Cydcor Smart Circle, Quantum, Innovage, and Granton Cydcor Smart Circle Quantum Innovage and Granton Norwalk Connecticut

The problem with Cydcor, Innovage, Quantum, and whatever the other names of the companies that resulted from DS Max is really just the premise of exponential growth.

When I worked there, I was told repeatedly that the organization was growing, in spite of a recession. This was true. Cydcor was increasing at about thirty percent each year.

This meant two things:

1) If each office promotes out just one new office each year, about two thirds of those offices must fail.

2) Based on the law of exponential growth, if the company kept growing at this rate, it would probably grow too fast. In ten years, which is about the time (a little less than) it took our office's owner to become a consultant, Cydcor would have thousands of offices. The same is true for any other organization with hundreds of offices following the DS Max model. If cydcor has 300 offices now and grows 30% each year for the next ten years, it will have over 4,000 offices. In another year, over 5,000 offices. In another year, just under 7000 offices (6,989, to be exact), then 9,000, then just under 12,000, and in fifteen years, over 15,000 offices. Keep in mind that just 4000 offices is 80 per state, and that's just Cydcor alone.

I actually never bothered to do the math when I worked there, I thought it was just a low paying sales job. It wasn't until I left for another job that I thought, "What if the model really is special?" and I sat down and did the math.

An exponential growth model just doesn't make a whole lot of real-world sense to me- when I was looking for jobs I was interviewed by both a Cydcor organization, and whatever DS-Max spinoff sells those bottles of shine at gas stations, so they're already competing for employees.

In terms of employment, it's good that commission jobs exist, because businesses can offer them without taking a loss, and with so many people unemployed, it is a legitimate option. They may not be reliable for everyone, but with layoffs and shut-downs, no business is. The other nice thing about Cydcor is that there's pressure for finding new things to sell, which really does create employment, although I doubt it could keep up with exponential growth. Maybe a sales organization that allows people to start their own offices if they've found something new to sell might incentivize this sort of thing, considering how hard most of these employees are willing to work to start their own businesses. This wouldn't promise employees networks of offices based on an endless recruiting concept, and it still would result in competition for employees between sales organizations and failed businesses, just maybe not as pyramid-like by design.

This job is great for teaching sales skills. It just may not be something you want to invest your future in, especially if you're looking to support a family.

Just my take on it.