Comments on: Sonopia Ceases Operations – Another Victim on the US MVNO Scene http://meownewsletter.com/2008/04/07/sonopia-ceases-operations-another-victim-on-the-us-mvno-scene/ Multimedia Ecosystem Opportunity Watch Thu, 04 Feb 2010 12:45:22 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 hourly 1 By: tobto http://meownewsletter.com/2008/04/07/sonopia-ceases-operations-another-victim-on-the-us-mvno-scene/comment-page-1/#comment-2938 tobto Mon, 29 Dec 2008 13:11:09 +0000 http://meownewsletter.com/2008/04/07/sonopia-ceases-operations-another-victim-on-the-us-mvno-scene/#comment-2938 Sonopia isn't a victim, but the tendency, as a lot bright start-ups were closed Sonopia isn’t a victim, but the tendency, as a lot bright start-ups were closed

]]> By: IToldYouSo http://meownewsletter.com/2008/04/07/sonopia-ceases-operations-another-victim-on-the-us-mvno-scene/comment-page-1/#comment-2618 IToldYouSo Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:29:42 +0000 http://meownewsletter.com/2008/04/07/sonopia-ceases-operations-another-victim-on-the-us-mvno-scene/#comment-2618 The main issue with Sonopia was the lack of entrepreneurial experience of its CEO and Founder. He talked a big game but was totally inexperienced. Any entrepreneur could tell you that. He had worked at large companies and always spent other people's money at no risk. That doesn't make anyone an entrepreneur!!!! True entrepreneurs wouldn't have talked a big game and would have kept costs low and weathered the storm. Large company types just would have thrown as much money as possible to the opportunity and hope that it sticks. I don't think any Venture Capitalists will ever make that mistake again with him. So hopefully he'll find a large company to move back into. A spot he shouldn't have left in the first place. The worse is for him to try to find excuses by saying MVNOs work better in Europe than in the US. This is totally NOT true. MVNOs are very successful in the US like Virgin Mobile or Tracfone. Almost all the MVNOs in Europe have failed or have gained ridiculously small market shares. There is no excuse to the failure of Sonopia other than in its founding management. Good Luck! The main issue with Sonopia was the lack of entrepreneurial experience of its CEO and Founder. He talked a big game but was totally inexperienced. Any entrepreneur could tell you that.

He had worked at large companies and always spent other people’s money at no risk. That doesn’t make anyone an entrepreneur!!!!

True entrepreneurs wouldn’t have talked a big game and would have kept costs low and weathered the storm. Large company types just would have thrown as much money as possible to the opportunity and hope that it sticks.

I don’t think any Venture Capitalists will ever make that mistake again with him. So hopefully he’ll find a large company to move back into. A spot he shouldn’t have left in the first place. The worse is for him to try to find excuses by saying MVNOs work better in Europe than in the US. This is totally NOT true. MVNOs are very successful in the US like Virgin Mobile or Tracfone. Almost all the MVNOs in Europe have failed or have gained ridiculously small market shares. There is no excuse to the failure of Sonopia other than in its founding management.

Good Luck!

]]> By: TM Forum Community - Blogs http://meownewsletter.com/2008/04/07/sonopia-ceases-operations-another-victim-on-the-us-mvno-scene/comment-page-1/#comment-55 TM Forum Community - Blogs Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:24:28 +0000 http://meownewsletter.com/2008/04/07/sonopia-ceases-operations-another-victim-on-the-us-mvno-scene/#comment-55 [...] Here’s an example; Sonopia, the US startup MVNE, is dead. It’s always looked like a good idea; MVNOs stand or fall by their differentiation, so the ideal MVNO would be small and hyper-specific….which would however make it tough to set it up. So there’s a niche for a business that does nothing but create small MVNOs, right? Well, they tried. Telco 2.0 has always suspected that this is probably a better idea as a telco business unit than an independent company, but you never know until you try. [...] [...] Here’s an example; Sonopia, the US startup MVNE, is dead. It’s always looked like a good idea; MVNOs stand or fall by their differentiation, so the ideal MVNO would be small and hyper-specific….which would however make it tough to set it up. So there’s a niche for a business that does nothing but create small MVNOs, right? Well, they tried. Telco 2.0 has always suspected that this is probably a better idea as a telco business unit than an independent company, but you never know until you try. [...]

