June 10, 2020

#Revenue 2: How Stadia’s Accelerator is Winning the Revenue Game w/ Tim Hayden

A rising tide lifts all boats. 

It’s cliché, I know, but it’s true. 

And if you don’t believe me, look at successful accelerators. 

Accelerators like Stadia Ventures, who are growing exponentially themselves as they give sports technology startups the tools they need to thrive.

Today, I caught up with Tim Hayden, Co-Founder & Managing Director at Stadia and picked his brain about what it takes to succeed at helping others succeed. 

We went over:

  • How Stadia got started accelerating startups
  • Why coachability is the best metric for predicting startup success
  • What changes the COVID-19 crises brings to the game

This episode is hosted by John Grispon. Founder and Sales Coach at Early Revenue, as part of the #Revenue series on B2B Growth. 

You can find this interview, and many more, by subscribing to the B2B Growth Show on Apple Podcasts, on our website, or on Spotify.

Transcript
WEBVTT 1 00:00:04.719 --> 00:00:07.990 Make sure you have a plan and a path and I've already been able to 2 00:00:08.710 --> 00:00:12.669 get certain things in order and understand your customer and how you're going to be 3 00:00:12.789 --> 00:00:16.149 generating revenue at some point. But at this moment is literally the best time 4 00:00:16.190 --> 00:00:21.859 in history to start a business. Welcome to the revenue series on BB growth. 5 00:00:22.179 --> 00:00:25.859 I'm your host, John Grispin, founder and sales coach at early revenue. 6 00:00:26.339 --> 00:00:31.059 So let's get started. Today I'm here with Tim Hayden, cofounder and 7 00:00:31.219 --> 00:00:36.450 managing director at Stady Adventures. Welcome to him. Thanks for having me, 8 00:00:36.530 --> 00:00:40.490 John Oh, I'm so glad you're here. So just a level set. 9 00:00:40.609 --> 00:00:45.530 So our PODCASTS, our podcast guests rather our revenue leaders and venture firms, 10 00:00:45.770 --> 00:00:51.759 and we want to provide early stage tech founders and their sales leaders insights and 11 00:00:52.000 --> 00:00:56.200 breast best practices on two topics that are top of mine really for everybody, 12 00:00:56.600 --> 00:01:00.280 the how tos of growing early stage sales and fundraising, what you're here to 13 00:01:00.320 --> 00:01:06.549 talk to us about. So will really break this conversation in half, kind 14 00:01:06.549 --> 00:01:11.030 of the first half to talk about stadia and the growth and the companies that 15 00:01:11.069 --> 00:01:14.230 you work with, kind of pre covid, and then we'll get into some 16 00:01:14.349 --> 00:01:19.980 of the post covid quarantine questions that everybody wants to talk about. So I'm 17 00:01:19.980 --> 00:01:23.140 so glad you're here. Why don't you start off by telling us a little 18 00:01:23.140 --> 00:01:26.819 bit about your backgrounds? Him, sure, sure, Oh, I am, 19 00:01:26.140 --> 00:01:29.700 as my wife likes to say, I keep falling off the wagon. 20 00:01:29.739 --> 00:01:33.290 I am a serial entrepreneur. My background is really in the sports business space. 21 00:01:33.409 --> 00:01:37.049 So since two thousand and three, have either started or helped to start 22 00:01:37.409 --> 00:01:42.769 seven different sports businesses, everything from one of the very first mobile APP platforms 23 00:01:42.849 --> 00:01:47.799 for Sports Fans and stadiums gives you access to instant replay, stats, infographics, 24 00:01:48.200 --> 00:01:52.480 merch concessions, to then helping to launch out a couple pro soccer teams 25 00:01:52.519 --> 00:01:57.200 and pro soccer league. And so, even though my background is really around 26 00:01:57.239 --> 00:02:01.150 the entrepreneur space, also have the education bent. So I've been adjunct professor 27 00:02:01.189 --> 00:02:07.069 in St Louis University since also two thousand and three. I also ran their 28 00:02:07.150 --> 00:02:10.430 center for Entrepreneurship and one of the top ten entrepreneurship programs in the nation. 29 00:02:10.830 --> 00:02:15.259 So ran their entrepreneurship, the Center for Entrepreneurship, for about seven years. 30 00:02:16.020 --> 00:02:21.500 Awesome. So now you've got that background. So how did you get from 31 00:02:21.500 --> 00:02:27.060 those two very interesting pieces of experience. And how did you mel that into 32 00:02:27.620 --> 00:02:30.409 Stadius? So tell us about how state he was formed and then tell us 33 00:02:30.449 --> 00:02:34.530 about stadia, it's mission and its purpose. Now that's great. I appreciate 34 00:02:34.610 --> 00:02:37.169 that. So, if you think about it, steady has been around for 35 00:02:37.210 --> 00:02:42.050 about five years now. It was an idea born between two cofounders, myself 36 00:02:42.090 --> 00:02:46.199 being one and other cofounder, art to so art used to lead innovation for 37 00:02:46.280 --> 00:02:51.159 Rawlings for ten years, also let innovation for titles for seven years. There's 38 00:02:51.159 --> 00:02:55.000 also technical editor of golf digests and and also has an education bent as well, 39 00:02:55.479 --> 00:03:00.430 helping their goal university launch at all their sports his programs. So when 40 00:03:00.469 --> 00:03:04.030 we met about five and a half six years ago, it was really a 41 00:03:04.189 --> 00:03:07.750 conversation around. I hate to say, it was really more of just a 42 00:03:07.830 --> 00:03:12.629 bitch session, like him sharing with me all the different ways that entrepreneurs are 43 00:03:12.669 --> 00:03:15.139 trying to get onto his radar, trying