Reverb Communications Interview - Part 1

( 1 Vote ) We had the pleasure of getting a interview with Doug Kennedy, President & CEO, about Reverb Communications.

What inspired the creation of the company?

Reverb Communications was created roughly 10 years ago when we witnessed an issue in the video game space. We started to notice many small video game start-ups developing great ideas, great games or great products but lacking the ability to get these products to market, placed in retail or noticed by consumers.

We built Reverb Communications with a simple premise - to be a complete agency which would support our clients with sales, marketing and public relations allowing our clients to focus 100% of their time building their product while Reverb (the agency) would handle everything else.

How did the name of the company come about? How long did it take to think of it?

We went through a variety of naming exercises before landing on Reverb. We knew we didn’t want a company that simply utilized one of the founders last names, as we felt that was a cop-out, and we wanted something that would describe the nature of what we do. Reverberation was a word we kept landing on so we shortened it to Reverb.

While creating the company, what was the hardest issue(s) that were faced?

I think one of the hardest issues for any new business is getting the business properly set up while managing the day to day operation of the company, all while trying to land new clients. Honestly, I don’t know how a single proprietor does it alone. Fortunately I have a great partner and we were able to split the responsibilities which really got things started smoothly.

What were some of the "best moments" during the creation of the company?

We have had so many great moments, it’s hard to say. Our first client was Red Octane, the creators of Guitar Hero - Reverb was heavily involved in the launch of Guitar Hero I & II, and while many people may not realize this, the initial reaction from the gaming industry to Guitar Hero was pretty negative.

I think the PR team, the marketing team and the founders and employees at Red Octane did an amazing job of rallying together and not giving up on the product. We knew we had something special. It was really rewarding getting the first big order from Best Buy. It’s not often you get a call where the buyers says, “I’ll take all of the product you have in your warehouse - everything.” We knew right then we had something special.

Over the years we have worked on some amazing games and with some amazing people, from the Rock Band franchise, Beatles Rock Band, Green Day Rock Band, two Star Trek games and most recently staring another division of Reverb called Reverb Publishing. Reverb Publishing’s recent success with Dungeon Defenders has been very rewarding and very exciting. It’s rare to achieve the success we have on Steam, PSN and XBLA like we have done with Dungeon Defenders.

Were all proposed ideas able to be incorporated into the company?

I like to say we run a democratic dictatorship, we listen and hear all ideas brought forward by staff and employees, but ultimately someone needs to make a decision. Over the years we have seen many companies fail because 10 guys get together to start a company and they all get equal voting power - the problem is decisions don’t get made because nobody has the final say. If the ideas are good and we think they will advance our business, we try to implement them.

Any advice for people thinking of starting a company? Regardless of what industry the company will be in.

The first thing to consider is running your own business is not a 9-5 job, you need to be fully committed 24/7. When we started Reverb we agreed that we would be willing to work nonstop for the first two years to get the company off the ground and stable, but here we are 10 years in and we are still working non-stop.

I would also recommend going into a business or an industry that you are passionate about. Everyone at some point has been stuck at a job they hate - now imagine running a company (24/7) and hating your work. You really have to love what you.

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