Feras Alhlou raised $96 million and became AVP before losing customers in a 2003 layoff. He rebuilt by leveraging his networks and experience to launch a new company, showing how starting over can accelerate growth.
Sometimes the worst day in your career could be the day that would open the door for amazing days ahead. Fast forward to 1998, we moved to Silicon Valley. We raised $96 million and we worked really hard. And then I got promoted to AVP. And then in 2003, no customers, no revenue. And then another mass layoff. And that was really hard. That layoff hit me really hard. But this time I didn't have to start from scratch. I had built muscle. And I networked with my friends who admired my work ethic, my go-getterness, and I, I admired his big picture thinking, and we decided to launch a company.
