Welcome to the Executive Suite—an inside look at the power players and dealmakers in the adult Internet biz. In our debut installment, we catch up with Timbo from Adult Paymaster (www.adultpaymaster.com) to get his thoughts on work, the adult Internet industry and other executive matters.
AVN Online: First thing's first … how's business?
Timbo: Business has been nuts lately. Last year, Adult Paymaster experienced an insane growth period. Happy times.
AVNO: How long have you been working in the adult industry?
T: Since 2000 or so. I started out in the TGP market, and then went onto pay sites.
AVNO: And what were you doing before you arrived here in adult Internet entertainment?
T: I was investigating child support and welfare fraud for the L.A. county district attorneys office. I used to go down to Watts and Compton to serve papers. Sometimes I would just have to hang out and observe an address. Those were interesting years to say the least.
AVNO: How important is it to keep your pulse on the webmaster community, to know what it is they want and staying ahead of the creative curve?
T: Probably the difference between the life and death of your program. I think it's extremely important to keep track of this. Without it, you simply fall behind.
AVNO: What's the key to success in the very crowded adult market?
T: Exposure. Staying in the public eye, offering a decent product, and of course, communication with your webmasters.
AVNO: What is your opinion on the state of the adult Internet industry? Would you say we're in an upswing, or is business in a slowdown phase?
T: I hear from all kinds of people out there that we are constantly in a slowdown phase. I just don't see it. Perhaps it's mostly from the guys that have been around longer than we have, and have seen better times, but it's been nothing but good for us so far. Hope it stays that way.
AVNO: What are your work hours, generally?
T: Regular ol’ 9-to-5ers in the office, and then pretty much 24/7 checking things from home.
AVNO: What's the best/worst advice you've ever gotten?
T: Worst: "Don't do it. My buddy tried it, and didn't make shit," and "It will cost you $50,000 to start a pay site. Promote our sites instead." Best: I don't recall anybody giving me any good advice. (laughs)
AVNO: Do you recall the first domain name you acquired?
T: I believe it was either Hollywood Nymphos or GotPorn.com
AVNO: How do you stay motivated?
T: The money, of course. I have goals.
AVNO: Office fashion: Armani suits or flip-flops and Hawaiian shirts?
T: Flip-flops. I especially enjoy that when the reps from the bank come into our office.
AVNO: Is there a CEO at a mainstream or adult company that you admire for their business insight or what they have achieved?
T: Marc D! Marc D! Marc D! I wanna be like Marc.
AVNO: Looking back to when you started in this business, is there anything you would have done differently?
T: I would have started a hell of a lot sooner than I did. I still kick my own ass to this day whenever I think of that. I also would have learned the value of outsourcing sooner.
AVNO: Have any advice for future business leaders out there?
T: Eliminate the word "no" and "can't" from your vocabulary completely. They just don't exist in business.
AVNO: If you were to one day appear on the cover of Forbes, what would you like the headline to read?
T: "That Rat Bastard! How Did He Do It?"
