4. Should Tim replace the third wave of programmers? If yes, how do you recommend he go about this doing this? Can you find a way for him to protect his share of the equity he has in the business?

It was 2006 and Vivid Sky’s sole product, SkyBOX, had survived its pilot test. Designed as an in-stadium information service for fans, SkyBOX offered video feeds, statistics, infographics (like graphics of the last 10 pitches, last 10 hits, etc.), maps, live chats and voting, and in-seat ordering. All of this was delivered by wireless PDAs (think of a Palm Pilot) “hardened” to withstand dropping and spilled liquids.
SkyBOX got to this stage because of three different waves of employees. Founder Tim Hayden was tech savvy, but lacked the skills to write the code that would meld all of these different streams of data into one application. The first wave of programmers worked with Tim at his full-time employer. They shared Tim’s love of sports and passion for using technology to revitalize the stadium experience. Together they created the overall design of the program and an interactive demo to show potential investors. These employees worked nights and weekends with no expectations. Since they couldn’t put more time (and money) into the project, they decided to move on to other projects once Tim had a working model.