the anonymity of certain of these leads. However, I will aspire to provide as much information as possible here in the text, so that you can contact each other directly (I really *don’t* want to get into the habit of playing middleman, other than passing along contact information as needed).

If you have something that you would feel to be of merit for this new section of the Pothole, by all means, let me know (spammers and open solicitors need not apply). Remember that the idea here is to provide visibility into “hidden” opportunities or news that is not widely known already – so don’t send press releases! And don’t forget to browse some of the past networking leads – many of them are still active!

First and foremost, a reminder that yours truly is seeking a new opportunity. While I am always open to new ideas, I am currently focusing my search for a CIO/CTO/Tech VP opportunity within either a well-capitalized startup or a mid-size firm. I invite you to visit my online bio and if you have any leads, I would welcome an intro!

Two great C-level positions have opened up in and around Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. A CIO in a banking industry firm, and a CTO in a financial services firm. If you are interested, let me know and I’d be happy to forward you along.

A very unique (and impressive) Atlanta “web 2.0″ startup is seeking investors. Let me know if you’d like an intro.

A new Atlanta-based startup providing an innovative digital document delivery service is seeking a network operations director. If you are interested in an intro to their CEO, let me know!

If your business is in need of a serious marketing copy professional, your only call needs to be to Krishna Avva, the Master Storyteller. His unique “storytelling” approach is really something to behold! Whatever you do, ask him to tell you the story of how and why he founded his company – brilliant! Check him out at www.thebizstoryteller.com.

A really interesting Atlanta-based startup is taking used Linksys routers and loading them up with custom versions of Linux and blogging software. The end result? A “blogging appliance for the people”. If you are interested in beta testing, or potentially participating as an investor – let me know and I’ll be happy to forward you along.

If your current IT initiatives have you living in fear, and you need some serious help, then dial up Len O’Neill and the crew over at Paalam. Len is a former Army engineer, and I always enjoy swapping Army stories with him. I think he’s a great guy, and so will you.

A position has opened up for a Region Managed Care Director within a national public home healthcare company. They are currently in an aggressive organic and inorganic growth mode. Base and bonus is approximately $100K with great benefits. This person will drive revenue growth within the payer community for our home care nursing, home medical equipment and respiratory therapy divisions. Must have substantial healthcare background (home health care industry preferred) and specific experience in dealing with insurers such as Aetna, Cigna, Tricare, Blue Cross Blue Shield, etc. The position will cover GA, FL, AL and IL. They prefer that they live in one of the states, but it is not necessary. Let me know if interested!

Finally, as a reminder, if your Atlanta-based firm is in need of executive talent, let me know. I routinely am in contact with many talented executives (C-level, VPs, Directors) that are in transition and are anxious to dig into new and exciting opportunities. I am always happy to send referrals your way.

And of course, the proverbial ground rules: For certain leads, I must be careful not to disclose too much information – I want to be respectful of the confidentiality and trust I have established with people. In those instances, I realize that I may need to act as a conduit for interested parties, in order to protect the anonymity of certain of these leads. However, I will aspire to provide as much information as possible here in the text, so that you can contact each other directly (I really *don’t* want to get into the habit of playing middleman, other than passing along contact information as needed).

If you have something that you would feel to be of merit for this new section of the Pothole, by all means, let me know (spammers and open solicitors need not apply). Remember that the idea here is to provide visibility into “hidden” opportunities or news that is not widely known already – so don’t send press releases! And don’t forget to browse some of the past networking leads – many of them are still active!

First and foremost, a reminder that yours truly is seeking a new opportunity. While I am always open to new ideas, I am currently focusing my search for a CIO/CTO/Tech VP opportunity within either a well-capitalized startup or a mid-size firm. I invite you to visit my online bio and if you have any leads, I would welcome an intro!

An outfit here in Atlanta has created a patented process by which VOIP E911 calls can be delivered to the correct municipality effectly. They are seeking to sell the process and patent outright, and consult on the implementation. Perhaps some of you soon-to-be ex-Bellsouthers should get together, buy this patent, and launch a new company! If you are interested in an intro, let me know …

A 600 person, venture-backed healthcare revenue recovery management company, providing eligibility and billing services to over 170 regional and super-regional hospitals across the U.S. is hiring a Corporate Controller. The Controller position will report to the CFO and manage a small staff of 5 folks. The targeted compensation range is $100-$120k, plus bonus oppty of 15%, plus stock options (not material) and customary/standard benefits (health, 401(k), vacation/holidays, etc.). Want an intro? Let me know!