]]> By: Sonopia to Cease Operations - Another MVNO had Died | alltel tones news http://meownewsletter.com/2008/04/07/sonopia-ceases-operations-another-victim-on-the-us-mvno-scene/comment-page-1/#comment-39 Sonopia to Cease Operations - Another MVNO had Died | alltel tones news Wed, 09 Apr 2008 19:29:58 +0000 http://meownewsletter.com/2008/04/07/sonopia-ceases-operations-another-victim-on-the-us-mvno-scene/#comment-39 [...] This time its Sonopia, founded by Juha Christensen and launched just a year ago.  According to Tapio Anttila, a former exec at Sonopia, the company has shut down services in U.S.  However, the website is [...] [...] This time its Sonopia, founded by Juha Christensen and launched just a year ago.  According to Tapio Anttila, a former exec at Sonopia, the company has shut down services in U.S.  However, the website is [...]

]]> By: DonMcCartyJr http://meownewsletter.com/2008/04/07/sonopia-ceases-operations-another-victim-on-the-us-mvno-scene/comment-page-1/#comment-34 DonMcCartyJr Wed, 09 Apr 2008 03:49:27 +0000 http://meownewsletter.com/2008/04/07/sonopia-ceases-operations-another-victim-on-the-us-mvno-scene/#comment-34 as a authorized agent of some of the mvno's you seem to despise , you need to wake up and smell the coffee. the mvno's have created mega income for the big boys , that before they wouldn't get to touch. mvno's are getting the customer bases built and are thriving . yes some are dying as fast as they are starting, but it wasn't due to poor planning or lack of money. a majority of it seemed to be poor management and greed . look at amp'd mobile...it was a top notch mvno with money being thrown at it hand over fist . everyone wanted in on it . high living and forgetting to collect on billing kind of done them in so get off your high horse ,because your jealous of the mvno's taking money from you and they are actually doing something for people ..getting them the service they deserve. also , if you would take a closer look at the mvno's , you might just see that there are some that offer alot of options , but leave them up to the customer to decide if they want them unlike the big boys who seem to train their salesforce into trying to forcefeed data and other options down their customers throats. long story short.. QUIT YOUR WHINING ! as a authorized agent of some of the mvno’s you seem to despise , you need to wake up and smell the coffee. the mvno’s have created mega income for the big boys , that before they wouldn’t get to touch. mvno’s are getting the customer bases built and are thriving . yes some are dying as fast as they are starting, but it wasn’t due to poor planning or lack of money. a majority of it seemed to be poor management and greed . look at amp’d mobile…it was a top notch mvno with money being thrown at it hand over fist . everyone wanted in on it . high living and forgetting to collect on billing kind of done them in so get off your high horse ,because your jealous of the mvno’s taking money from you and they are actually doing something for people ..getting them the service they deserve. also , if you would take a closer look at the mvno’s , you might just see that there are some that offer alot of options , but leave them up to the customer to decide if they want them unlike the big boys who seem to train their salesforce into trying to forcefeed data and other options down their customers throats. long story short.. QUIT YOUR WHINING !

]]> By: Arnold http://meownewsletter.com/2008/04/07/sonopia-ceases-operations-another-victim-on-the-us-mvno-scene/comment-page-1/#comment-27 Arnold Wed, 09 Apr 2008 00:41:51 +0000 http://meownewsletter.com/2008/04/07/sonopia-ceases-operations-another-victim-on-the-us-mvno-scene/#comment-27 For all the MVNO's left in the marketplace I say "Get Out!". You puny little girly MVNO can not match the muscles of ATT, Verizon and Tmobile. You need to wake up and smell what the carrier is cooking you pipsqueeks. They are cooking up the recipe for your death. And when you die you "wont be back". The carriers create these silly MVNO programs and make it impossible for you to survive. Are you an ATT MVNO looking for data?...Get Out. Are you a Sprint MVNO looking for a good phone program?...Get Out. Are you a Verizon MVNO looking for real-time call records?...Ha, Ha, Ha,...Get Out. The carriers will take your VC funding like the schoolyard bully taking your milk money when you were a girly boy in kindergarden. This time, instead of going home crying to mommy, you will be broke and going home crying to your board of directors. To all the remaining MVNO's, I say "Hasta La vista Baby". For all the MVNO’s left in the marketplace I say “Get Out!”. You puny little girly MVNO can not match the muscles of ATT, Verizon and Tmobile. You need to wake up and smell what the carrier is cooking you pipsqueeks. They are cooking up the recipe for your death. And when you die you “wont be back”. The carriers create these silly MVNO programs and make it impossible for you to survive. Are you an ATT MVNO looking for data?…Get Out. Are you a Sprint MVNO looking for a good phone program?…Get Out. Are you a Verizon MVNO looking for real-time call records?…Ha, Ha, Ha,…Get Out. The carriers will take your VC funding like the schoolyard bully taking your milk money when you were a girly boy in kindergarden. This time, instead of going home crying to mommy, you will be broke and going home crying to your board of directors. To all the remaining MVNO’s, I say “Hasta La vista Baby”.

