Rocketboom - Andrew Baron On Amanda Congdon And Their Problem - Video

In this vlog make At "CaseCamp" and which appears below this text, Andrew Baron, one of the two person founders of Rocketboom, explains that Amanda Congdon was his partner and both of them created Rocketboom two or three years ago. At the end of March 2006 it was "her and I doing pretty much everything."

By the end of that month they sold their first ad for $40,000 for one week; two days later they sold their second at at the same rate. Then Andrew reports that about three weeks prior to the making of this clip, and obviously the meltdown that led to it, they sold an ad for $80,000 for one week.

At the end of March, they started having problems, according to Baron. He sets up what he explains with a kind of preface that: "We're not really friends. We have a completely professional relationship. We're not even close socially. Everything started going down hill for all kinds of reasons."

He says that Amanda has always wanted to go to Hollywood pursue her professional acting career, even as Rocketboom was establishing a new way of getting news and entertainment -- vlogging. Baron says he was supportive of her desires from the begining of their relationship.

"But as time went on, Amanda became more antzy to get out there (to LA)," he claims. Meanwhile he says they both were trying to figure out how to "make this work" where Rocketboom could be produced in LA.

As time passed still, Amanda got even more anxious and Andrew more nervous because when he said "OK, let's go out to LA," she told him "Actually, I don't want you to go." She wanted him to stay in New York City. He said "Ok, but (even though) I'd prefer to stay in New York, I don't care where I live. If we have to go to Toronto (lol from audience) or something, I'd do it there."

Two weeks ago Amanda annouced that she was just going to leave for LA, and that she couldn't take it anymore. They talked about it and had -- as Baron said -- more communication problems. They needed a businesss partner and found one in someone who Andrew has known for a while and is a VP at Morgan Stanley (now to be informative to those who may get the wrong idea, VP at Morgan is not a high position, as they have SVPs and Regional Directors, CFOs, COOs, and so on)

At any rate, Amanda said "I'm moving next week, and Patrick said 'That will not work, we don't have the money." Then another check came in and it would take a month for it to clear the bank. Andrew and Patrick (I guess this is the business guy) were asking Amanda to just wait until the monies were in place but she "had to go now" as Andrew put it.

After that what Andrew described as "A little nightmare" unfolded. Their communication problems were such that they couldn't even talk any more. They "had a mediator come in" as Andrew explains, "and try to work it all out."

They had a large meeting, with Amanda and her parents on one side of the room, and Andrew and "we" as he put it (which I guess is the Rocketboom team) on the other side and a recording device in the middle.

Andrew says that they hit "another impass" on Tuesday night as reported to him by "Chuck" the mediator. Then on Wednesday, Andrew woke up to find an email sent from Amanda to the ten-person Rocketboom team which included the link to her video which all of you have seen, I guess, and which reports that "I've been fired" as Andrew says in the video.

He then goes on to report the message of Amanda's video: I wanted to go to LA. I can't. I'm stuck here at my parents with no money. I've got nothing.

Andrew says "I wake up and see this and oh my God. We've been negotiating for so long and there were always two possibilities." One was a way to make it work (It being the LA move). (Andrew didn't explain what the other possibility was; he jumped to his reaction to the Wednesday video by Amanda.)

"Now she's saying that I kicked her out."

Andrew explained that the real problem with the video she made was that all of Rocketboom's followers thought that Amanda was the face of the program and he was this evil business guy who got rid of her and gave her nothing, when it wasn't true. Andrew says that he thinks Amanda's an amazing business woman.

So Andrews looking at this and saying "This is not how I imagined this was going to turn out."

Andrew then says the two possibiliies were 1) work it out, or 2) not work it out, but design a way to "transition out" (I hate that term) of their relationship and get her to LA with some kind of contract in place.

Andrew says Amanda "Came in and stole the message. Totally twisted it up. I know I'm saying she twisted it up, but you all are thinking 'Well how do we know,.' and I'm saying that I'm not prepared to defend through all that."

Andrew said in his opinion Amanda reported the opposite of what really went down, and the whole Rocketboom team (I guess her brother too) was saying "Whoa she bailed on us and now she's saying she was fired."

Andrew believes he was "gyped" as he put it, because he's not the business guy and is now forced to tell his side of the story. He felt he had to respond because he was being painted as evil, and even as his sister was telling him not to fire back.

Andrew cracks, "Oh Amanda's the star and Jason Calicanis of Weblogs is giving her everything and you can be my star, and Andrew's well, he's just this dumb guy who.."

And that's when Andrew decided to put up the message that as of this writing is still on Rocketboom's home page.

Andrew essentially reports that his basic challenge is to remake Rocketboom and he's never been in this kind of position. Andrew says that events are starting to turn and people like Star Jones (@##$!!!) are producing a new spin on the entire matter.

"What I have to do is take control of the message," Andrew says. "The only way to make it through is,to..I'm not sure." He says that whomever he puts on Rocketboom on Monday is just not going to work and they would "throw tomatos" at them. It will have to be an interim host.

Andrew spent the rest of the time explaining the ideas they came up with for the Monday show -- which stlll isn't up yet. One of them was to do a segment on how they wanted Amanda back, but she's not coming back, so Rocketboom lives on.

Andrew was talked out of that.

The audience basically told Andrew that Monday was important in that he needs to show that he's moved on and that Rocketboom is viable.

I agree.

First, I think Andrew''s too worried about what people will think. He needs to just do it. Make the show. Second, as usual, the real truth is in the middle and we're starting to see that middle.

Amanda should have just waited and let Rocketboom grow. Unfortunately she was thinking too much about herself and not being a team player. More trajically, this episode is a grand example of what people -- most people -- do to thwart success. I've seen this time and again, and experienced it when I was working to bring the Super Bowl to Oakland.

When people who are involved in something that suddenly gains massive success, they want to "break it up" such that they have more 1) control and 2) money. It's always this dynamic at play. It always comes with people who are not experienced in life or business matters or both. They can't see a bigger picture from the "place" that caused the growth to begin with; they want to change the role so it's all about them.

Success is never all about one person. There's always a team behind it.

Amanda, here's my message to you: in the future, be patient and as the saying goes "When you're invited to the biggest dance of the year, you go with who 'brung ya." In this case, that person was indeed Andrew and you should have brung him to LA.

Be careful to always tell the truth, even if it doesn't make you look good. What you did was alter the story to create a fictional tale of good (you) and evil (Andrew). I think you owe him an appology.

Also, try to work within a team, even as your star status grows. You don't want to be marked as "hard to work with" so let this be a lesson.

Jason, here's your cautionary tale writ large. Buyer beware.

Andrew, move on and make the show. As of now, it's 10:08 PST and there's still no show at all. That means it's after 1 EST. What's up?

Just do it.