Have a great idea for a new venture, but need help on your business plan? Looking to raise capital between $250K to $5M? Do yourself a favor and call my pal Greg Albright at Galt Capital. Greg is new to Atlanta, but has a number of capital connections in place and is ready to give you aspiring entrepreneurs a hand! 770-677-9788.

A large financial services firm here in Atlanta is hiring a VP of Software Development – diversity candidates welcome. Let me know if you’d like an intro.

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Procuri has allegedly just departed … perhaps they are in need a new one? Hint, hint, cough cough.

Do you have a jacked-up mortgage and need to get your house in order? You need to call Herman Winston at Global Mortgage Group. 678-993-2400.

I met a great fellow by the name of Bob Barnes. Bob operates an outfit called EventsXL. They provide assistance and support for meetings, executive retreats, major events, destination management, and onsite staffing. Need to get that special client a good seat at the Super Bowl? Want to make sure your top-performers don’t miss out on a nice trip to the Masters next year? Go check ‘em out at www.eventsxl.com.

Finally, as a reminder, if your Atlanta-based firm is in need of executive talent, let me know. I routinely am in contact with many talented executives (C-level, VPs, Directors) that are in transition and are anxious to dig into new and exciting opportunities. I am always happy to send referrals your way.

Despite my recent rant on the venture capital scene in Georgia, this week contains a bevvy of startup and early-stage news.

And of course, the proverbial ground rules: For certain leads, I must be careful not to disclose too much information – I want to be respectful of the confidentiality and trust I have established with people. In those instances, I realize that I may need to act as a conduit for interested parties, in order to protect the anonymity of certain of these leads. However, I will aspire to provide as much information as possible here in the text, so that you can contact each other directly (I really *don’t* want to get into the habit of playing middleman, other than passing along contact information as needed).

If you have something that you would feel to be of merit for this new section of the Pothole, by all means, let me know (spammers and open solicitors need not apply). Remember that the idea here is to provide visibility into “hidden” opportunities or news that is not widely known already – so don’t send press releases! And don’t forget to browse some of the past networking leads – many of them are still active!

First and foremost, a reminder that yours truly is seeking a new opportunity. While I am always open to new ideas, I am currently focusing my search for a CIO/CTO/Tech VP opportunity within either a well-capitalized startup or a mid-size firm. I invite you to visit my online bio and if you have any leads, I would welcome an intro!

A large publicly-traded company is looking to hire a Director of e-Commerce Software Development. Superstars only, with heavy B2C experience. Let me know if you are interested in an intro.

Atlanta hasn’t been completely void of startups lately. A very unique play within the human resources segment of the trucking industry is now in motion in “stealth” mode. I know, I know. It doesn’t sounds sexy, but I’ve heard their pitch – it has promise – their target market seems very lucrative. They are currently on the prowl for a $1M seed round. They have a great deal of interest in Atlanta as well as Chattanooga. If you are interested in an intro, let me know.

An Atlanta-based technology startup firm playing in the Web 2.0 sandbox is seeking some seed investors. This is a play within the business intelligence and business networking spaces. Let me know if you’d like an intro.

Remember that little bird that has a nasty habit of flying into my window? He told me that Atlanta-based retail-tech play, Quantisense, recently covertly raised a round of funding.

Speaking of retail-technology plays, another Atlanta-based retail tech play is seeking to close out a bridge round of $1-2M. Great technology – I’ve seen their pitch as well. Some great marquis initial clients as well (Saks Fifth Avenue, Giorgio Armani, Polo/Ralph Lauren, etc.) Again, let me know if you’d like an intro.

Word on the street has it that Proctor and Gamble is potentially investing in several Atlanta-area startups. This has to do with their “Tremor” operation, which has something to do with “teen word-of-marketing.”

Finally, as a reminder, if your Atlanta-based firm is in need of executive talent, let me know. I routinely am in contact with many talented executives (C-level, VPs, Directors) that are in transition and are anxious to dig into new and exciting opportunities. I am always happy to send referrals your way.