to, to say, clutter up 44 00:03:15.180 --> 00:03:19.740 his desk. And so there's so many people that would love to be in 45 00:03:19.860 --> 00:03:23.620 sports and we love to be in in Rawlings, whether be pushing product or 46 00:03:23.699 --> 00:03:28.090 selling companies or whatever, and so it would became difficult for him to do 47 00:03:28.210 --> 00:03:30.729 his own job. And on my side, you know, I'm sitting here 48 00:03:30.770 --> 00:03:32.849 I'm like, I know five entrepreneurs right now that are just tremendous, like 49 00:03:34.370 --> 00:03:38.009 if they could cut through the clutter, they could actually help transform some of 50 00:03:38.050 --> 00:03:40.719 these big businesses. And so the Genesis, the idea was how do we 51 00:03:40.800 --> 00:03:46.840 more efficiently move innovation from the really good entrepreneurs to the really good industry folks? 52 00:03:46.280 --> 00:03:50.680 And with the old time objective being okay, if art and I have 53 00:03:50.759 --> 00:03:54.949 been in the industry twenty plus years each, our networks are exponentially stronger together. 54 00:03:55.349 --> 00:03:59.430 But every one of the people in our network are all really good people 55 00:03:59.629 --> 00:04:01.550 and they all want to give back. And we always joked that, you 56 00:04:01.590 --> 00:04:04.310 know, we've been in the Inh long enough. We've made a lot of 57 00:04:04.389 --> 00:04:08.990 friends, really haven't pissed anybody off, and all those friends have now risen 58 00:04:09.069 --> 00:04:11.539 through the ranks and the kind of thread is they all want to give back. 59 00:04:11.659 --> 00:04:15.900 People help them get to where they're at. And so stadius birth it 60 00:04:15.019 --> 00:04:19.139 was really around how do we bring these great entrepreneurs together? How do we 61 00:04:19.339 --> 00:04:25.410 activate our entire stady of family, our network of those senior sports and esports 62 00:04:25.449 --> 00:04:29.490 leaders from around the world? How do we bring them all together and then 63 00:04:29.529 --> 00:04:31.730 how do we layer in investors? And so, at the end of the 64 00:04:31.850 --> 00:04:36.529 day, Stadius, you know, mission and goals and everything. We are 65 00:04:36.569 --> 00:04:41.800 a venture fund. We are so focuses around sports and sports and we have 66 00:04:42.000 --> 00:04:46.680 a sports business accelerator tied to this. But accelerator is such a bad term 67 00:04:46.839 --> 00:04:50.639 for what we do because the companies that we look at are all they have 68 00:04:50.839 --> 00:04:55.350 product and market, they have traction, and traction can either be, you 69 00:04:55.430 --> 00:05:00.310 know, pilot programs and or revenue up to three million dollars. So as 70 00:05:00.389 --> 00:05:03.230 much as we love to speak with entrepreneurs that have pure ideas, you know 71 00:05:03.470 --> 00:05:09.300 our accelerator in our network is really focused around it, or or the strength 72 00:05:09.339 --> 00:05:14.899 of it is focused on the existing kind of entrepreneurs and let's just awesome. 73 00:05:14.939 --> 00:05:17.980 So there's a ton to unpack there. So I got that it was it 74 00:05:18.100 --> 00:05:23.769 was as started about five years ago. Help US understanding the size of the 75 00:05:24.009 --> 00:05:28.529 fund and maybe what the investment sizes is are for the accelerator side. Very 76 00:05:28.610 --> 00:05:31.209 sure. So we refer to it as stadium one point, Stadi at two 77 00:05:31.649 --> 00:05:34.490 and Stady at three point. Oh, and this is why I love literally 78 00:05:34.569 --> 00:05:39.040 this this podcast, because it's all about growing the business, whether be revenue, 79 00:05:39.040 --> 00:05:41.839 investors and everything else. So when it was just art and I in 80 00:05:41.879 --> 00:05:44.160 our garage, you know, if you want to call it that, it 81 00:05:44.519 --> 00:05:46.639 was stadio. One point out. It was how do we put a small 82 00:05:46.720 --> 00:05:51.350 fun together to be able to support the accelerator, only the accelerator, so 83 00:05:51.470 --> 00:05:55.949 that, you know, we could bring in four to six companies per cohort. 84 00:05:56.269 --> 00:05:59.790 So twice a year we would bring in a cohort. And so the 85 00:05:59.829 --> 00:06:01.910 goal was how can we invest, you know, anywhere from fifty to a 86 00:06:01.949 --> 00:06:06.500 hundred thousand dollars per company coming into the program. So that fund was really 87 00:06:06.540 --> 00:06:10.899 small. I mean that was only a couple million dollars. And what we 88 00:06:11.060 --> 00:06:15.139 found kind the unfortunate part, which is also very fortunate, and this is 89 00:06:15.180 --> 00:06:17.649 where I always come back to just listen to your customers. So we ended 90 00:06:17.649 --> 00:06:21.050 up getting to a point in a couple cohorts in and this fund was supposed 91 00:06:21.050 --> 00:06:26.129 to last for five years. We got into, I believe, about a 92 00:06:26.290 --> 00:06:29.410 year, two and a half, and we started to see that the companies 93 00:06:29.449 --> 00:06:33.120 that were coming through our program were very they were very intriguing to our larger 94 00:06:33.240 --> 00:06:38.439 audience of Stadia family members. So, you know, Major League baseball absolutely 95 00:06:38.480 --> 00:06:42.199 loves is a company and at the end of the program, after we've invested 96 00:06:42.639 --> 00:06:46.040 companies come through the accelerator, Major League Baseball is going to take a big 97 00:06:46.040 --> 00:06:48.430 stake