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Article: Hashem Montasser, Kozmo.com

Article Group List / Diversity / Hashem Montasser, Kozmo.com

Hashem Montasser, Kozmo.com

Manager, Business Development group

Vault.com: What is your educational and work background?
Hashem Montasser: I graduated from Harvard in 1997.  From there, I went to Merrill Lynch, on the sales and trading side.  I worked in emerging markets trading and capital markets in London and New York - specifically, Latin America.  I was there until [this past] November, when I moved to Kozmo.

V: So coming from an established industry, how did you first get interested in working in the Internet?
HM: It started roughly a year ago.  Many of my peers had joined Internet companies or launched companies of their own.  I also did some research - checked what was being covered in the news.  Then I talked a lot with people I knew who had made "the move."

V: Is there anything in your previous experience that helped you prepare to make the move yourself?
HM: Being on the trading floor at Merrill helped.  The environment was very fast-paced and required a lot of multitasking, [just like working in the Internet].  I got used juggling a couple of different projects at once, and learned how to prioritize and make decisions very quickly.  Plus, Merrill has a world-class training program.  In anything I wanted to do, I could build off of that.

V: How did you find your job at Kozmo.com?
HM: A friend of mine from Harvard knew someone there.  I met him, and eventually met the VP of business development and the CEO.  I didn't know a whole lot about the company at the time.  I had seen advertising, but hadn't really looked into it that closely.  After meeting with them though, I was convinced that the business model was promising.  And the group that I would be working with was motivated and very inspiring to me.

~ V: Did you have difficulty switching industries?
HM: No, it was a very smooth transition.  I had gotten a lot out of my experience at Merrill.  And after two and a half years, it seemed like a natural time to make a transition.

V: So is there anything specifically that people interested in moving into the field should do?
HM: The process of getting a job is different from the typical process.  Be creative - don't feel that you have to follow conventional methods.  You can call HR departments directly, or call people from alumni lists.  People are typically very friendly and responsive.  By talking to people, you will get to know a lot more about [the company].  And in the best case scenario, you'll get a job that way.

Don't just leave your old job [once you have an offer].  First, to the extent possible, get advice from your peers and mentors- they can be extremely valuable.  When you do leave be very professional and straightforward, and give plenty of notice.  You don't want to burn any bridges.

V: Now that you're at Kozmo, what kind of work have you been doing?
HM: The biz dev group looks for strategic partners, both online and offline.  We do the whole thing from the point of contact to negotiation to agreement.  Within every step, though, we use the internal resources available to us - that is, we work closely with people in marketing, web development, strategic planning, and so forth.

V: What specific tasks do people in business development handle?
HM: Your time is divided between getting in contact with companies [who are] potential partners [to arrange deals] and executing existing deals.  There's also time for internal stuff.

~ People from outside the industry sometimes get the sense that business development is all about chatting on phones and shaking hands, but a lot of time goes into analysis of the deals,.  You need to come in [to work] prepared, because every day is a little different from the day before.

V: How do you find the pay for people in the industry?
HM: It's the kind of business that if the company does well, your pay will be directly related to that.  My advice to people is that they shouldn't be overly concerned with pay.  You probably won't have to make a huge change in lifestyle, but don't expect to be swimming in cash either.  Just know what kind of sacrifice you'll be making [before you take a job] and see if it makes sense for you.

V: What does it take to do your job?  In other words, what skills do people need to get into business development?
HM: All types of modeling skills are very valuable.  It's not quite the same as at an investment bank, but many skills [are transferable].  Social skills as well - both for internal and external relationships.  That may not be the best term for it, but you have to filter very quickly between what's good for the company and what's not.  Also, letting yourself be creative is important.  You're often going through a standardized set of stuff [in other jobs].  It's good to take a step back and see what other skills you haven't used that come in handy - like knowing a foreign language or having marketing skills for example.  Finally, it's important to have a positive and forward-looking attitude.  People at kozmo.com come from different backgrounds, but the one thing we have in common is that we're all pretty excited about what we do.

~ V: Where does someone in your position go from here?
HM: It's important to have a plan of where you see yourself in 5-10 years, but people make the mistake of being too preoccupied with their next step.  I'm really much more concerned with what I'm doing right now.  It's absolutely fabulous.  As the company and the industry as a whole are growing, you get to see how other companies are grappling with similar issues.  I am still learning as I go, but it's really a lot of fun to be here.

V: Any final advice for people interested in working in the Internet industry?
HM: Don't make the mistake of going into this industry just because it seems like the thing to do.  A lot of people are willing to join any company at any price.  But you won't make the most of it if you're pressured.  I took a long time soul-searching - seeing if I was making the move for the right reasons.  If you do your homework, you'll be more comfortable when you make the move.