Netscape Time

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Netscape’s stratospheric IPO of August 1995 doesn’t seem that long ago. That juggernaut of a public offering is still indelibly printed in my mind.

At the time I was an attorney at Werksmans Attorneys in Johannesburg, focusing on mergers and acquisitions. The Internet had just piqued my interest, and I soon after founded the firm’s Internet law division, one of the first of its kind in South Africa.

It’s quite ironic that fourteen years later I would be involved as a partner in an Internet start-up, based right here in Silicon Valley, where Netscape was born.

Folklore has it that Marc Andreessen (Netscape co-founder, along with Jim Clark), loved eating at the well known restaurant chain in Silicon Valley called Hobee’s Diner. I happened to eat at Hobee’s in Palo Alto the other day. I can’t say I’ll rush back there, but places such as this are steeped in techno-folklore and urban legend. It injects a buzz into everyday life here that makes people remain optimistic, enthusiastic and always on the cusp of the next great innovation.

When I happened quite serendipitously to come across Jim Clark’s book “Netscape Time” (St Martins Press, New York 1999), I grabbed the opportunity to read it. I am half-way through, and am enthralled at the telling of the Netscape story – from Clark’s first meeting with Andreessen to the breakthrough idea that led to the Netscape browser – and the IPO that spawned an unprecedented technology boom in the USA for the next several years (and an untold number of new millionaires).

Clark shares many insights in his book. Being in the early stages of a start-up myself, this simple observation resonated with me because it is so true. Its something I have experienced tangibly at Jemstep. I’ll leave you with it and say goodbye now – I’ve still lots to read and do before the night is through:

“Every start-up has about it the quality of a friendly intramural competition: there’s no room for slacking off, and nobody wants to contribute less than anyone else (which is why start-ups are so much more exciting and productive than established companies.)”