in that company. Meanwhile, there will be another person, a team 98 00:06:48.430 --> 00:06:51.269 owner, who will end up also coming in for a large stake. And 99 00:06:51.350 --> 00:06:56.670 then meanwhile we'll come in with, you know, here's an extra fiftyzero dollars, 100 00:06:56.750 --> 00:07:00.509 and in our investors are like no, this is the opportunity. So 101 00:07:00.750 --> 00:07:02.180 the thought was, how do we create a second fund? How do we 102 00:07:02.420 --> 00:07:05.339 how do we shut this fund down a little early so that we can then 103 00:07:05.500 --> 00:07:11.860 introduce a new fund that will allow us to expand on those follow on investments, 104 00:07:11.980 --> 00:07:15.490 to to really go deeper in with the companies that are really showing progress, 105 00:07:15.930 --> 00:07:20.089 to be able to coinvest some other opportunities and then also, as Stadi 106 00:07:20.129 --> 00:07:24.689 of two, was also be able to do direct investments, you know, 107 00:07:25.050 --> 00:07:29.370 it into companies that would not be coming through our accelerator. So where our 108 00:07:29.410 --> 00:07:32.120 accelerators around the late seed, series a issue? How do we look at 109 00:07:32.120 --> 00:07:36.279 series a and series be companies where we know they don't need the accelerator? 110 00:07:36.439 --> 00:07:41.399 What they need is strategic investment. They need the mentors and they need the 111 00:07:41.519 --> 00:07:45.470 customer base, and so so stadia two point I was born with that thought, 112 00:07:45.629 --> 00:07:49.269 and Stadia two point three point have really been now US expanding on this 113 00:07:49.389 --> 00:07:56.629 additional managing and directors who have expertise in the fund management side and to due 114 00:07:56.709 --> 00:08:00.980 diligence processes and legitimizing. You know, at the end of the day it 115 00:08:01.139 --> 00:08:03.740 was art and I who had created something and we're flying by the seat of 116 00:08:03.779 --> 00:08:07.779 our pants with a lot of great mentors who are helping us some stand and 117 00:08:09.019 --> 00:08:11.220 legal representation and accounting and all that. But at the end of the day 118 00:08:11.220 --> 00:08:16.529 it's best to start bringing that in house with expertise. And so now we've 119 00:08:16.529 --> 00:08:20.009 evolved into stadia three point out. So we have for managing directors, we 120 00:08:20.209 --> 00:08:26.250 have gentleman who is now running all of our accelerator programs and we have somebody 121 00:08:26.290 --> 00:08:30.040 in charge of our corporate partnership side, which is really the revenue generating arm 122 00:08:30.319 --> 00:08:33.320 outside of the fund type of thing. So it's involved a lot in a 123 00:08:33.360 --> 00:08:37.320 very short time, it's true. Has and you've got some more recent news 124 00:08:37.360 --> 00:08:41.149 even I think it's part of the three point rollout. Is this what's happened 125 00:08:41.190 --> 00:08:45.190 was mass challenge. You want to share a little bit about that now? 126 00:08:45.309 --> 00:08:48.629 Thanks for bringing that up. So, as we talked about, is our 127 00:08:48.750 --> 00:08:52.350 stadia families, about five thousand to six thousand strong now, senior sports and 128 00:08:52.389 --> 00:08:56.139 esports leaders, and the common thread always keeps come back to everybody wants to 129 00:08:56.179 --> 00:09:01.179 give back, like it's this common mentality of people have helped us gets where 130 00:09:01.179 --> 00:09:05.059 we're at. So there's a group called mass challenge out of Boston Massachusetts, 131 00:09:05.860 --> 00:09:11.769 is one of the largest global nonprofit accelerators and there their success has been amazing 132 00:09:13.009 --> 00:09:15.730 and if you think about it, where we are an accelerator, taken an 133 00:09:15.769 --> 00:09:18.409 equity piece for our investment, they are getting out grants and they've given out 134 00:09:18.450 --> 00:09:24.169 billions of dollars in grants to start ups from all over the world and they 135 00:09:24.210 --> 00:09:28.240 have locations in, you know, throughout the Boston area, Houston, Austin, 136 00:09:28.399 --> 00:09:33.039 throughout Texas, Rhode Island, Israel, Switzerland. So so their focus 137 00:09:33.159 --> 00:09:39.190 was really around startups to help the community. That then grew into healthcare and 138 00:09:39.350 --> 00:09:43.590 Fintech and so so and so forth. An interesting component is quite a few 139 00:09:43.629 --> 00:09:48.029 of their largest donors are team owners, and so they were asking for how 140 00:09:48.110 --> 00:09:52.509 do we now take opportunity into the sports track side to be able to benefit 141 00:09:52.629 --> 00:09:56.620 these team owners and so great people. We ended up. We are now 142 00:09:56.700 --> 00:10:01.899 collaborating with them on their new sports track, so it'll even be earlier pipeline. 