Case Study of a Dotcom, Part 1 One e-business's journey through start-up, fallout and everything in between

On first glance, Eric Grossman'sstory reads much like that of so many of today's youngentrepreneurs. Grossman, a former consultant at Ernst & Youngwho had always dreamed of starting his own business, was simplyhoning his skills in corporate America, looking for the rightidea-and the right moment to present that idea to the world.Sounds familiar, right?

But that's where the story stops sounding banal-andstarts sounding script-worthy. Back in 1999, upon reading anarticle in the Healthcare Forum Journal called "HMOs'R' Us," Grossman found the impetus for hisAtlanta-based company, SimplyHealth.com. Author Philip Lathrop hadoutlined a mythical health-care business, but Grossman knew it wasreal-world stuff.

So in July 1999, Atlanta-based SimplyHealth.com wasincorporated, with the site officially launching in April 2000.Following Lathrop's hypothetical model, the site allowsconsumers and small businesses to research, purchase and managetheir own health insurance needs online. Lathrop, a former partnerat management and technology consulting firm Booz-Allen &Hamilton Inc., became Grossman's mentor as well as one of hisfirst advisory board members, along with Peter Konstvedt of CapGemini Ernst & Young.