User:Johanna bauer/Jamie Siminoff

Jamie Siminoff is an American businessman and founder of Ring.

Early and personal life

Born October 18, 1976 grew up in Chester, NJ – Attended West Morris Mendham High School in Mendham, NJ. Attended Babson College in Wellesley, MA where he studied entrepreneurship. He now lives in Los Angeles, CA.

In middle school, Siminoff struggled as a student. He was known for being a class clown. Instead of studying, Siminoff spent most of his time in his garage building. In high school Siminoff’s dad offered him a new SUV for straight A’s which was the incentive he needed to study. In college, Siminoff found his calling. He was much more engaged in the classes and used his entrepreneurship skills to make money. He would sell electronics and was paid to create business plans.

Siminoff married Erin Lindsey, with whom he has a son named Oliver.

Doorbot

After college, living in Southern California, Siminoff and two assistants began working again in his garage. While working he tried to find a solution to a reoccurring problem, how to see who was ringing the doorbell while he was working. He looked for a company online who offered a doorbell that would ring through your cell phone but could not find one.

Siminoff, along with his assistants, and support from his wife Erin, began to make the first prototype of the doorbell that rings through your phone. Other companies offered similar products, but none of the other companies offered HD video that would stream to your phone. With a new product to launch, the group went on to find investors and to start the branding and packaging of the DoorBot.

Shark Tank

In 2013, the biggest break came when a friend looking, for tips for his start-up, gave Siminoff the email address for the producer of Shark Tank. Feeling defeated, Siminoff had nothing to lose. After the long process of vetting and legal review, he had his chance to impress the sharks. In the end, Siminoff received one offer from Kevin O'Leary which he ultimately turned down. Shark Tank didn't pay off the way Siminoff hoped, but what it did do was give the Doorbot the exposure it lacked, captivated new investors, and also attracted an unusual spokesperson. The exposure on Shark Tank attracted the attention of billionaire Richard Branson who enthusiastically invested. Another investor mentioned during a pitch that Siminoff should change the name from Doorbot to Ring after he noticed Siminoff mentioned the word several times during his pitch. Siminoff rebranded and was on target to earn $5 million in sales. He also was able to attract superstar athlete Shaquille O'Neal, who became a spokesman or Ring. "I love partnering with Siminoffs, because one, he's a brilliant mind, two, he really cares about the customer, and three, he gave me a million dollars worth of product last year to give away to people in inner cities," O'Neal said.

Amazon

In February of 2018 Amazon announced its plans to purchase Ring. Siminoff was happy to sell to Amazon, stating that his goal was to make neighborhoods safer and to do so you need to reach as many people as possible. Siminoff is still an active participant in Ring and he continues to improve the product. Pairing up with National Night Out, he launched an Neighbors app that lets neighbors see and post videos of crimes that have been committed in their town.

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  Ring Doorbell