143 00:10:01.980 --> 00:10:07.289 So more idea based, MVP based kind of startups will be coming through 144 00:10:07.289 --> 00:10:11.370 their programs and in revenue generating, which now gives us the opportunity to see 145 00:10:11.409 --> 00:10:15.370 even more great deal flow. But even more importantly, it allows us in 146 00:10:15.490 --> 00:10:20.440 our entire family to help more sports entrepreneurs and esports entrepreneurs, which goes back 147 00:10:20.480 --> 00:10:24.440 to what really is driving stadium. So the focus is all on the startups 148 00:10:24.480 --> 00:10:30.639 and that's an actually interesting segue to our next topic, which is the characteristics 149 00:10:31.000 --> 00:10:35.029 of an ideal start up for stadia, for its accelerator or for it's fun. 150 00:10:35.190 --> 00:10:39.070 Wanted to walk us through what that looks like? Sure. So I 151 00:10:39.110 --> 00:10:41.190 will always end up saying for anybody listening, if you come across the startup, 152 00:10:41.509 --> 00:10:46.190 our founder, feel for a Centamno or away too early, it doesn't 153 00:10:46.230 --> 00:10:48.830 matter, too late, it doesn't matter. Our sweet spot is is really 154 00:10:50.539 --> 00:10:54.620 for the accelerator that you know, product and market, or very close to 155 00:10:54.700 --> 00:10:58.820 it, and traction of you know pilots and or revenue up to three million. 156 00:10:58.379 --> 00:11:03.460 Then we're also looking at direct investments in a little bit later stages, 157 00:11:03.700 --> 00:11:07.210 but if the startups are earlier, what we've got, you know, we 158 00:11:07.289 --> 00:11:09.529 are like Switzerland. We play well with everybody. So it may be a 159 00:11:09.610 --> 00:11:15.289 better fit for Maple Lee sports and entertainment and they're they're accelerator or the dodgers 160 00:11:15.330 --> 00:11:18.960 are Ga accelerator, or Sport Tech Ireland or Sport Tech Tokyo or so we 161 00:11:20.080 --> 00:11:24.399 try to keep these relationships and this entire ecosystem flourishing because at the end of 162 00:11:24.440 --> 00:11:26.360 the day there's a lot of great entrepreneurs. Doesn't matter if we can only 163 00:11:26.399 --> 00:11:30.279 handle four, four, two, six per color. You know, it 164 00:11:30.360 --> 00:11:33.029 should not stop a great entrepreneur from getting assistants and that side of it. 165 00:11:33.350 --> 00:11:37.950 And so we see that evolution as well where we've identified. But I think 166 00:11:37.870 --> 00:11:41.190 part of your question as well is not only is that kind of our sweet 167 00:11:41.190 --> 00:11:45.230 spot, but at the end of the day we're looking at the opportunity and 168 00:11:45.309 --> 00:11:48.500 we're looking at the jockeys. So we are looking at that team. Now. 169 00:11:48.620 --> 00:11:52.019 Are they mentorable? Are they do they know what they're talking about? 170 00:11:52.019 --> 00:11:54.460 Do they have experience? You know, and again we can work with a 171 00:11:54.700 --> 00:12:00.139 lot of things. There's certain elements that we kind of referred to as red 172 00:12:00.220 --> 00:12:03.409 flags and again we're an accelerator, so we're going to we know everybody's got 173 00:12:03.450 --> 00:12:05.490 red flags. It's how can we help those? One of the biggest red 174 00:12:05.610 --> 00:12:11.289 flags that we shy away from our how is the the leadership team? Are 175 00:12:11.330 --> 00:12:16.000 They mentorable it? Can they take advice, and especially from experts? Are 176 00:12:16.120 --> 00:12:20.919 The coachable? That's my number one always is to see if someone is coachable. 177 00:12:20.080 --> 00:12:26.639 It's and and so in sports or not. Right. It applies absolutely 178 00:12:26.799 --> 00:12:30.000 true. So of those that are coming into the program you're investing in, 179 00:12:30.789 --> 00:12:35.710 is there a percentage that is btob versus B Toc? Is it more one 180 00:12:35.789 --> 00:12:41.190 more heavily weighted than the other? Sure, so I would say it's difficult 181 00:12:41.230 --> 00:12:45.539 to kind of put a percentage on from that side because every every application window 182 00:12:45.580 --> 00:12:48.500 is different. So, as an example, and I'd be Amiss if I 183 00:12:48.539 --> 00:12:54.659 didn't, today is made thirteen and so we are actually have our application window 184 00:12:54.700 --> 00:12:58.570 open for the eleventh cohort. So put on in. But what we find 185 00:12:58.690 --> 00:13:01.529 is you may need that at this out later from a typer sective. But 186 00:13:01.169 --> 00:13:05.370 what we end up finding is that each each cohort is a different mix, 187 00:13:05.529 --> 00:13:09.169 a different match. We may have some that are be tob and B Toc 188 00:13:09.610 --> 00:13:13.600 and be a BC. We may have the some that are athletic performance, 189 00:13:13.679 --> 00:13:18.240 while others are a CPG, a pure product play, while others are going 190 00:13:18.240 --> 00:13:22.840 to be around fan engagement. So it's every every cohort is almost like a 191 00:13:22.919 --> 00:13:26.710 different mix, which is a fascinating thing to watch. To then have to 192 00:13:26.789 --> 00:13:30.190 then go out and figure out, okay, who do we have in our 193 00:13:30.190 --> 00:13:35.470 mentor pool that can help based off of that expertise? So it's almost like 194 00:13:35.070 --> 00:13:39.429 I always kind of referred to it as a college experience. Now the incoming 195 00:13:39.470 --> 00:13:41.820 freshman class is always going to be a little different and then that next freshman 196 00:13:41.860 --> 00:13:46.379 class will be different, and so we kind of are experiencing that exact same 197 00:13:46.460 --> 00:13:50.019 thing with our cohorts. Awesome. So let's talk about sales for a second. 