Power Play
Strategies for creating products that dominate the marketplace
By Tomima Edmark •
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Russ Leatherman had a great idea. Frustrated by calling movietheaters for show times only to get a busy signal, Leathermanconceived of an interactive telephone movie guide. The caller wouldhave access to a complete listing of theaters and show times in hisor her area, and could even pre-purchase tickets.
In 1989, while developing the concept from their base in LosAngeles, Leatherman and his partners, Douglas Hoitenga and RobGukeisen, met up with Andrew Jarecki and Adam Slutsky, who wereworking on a similar idea in New York. The five men became a team,and today MovieFone, as the partners dubbed the concept, handlescalls from up to 2.5 million moviegoers per week in 28 citiesacross the country.
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