Helio
Helio was a bold attempt to transform the US wireless industry, at a time when it badly lagged Europe and Asia (smartphone penetration was about 4%, versus over 70% now).
Helio's products and services were good for the time (being first to things like GPS-enabled Google Maps, integrated social media, and contextual web info on the idle screen), but we came up against two major challenges: retail distribution was mostly locked up by existing operators, and then the iPhone came out. I actually believe the iPhone only became unbeatable (for us) when the app store opened.
I worked in strategy at Helio, and so was wrestling with some of the major challenges. I enjoyed it a lot, worked with smart people, and learned a ton about competing in such a fierce industry.
I also found my wife there. Amen.