198 00:13:50.019 --> 00:13:54.700 So what percent of the startups that are that are coming in, what 199 00:13:54.899 --> 00:14:00.570 percentage of them are founder led, and at that s two sales stage versus 200 00:14:00.929 --> 00:14:03.490 having a sales team? John, I mean I love that question at the 201 00:14:03.529 --> 00:14:07.850 end of the day, and it's funny how founders will realize this. They 202 00:14:07.889 --> 00:14:09.279 are that their own sales people. I mean they they have to be the 203 00:14:09.320 --> 00:14:11.960 visionary, they have to be able to get things done. At the end 204 00:14:11.960 --> 00:14:16.960 of the day, it is them. They can't hire out a sales force 205 00:14:16.080 --> 00:14:20.759 just yet because they're still figuring out their own businesses and they're figuring out their 206 00:14:20.840 --> 00:14:24.549 customers and what the messaging is and the you know, the positioning and everything 207 00:14:24.549 --> 00:14:26.990 else that goes with it. So I would say I'm going to send up 208 00:14:26.990 --> 00:14:31.830 saying about, you know, ninety five percent of the founders coming through our 209 00:14:31.909 --> 00:14:37.190 programs or that we're investing in are truly sales people. And the other interesting 210 00:14:37.269 --> 00:14:39.299 thing, and you've taught me this as well as everybody else, like, 211 00:14:39.419 --> 00:14:45.700 at the end of the day it's it's main maybe classified differently, but at 212 00:14:45.740 --> 00:14:48.980 the end of the day we are all selling in some capacity and just so 213 00:14:48.139 --> 00:14:52.740 happens that their revenue generation needs to be prominent. But you're still going to 214 00:14:52.740 --> 00:14:54.850 be selling, investors, still going to be selling, employees, still going 215 00:14:54.850 --> 00:14:58.169 to be some in the community at large. Funny in sports it seems like 216 00:14:58.250 --> 00:15:03.289 they're more sales people that are founders than in other areas of business and other 217 00:15:03.370 --> 00:15:07.519 industries. It's really interesting. I don't know why that is just it just 218 00:15:07.600 --> 00:15:09.799 an observation that I've kind of noticed through the cohorts that you've had. Well, 219 00:15:11.039 --> 00:15:15.399 and even though they may have they maybe more numbers driven, like CFO 220 00:15:15.679 --> 00:15:20.240 type or pure ops type of people, they still have that sales internal skill 221 00:15:20.360 --> 00:15:22.789 set, that that little gene, if you will. Yeah, it's super 222 00:15:22.870 --> 00:15:26.909 interesting, isn't so? So, when it comes to the ACCELARY program, 223 00:15:26.230 --> 00:15:31.509 walk us through what a startup would experience if they were to become part of 224 00:15:31.590 --> 00:15:35.269 that program. Sure, so. So you figure we'll end up with hundreds 225 00:15:35.309 --> 00:15:39.659 of applications for every cowork and over fifty percent of those are coming outside of 226 00:15:39.700 --> 00:15:45.460 the United States. So there is a lot of a lot of amazing businesses 227 00:15:45.539 --> 00:15:48.100 that are being driven within sports and esports. We will narrow that field down 228 00:15:48.100 --> 00:15:52.769 to the top ten. Top ten gets the experience like a shark tank event 229 00:15:52.250 --> 00:15:56.850 where, instead of for sharks reviewing each of the companies and then determining who 230 00:15:56.970 --> 00:16:02.169 is entering the program, will have over a hundred and fifty senior sports and 231 00:16:02.250 --> 00:16:06.879 esports leaders in a live environment. And it's the heads of innovation for Major 232 00:16:06.879 --> 00:16:10.519 League Baseball, the CMO FOR NHL. You know, it's the heads of 233 00:16:10.879 --> 00:16:15.360 beliagues. It's the heads of teams, it's the heads of brands like under 234 00:16:15.399 --> 00:16:18.470 Amer Nike and Adidas, New Bounce and Wilson, and so that group comes 235 00:16:18.549 --> 00:16:22.750 together to help us to valuate each opportunity in that top ten. Once we 236 00:16:22.830 --> 00:16:26.990 select that, four to six companies will invest up to a hundred thousand dollars 237 00:16:27.070 --> 00:16:30.070 into each of them. It will be an equity play and we are as 238 00:16:30.110 --> 00:16:33.700 entrepreneur friendly as we possibly can. So we will negotiate, but at the 239 00:16:33.740 --> 00:16:37.899 end of the day we also want to ensure that we're not disrupting the CAP 240 00:16:37.019 --> 00:16:42.139 tables too much. And so once they enter the program each founder will have 241 00:16:42.419 --> 00:16:47.169 a hand picked mentor team and that mentor team is made up of four to 242 00:16:47.370 --> 00:16:52.289 six business leaders that are experts and areas where each of the founders are weakest, 243 00:16:52.090 --> 00:16:56.970 and that mentor or team will stay with that founder for the entire fourteen 244 00:16:56.049 --> 00:17:00.409 week program. So in our case, our program is fourteen weeks, seven 245 00:17:00.480 --> 00:17:04.799 live sessions or virtual now and it'll be a Wednesday to Friday, so we 246 00:17:06.200 --> 00:17:08.960 really won't see them for another week and a half. And the reasoning behind 247 00:17:08.960 --> 00:17:12.640 it, like an executive NBA program, is these founders are running businesses. 