]]> By: Unfiltered » Blog Archive » MVNO epidemic continues http://meownewsletter.com/2008/04/07/sonopia-ceases-operations-another-victim-on-the-us-mvno-scene/comment-page-1/#comment-25 Unfiltered » Blog Archive » MVNO epidemic continues Tue, 08 Apr 2008 23:23:57 +0000 http://meownewsletter.com/2008/04/07/sonopia-ceases-operations-another-victim-on-the-us-mvno-scene/#comment-25 [...] industry has claimed another two MVNO casualties. Micro-MVNO-enabler Sonopia has let go of all of its U.S. staff, according to MEOW! Blog, and last week Movida, an IDT-backed MVNO targeted at Spanish speakers, [...] [...] industry has claimed another two MVNO casualties. Micro-MVNO-enabler Sonopia has let go of all of its U.S. staff, according to MEOW! Blog, and last week Movida, an IDT-backed MVNO targeted at Spanish speakers, [...]

]]> By: www.teletubis.info » Blog Archive » Sonopia Follows Amp’d Into The Deadpool http://meownewsletter.com/2008/04/07/sonopia-ceases-operations-another-victim-on-the-us-mvno-scene/comment-page-1/#comment-24 www.teletubis.info » Blog Archive » Sonopia Follows Amp’d Into The Deadpool Tue, 08 Apr 2008 22:39:23 +0000 http://meownewsletter.com/2008/04/07/sonopia-ceases-operations-another-victim-on-the-us-mvno-scene/#comment-24 [...] According to a former business development consultant, Sonopia’s “approach was too ‘involving’ and too ambitious, offering targeted services and campaigns for segmented groups…which often lacked skills in running even a marketing program, let alone a mobile service.” Apparently the inflexibility of Verizon, its parent carrier, and the over-zealous optimism of founder Juha Christensen also led the company to ruin. [...] [...] According to a former business development consultant, Sonopia’s “approach was too ‘involving’ and too ambitious, offering targeted services and campaigns for segmented groups…which often lacked skills in running even a marketing program, let alone a mobile service.” Apparently the inflexibility of Verizon, its parent carrier, and the over-zealous optimism of founder Juha Christensen also led the company to ruin. [...]

]]> By: Sonopia Follows Amp’d Into The Deadpool | moraaz.org - feed all tech! http://meownewsletter.com/2008/04/07/sonopia-ceases-operations-another-victim-on-the-us-mvno-scene/comment-page-1/#comment-23 Sonopia Follows Amp’d Into The Deadpool | moraaz.org - feed all tech! Tue, 08 Apr 2008 21:10:50 +0000 http://meownewsletter.com/2008/04/07/sonopia-ceases-operations-another-victim-on-the-us-mvno-scene/#comment-23 [...] According to a former business development consultant, Sonopia’s “approach was too ‘involving’ and too ambitious, offering targeted services and campaigns for segmented groups…which often lacked skills in running even a marketing program, let alone a mobile service.” Apparently the inflexibility of Verizon, its parent carrier, and the over-zealous optimism of founder Juha Christensen also led the company to ruin. [...] [...] According to a former business development consultant, Sonopia’s “approach was too ‘involving’ and too ambitious, offering targeted services and campaigns for segmented groups…which often lacked skills in running even a marketing program, let alone a mobile service.” Apparently the inflexibility of Verizon, its parent carrier, and the over-zealous optimism of founder Juha Christensen also led the company to ruin. [...]

]]> By: Sonopia Follows Amp’d Into The Deadpool http://meownewsletter.com/2008/04/07/sonopia-ceases-operations-another-victim-on-the-us-mvno-scene/comment-page-1/#comment-21 Sonopia Follows Amp’d Into The Deadpool Tue, 08 Apr 2008 20:38:21 +0000 http://meownewsletter.com/2008/04/07/sonopia-ceases-operations-another-victim-on-the-us-mvno-scene/#comment-21 [...] According to a former business development consultant, Sonopia’s “approach was too ‘involving’ and too ambitious, offering targeted services and campaigns for segmented groups…which often lacked skills in running even a marketing program, let alone a mobile service.” Apparently the inflexibility of Verizon, its parent carrier, and the over-zealous optimism of founder Juha Christensen also led the company to ruin. [...] [...] According to a former business development consultant, Sonopia’s “approach was too ‘involving’ and too ambitious, offering targeted services and campaigns for segmented groups…which often lacked skills in running even a marketing program, let alone a mobile service.” Apparently the inflexibility of Verizon, its parent carrier, and the over-zealous optimism of founder Juha Christensen also led the company to ruin. [...]

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