In September 2002, and by many accounts several years too late, I switched from plain old software development to become the founder of my own startup.

This may seem like a strange decision, given that buzzword of the late 1990s - dotcom - has become a dirty word in the early naughties.

Once associated with the pop of champagne corks, the roar of private jet engines and a fast-track to burgeoning wealth, dotcoms had become synonymous with crashing stock prices, unusable technology and unfeasible ideas by the time I got involved.

But gone are the times of wasteful, over-funded and over-hyped dotcoms. Today's young internet-delivered businesses have learned from their irresponsible older siblings. They may never be as extravagant or outrageous; but if they are careful they will survive. This is the era of the savvy dotcom.

I started programming as a school kid in the home computer boom of the early 80s, developing games in my bedroom that back then could get to the top of the game charts without 50-man-years of development and an international marketing division.

I made my first faltering steps onto the web in 1994. Three months later I founded Solaris Media and started developing websites, interactive applications and online games for a variety of clients. During the late 1990s boom, I worked closely with major internet companies.

I knew I'd start my own content company, but I was determined not to jump on the bandwagon just because it was there. The idea had to be absolutely right.

Eventually I decided to launch an entertainment company offering easy-to-use, innovative, multi-player games, initially on the web. And rather than being based on violence or destruction, they would be based on thought and strategy.

First we needed a name. We wanted to convey that we would be fun, funky and slightly glamorous. But anyone who has tried to buy a domain name will know how absurdly overcrowded the namespace has become.

Greedy speculators have snapped up even the most obscure words and phrases, ultimately leaving most of them derelict. It took over 100 attempts before we found the name that summed up the character of our new venture. We would be called Gameking.tv, and Gameking would also be the ultimate accolade, granted to the most skilled gamers on our site.

I set about reading all the gaming books I could get my hands on. I started doing research and development on live communication over the internet to build a basic prototype.

It was clear that we'd need some sophisticated backend systems, so I called Ben Edwards, a close friend and founder of hugely popular fashion web site Fashion UK . He joined the Gameking team as backend developer and systems admin. We also needed powerful servers to develop and run the site, so we enlisted the help of supportive web hosts Serverstream.

I'd already been talking to Jamie Gover, former director of new media business development at Sony Music Europe, about collaborating, and I was delighted when she agreed to join the team to develop our business strategy.

Finally we needed a design edge, and so Dean Barnett, art director for many a record sleeve and a Channel 4 music programme, joined to guide the look of the website. We had our core team, and we had our idea. Now it was time to start the long slog and create the most sophisticated software application I had ever produced.

· Rob Davis is founder of Solaris Media and founder and director of Gameking.tv.