248 00:17:12.680 --> 00:17:15.630 They have teams, they have revenue generation and they're they're driving forward. We 249 00:17:15.750 --> 00:17:21.269 want to be as minimally disruptive to them as possible, but then as impactful 250 00:17:21.269 --> 00:17:26.069 as possible while they're in the program and then about halfway through the program since 251 00:17:26.150 --> 00:17:29.630 we are the accelerator, name is such a misnomer because we are a Biz 252 00:17:29.710 --> 00:17:33.460 Dev boot camp. So we are literally helping them on their foundational business elements 253 00:17:33.500 --> 00:17:37.579 and everything running with it. But then we're also starting up the the sales 254 00:17:37.700 --> 00:17:42.500 pipeline about halfway through the program so as the mentors and the founders really come 255 00:17:42.579 --> 00:17:47.250 to terms with hey, what is the proper area for most impact from a 256 00:17:47.289 --> 00:17:51.809 sales perspective, that's when we then spin up our sales engine. And so 257 00:17:52.250 --> 00:17:56.490 our goal is we're going to be making three thousand to fifty calls instantaneously to 258 00:17:56.609 --> 00:18:02.200 senior leaders that are potential customers, with one quick phone call to keep these 259 00:18:02.319 --> 00:18:06.599 folks moving forward, and then that'll that'll increase. So again, going back, 260 00:18:06.640 --> 00:18:10.920 our family is five thousand strong. So it is our goal is we 261 00:18:11.039 --> 00:18:12.829 need to be able to help each these companies in the sales channel side of 262 00:18:12.910 --> 00:18:19.670 things. Are you in early stage tech founder that's frustrated by limited sales. 263 00:18:21.069 --> 00:18:25.430 Do you like the time to dedicate to a traditional sales training program John Crispin's 264 00:18:25.470 --> 00:18:30.539 earlier revenue sales program helps early stage founders accelerate sales in large accounts. He's 265 00:18:30.579 --> 00:18:33.299 built a playbook that transfers what he's learned as a founder and sales leader into 266 00:18:33.299 --> 00:18:37.259 a condensed, easy to implement program. If you're ready to increase your startup 267 00:18:37.259 --> 00:18:45.450 sales capacity, is it early Revenuecom to get started today? There's going to 268 00:18:45.450 --> 00:18:48.769 be one of my questions, and you've already answered it, which is one 269 00:18:48.809 --> 00:18:52.569 of the top reasons that people want to join is that you just you pierce 270 00:18:52.730 --> 00:18:57.279 that veil and you make available to them something that was probably unreachable on their 271 00:18:57.319 --> 00:19:03.480 own. They have to dial and dig for context and it's just it's laid 272 00:19:03.960 --> 00:19:07.000 at your doorstep if you become part of the program. It's one of the 273 00:19:07.039 --> 00:19:11.309 best benefits, I think, that you've got going so walk me through on 274 00:19:11.390 --> 00:19:15.269 on the actual founder side, you mentioned this a little bit, but maybe 275 00:19:15.269 --> 00:19:19.029 touch a little further on how much time and an effort you spend in investing 276 00:19:19.069 --> 00:19:23.500 into the guidance and coach shoot of the founder of themselves for themselves. It's 277 00:19:23.539 --> 00:19:27.259 great. Sure, yeah, so. So each founder we would have already 278 00:19:27.259 --> 00:19:30.420 done a deep dive into who they are, what they're about, what are 279 00:19:30.420 --> 00:19:33.099 their strengths, what their weaknesses? And we do all this even before the 280 00:19:33.220 --> 00:19:37.859 selection process, because in the background, I mean think of it like a 281 00:19:37.569 --> 00:19:41.849 bench at a baseball you know, on a baseball team, is we're trying 282 00:19:41.849 --> 00:19:45.049 to figure out, okay, how do we align our bench with what they 283 00:19:45.130 --> 00:19:48.289 need? And if we can't help, will say, you know, this 284 00:19:48.369 --> 00:19:52.609 is a great investment opportunity, but we can't help. From an accelerator perspective, 285 00:19:52.650 --> 00:19:55.799 we're going to have to pass right and so again, the accelerator models 286 00:19:55.839 --> 00:19:59.119 different than the direct investment but for this is really around that accelerator. So 287 00:19:59.160 --> 00:20:02.839 so so, as we go through our processes, will end up figuring out 288 00:20:02.839 --> 00:20:06.200 again where they week, where they strong who can we bring in? The 289 00:20:06.319 --> 00:20:08.910 second piece of this thing is going to end up being how many potential clients 290 00:20:08.950 --> 00:20:12.710 can we introduce them to and when should we introduce them to? So it 291 00:20:12.829 --> 00:20:17.230 goes down to, you know, will have one co wort member who's got 292 00:20:17.309 --> 00:20:22.579 a five person sales force. We made seventy two introductions in one night. 293 00:20:22.220 --> 00:20:26.259 I would say seventy of them actually responded by the next day. But yet 294 00:20:26.299 --> 00:20:30.980 for another company that may only be like a one person founder with a few 295 00:20:30.059 --> 00:20:33.220 people, well, we'll make ten a week, you know, and we'll 296 00:20:33.220 --> 00:20:37.089 do it every other week. And so so we're hyper focused on not overwhelming 297 00:20:37.130 --> 00:20:42.009 each of the founders that it's kind of moving into their cycle so that they 298 00:20:42.009 --> 00:20:47.170 are realizing with their mentor teams, Hey what, first of all, what 299 00:20:47.289 --> 00:20:49.160 market should I be going at? I've got success maybe in pro level, 300 00:20:49.319 --> 00:20:52.960 college level, amateur level and maybe a youth level. But in reality, 301 00:20:53.000 --> 00:20:56.920 what should you be focusing on for your limited resources? And as those mentors 302 00:20:56.960 --> 00:21:02.559 and the founders are really honing in my halfway through the program, the mentors 303 00:21:02.640 --> 00:21:04.670 like yourself, we're coming back saying, okay, listen, they just need 304 00:21:04.710 --> 00:21:07.269 to be focused on college for the next like three months. We're like, 305 00:21:07.349 --> 00:21:11.869 okay, we're making three thousand