About the company

Hyperic provides the only open source systems management software purpose-built to maximize availability for the Next Generation Data Center. Hyperic’s software provides unprecedented cross-stack visibility and helps enterprises to pinpoint, correct and prevent problems at every layer including hardware, networks, virtualization, middleware and applications.

Hyperic’s technology-neutral approach enables manageability across technologies in the market today as well as those of tomorrow. Hyperic’s software manages enterprises of all sizes, including Hi5 Networks, Ogilvy & Mather, eHarmony.com, and more. Founded in 2004 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, Hyperic is a private company funded by Accel Partners and Benchmark Capital.

Most notable milestones

Acquired a $15M piece of software with customers for $1

Survived 2 years of 100% revenue growth as a self-funded, profitable company.

Developed a bottoms-up approach to marketing to IT operations which changed the strategies used to acquire customers in the highly competitive and fractured IT management space.

What’s the niche?

Open Source Systems Management for Web Infrastructure.

What’s the biggest challenge?

Keeping up with all the activity at a high energy, high market focus start-up.

What’s in store for the future?

Big things! We’re growing in all directions – product, customers and employees. We aim to be the undisputed leader in a busy and emerging marketplace for open source systems management.

Best way to keep a competitive edge

Never compromise on your principles or your aspirations, but recognize there’s always room for improvement.

Guiding principle in life

Do unto others as you’d have done onto yourself.

Yardstick of success

Building a self sustaining, growing company that people love to work at.

Goal yet to be achieved

Two that are top on my list are making Hyperic the defacto standard in systems management, and getting married to my biggest supporter, Emily.

Best practical advice

Trust your gut. If you believe in what you’re doing, don’t listen to anyone who tells you otherwise.

Supportive words from a family member or friend on your venture

“This is the only technology idea you’ve had which I actually think will make you very successful”. My fiancee Emily, when she and I discussed the risk of acquiring the technology from Covalent and starting our own company.

Mentors

My father Jorge, my uncle Tony, and my late step-father Guillermo. My dad taught me the importance of relationships in sales. In Latin America, people have to like you in order to do business with you. My uncle because he showed me that you could build a successful technology company in Puerto Rico. My step-father Guillermo because he always believed I would do something wonderful.

What motivated you to get started?

The firm belief in the product that my colleagues and I had built and the conviction that the 5 of us could do this better than anyone else (even more experienced people who had tried and failed).

Like best about what you do?

The sense of controlled chaos that all fast growing startups have.

Like least about what you do?

The sense of controlled chaos that all fast growing startups have.

At age 10, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A stock broker.

What was your first job?

Doing radio commercials for Wrangler jeans.

Biggest pastimes outside of work

Mountain biking and playing music.

Person most interested in meeting

Trey Anastasio (Musician). I could only hope to be as good a guitar player as he is.

Leader in business most interested in meeting

Steve Jobs. Passionate engineer who embodies the spirit of an entire brand.

Three interesting facts about yourself

1. I made my first sale when I was 10 years old (a wheel alignment machine I helped my dad sell to a small shop in the mountains in Puerto Rico).
2. I taught myself how to play piano and guitar.
3. I read in the shower.

Three characteristics that describe you

1. Chatty
2. Photographic memory
3. Determined

Three greatest passions

1. Music
2. Tinkering with computers
3. Cars

Favorite book

Cien años de soledad by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Favorite cause

Meals on Wheels.

Who would you like to be contacted by?

Anyone using our product!