and eight d introductions tomorrow and then we're going 306 00:21:11.910 --> 00:21:15.910 to make another twenty college coaches. We're going to make those intros as well, 307 00:21:17.309 --> 00:21:19.220 or we're going to spread them out so that we can kind of make 308 00:21:19.259 --> 00:21:23.339 sure they don't drop the ball. So we are always about walking hand in 309 00:21:23.420 --> 00:21:26.819 hand with each of the founders as they kind of continue to travel that path. 310 00:21:27.299 --> 00:21:33.009 That's great that you're sensitive to the stage and the capability. You don't 311 00:21:33.009 --> 00:21:34.849 just want to open the floodgates. That's just so's that seems like you're doing 312 00:21:34.970 --> 00:21:40.130 is so smart with the founder and the startup team in mind. Well, 313 00:21:40.170 --> 00:21:44.089 and what we found is is it saves the relationship, it doesn't burn any 314 00:21:44.170 --> 00:21:48.799 bridges and we don't kill and we don't kill the start up who's feeling obligated 315 00:21:48.839 --> 00:21:52.279 that they need to know that they can't make it through the fifty calls. 316 00:21:52.759 --> 00:21:56.000 And yet you know, three weeks later, you know there's there's crickets going 317 00:21:56.160 --> 00:22:00.470 on. So we try to be hyper conscious of of each groups against strengths 318 00:22:00.509 --> 00:22:04.710 and weaknesses. So one thing you're brushed over. You kind of walk through 319 00:22:04.910 --> 00:22:11.950 that process. What's the typical cycle duration from the initial applications conversation to the 320 00:22:12.069 --> 00:22:17.779 term sheet? And they're in the program sure, so we have, since 321 00:22:17.940 --> 00:22:21.220 we're just concluding our tenth cohort, so we've got this process US homed in 322 00:22:21.339 --> 00:22:23.180 now. So it usually will kick off with, you know, the application 323 00:22:23.220 --> 00:22:27.660 window will open. Will blow that on out through the normal sources, but 324 00:22:27.779 --> 00:22:33.049 will also end up. Our friends will send us a lot of different startups 325 00:22:33.250 --> 00:22:37.089 that are again on their desk from the industry folks. Usually it'll be so 326 00:22:37.650 --> 00:22:41.250 application window opens. Let's call it today. I will say month and a 327 00:22:41.289 --> 00:22:47.000 half. Two months later we will have finalist pitch day. So between now 328 00:22:47.119 --> 00:22:49.759 and two months we are going to narrow from the hundreds of applications. We 329 00:22:49.839 --> 00:22:55.440 are using virtual judges. Again, our friends in the industry who are evaluating 330 00:22:55.559 --> 00:22:59.549 every one of these companies will eventually narrow this down. Will be asking for 331 00:22:59.630 --> 00:23:02.509 due diligence material from, you know, to go from about, you know, 332 00:23:02.710 --> 00:23:06.309 the hundreds down to the top eighty. Eighty will end up going down 333 00:23:06.309 --> 00:23:08.829 to about forty. Forty, go to twenty and then we'll start layering due 334 00:23:10.029 --> 00:23:14.619 diligence requests. No, send this your pitch decksend us your your cap tables 335 00:23:14.700 --> 00:23:18.619 and this what's going on with your team. And again, each each different 336 00:23:18.700 --> 00:23:22.539 gate will come with different due diligence on material that will be requesting until eventually 337 00:23:22.539 --> 00:23:26.539 they get to finals pitch to day and they pitch in front of this rock 338 00:23:26.660 --> 00:23:30.049 star Group of judges. You know that. Again, the senior leaders and 339 00:23:30.130 --> 00:23:33.329 we are literally digesting all of that information as well, which is also kind 340 00:23:33.369 --> 00:23:37.730 of Trojan horses. It's also allowing us to see a who are potential customers, 341 00:23:38.089 --> 00:23:44.240 who are potential investors or partners or even potential acquires for these companies, 342 00:23:44.559 --> 00:23:48.759 and so it allows us to gain a lot of great and called Crowdsource, 343 00:23:48.759 --> 00:23:52.039 due diligence at point and it goes into big old bucket when we when we 344 00:23:52.359 --> 00:23:56.390 kind of keep mashing it up and at some point we land on here the 345 00:23:56.430 --> 00:24:00.069 best four, two, six that are accelerator can help, and that's again 346 00:24:00.349 --> 00:24:03.109 not a not a, you know, a dis on any of the companies. 347 00:24:03.150 --> 00:24:07.789 It's just who can we truly help? That's great, what great leverage 348 00:24:07.829 --> 00:24:11.460 to have such a such a valuable and expensive network. My goodness. So 349 00:24:11.980 --> 00:24:18.099 let's talk about some of your results. You've had some amazing results in such 350 00:24:18.140 --> 00:24:22.900 a short period of time, whether it's with investments or growth or acquisitions. 351 00:24:22.180 --> 00:24:26.490 Talk about some of the successes. Yeah, well, and is as we, 352 00:24:26.650 --> 00:24:29.849 as we like to tell all of our guest speakers, the you know, 353 00:24:30.289 --> 00:24:33.970 it's never a straight up rocket ship. It's always a peaks and valleys 354 00:24:33.009 --> 00:24:36.849 and all the good stuff, and that's where we learn everything from. I 355 00:24:36.890 --> 00:24:40.279 would say, for Stadia. We have seen some success. As far as 356 00:24:40.680 --> 00:24:42.720 you know, we have forty seven companies that have come through our program we 357 00:24:42.799 --> 00:24:48.880 are concluding our ten cohort. So we are the literally one of the oldest 358 00:24:48.039 --> 00:24:53.190 in the world as far as sports ease forwards accelerators. We have a tremendous 359 00:24:53.750 --> 00:24:59.470 following, or again that that state of family that keeps increasing exponentially, of 360 00:24:59.589 --> 00:25:02.910 all good people. That's always been our goal. We do have this no 361 00:25:02.990 --> 00:25:07.539 asshole policy in here. So the good people love to bring other good people 362 00:25:07.900 --> 00:25:10.019 and then, as far as you know, at the end of the day 363 00:25:10.019 --> 00:25:12.220 we can adventure fund. You know, we're venture firm. So so it's 364 00:25:12.259 --> 00:25:18.900 returning the investment back to our investors. And so in our first five years, 365 00:25:18.940 --> 00:25:22.130 we've been run for five years, we have five exits and it's been 366 00:25:22.210 --> 00:25:26.849 two groups like ticket master and live nation and blast motion and flear systems and 367 00:25:26.210 --> 00:25:30.890 so so it's again a very eclectic when you look at our portfolio and you 368 00:25:30.970 --> 00:25:34.569 look at the exits and who the exit partners were, you'll again start to 369 00:25:34.650 --> 00:25:40.160 see it's not just the normal like it's not a major league baseball or I 370 00:25:40.279 --> 00:25:44.839 mean, you know, our fishing application is getting acquired by fleaar systems and 371 00:25:45.559 --> 00:25:48.319 blast motion, which is a censor kind of company, is buying up one 372 00:25:48.359 --> 00:25:52.150 of our golf training platforms. And so again it's all in that family. 373 00:25:52.230 --> 00:25:56.150 It's on the ecosystem that we try to cultivate, not knowing where it all 374 00:25:56.349 --> 00:26:00.069 take us. But the nice part is again, most of those people in 375 00:26:00.150 --> 00:26:03.940 the Stadi of family have seen these companies and are literally following their growth and 376 00:26:04.099 --> 00:26:10.059 understanding what their needs are as well for their innovation through acquisition in a way. 377 00:26:10.619 --> 00:26:15.140 Fantastic. So congratulations on all that, my goodness. So you. 378 00:26:15.460 --> 00:26:19.490 So you mentioned growth. Do you have any specific examples of start up stars 379 00:26:19.809 --> 00:26:25.849 that are really accelerating growth and are they doing anything different that maybe you've observed? 380 00:26:25.890 --> 00:26:29.690 Yeah, no, I and that's that's a great one and that's a 381 00:26:30.170 --> 00:26:34.119 comment we have for all founders, which is its persistence, it's tenacity, 382 00:26:34.480 --> 00:26:38.480 it is just getting after it. I would say our biggest ones, that 383 00:26:38.559 --> 00:26:44.880 that most people will hear from, or I've already heard from our groups like 384 00:26:45.279 --> 00:26:49.589 satisfy, satisfy labs is it's a personal ass us and tie to artificial intelligence. 385 00:26:49.670 --> 00:26:56.630 It is literally powering Major League Baseball's at bad APP. It is also 386 00:26:56.509 --> 00:27:00.390 for so many other organizations, leagues and teams, and it's all behind the 387 00:27:00.500 --> 00:27:04.740 scenes. So the brilliance of what satisfy is about, again this goes back 388 00:27:04.779 --> 00:27:08.380 to the team, is they look at every opportunity, they run it to 389 00:27:08.539 --> 00:27:12.059 ground. They find ways that they can actually, you know, be able 390 00:27:12.140 --> 00:27:15.849 to help their consumer, their customer. At the end of the day, 391 00:27:15.289 --> 00:27:19.210 they by far have, we always end up saying, kind of abuse the 392 00:27:19.250 --> 00:27:23.170 stadious system, you know, and you're getting like leverage it, like this 393 00:27:23.329 --> 00:27:27.769 is your opportunity. And they have by far done that and more, and 394 00:27:27.809 --> 00:27:32.039 they've grown. They've grown exponentially. I mean literally, Google is now invested 395 00:27:32.079 --> 00:27:33.599 in them, Major League baseball has come in a second time on them. 396 00:27:34.079 --> 00:27:40.200 So so groups like that. Then Tana, you know, holographic technology tied 397 00:27:40.279 --> 00:27:44.349 to artificial intelligence. Easiest example when go into the NFL Hall of fame, 398 00:27:44.750 --> 00:27:48.109 you know that they have Joe, thisman walk on at his no, Joe 399 00:27:48.150 --> 00:27:52.670 Namouth will walk on out in literally a holographic form, so no phone, 400 00:27:52.789 --> 00:27:56.430 no glasses, no anything lifelike, life size, and he'll physically greet you 401 00:27:56.750 --> 00:28:00.259 and since he knows information about from your registration, you know, hey, 402 00:28:00.299 --> 00:28:03.740 John, welcome to a fall all of fame. I hear you're from St 403 00:28:03.819 --> 00:28:07.140 Louis. Sorry to hear about the rams moving, you know, once in 404 00:28:07.220 --> 00:28:12.130 a lifetime kind of experience. And again another company that is just grown exponentially 405 00:28:12.369 --> 00:28:17.970 but also realizing and they've evolved, like they've literally listened to their customers and 406 00:28:18.170 --> 00:28:22.849 instead of now being just like Howograms, they've now created the platform to allow 407 00:28:22.930 --> 00:28:26.480 anybody else to create holograms. So it's always fascinating that you know that these 408 00:28:26.519 --> 00:28:32.880 people are literally looking for every opportunity to kind of grow their businesses. So 409 00:28:32.960 --> 00:28:36.279 it's great you asker. You answer another question thereof Vantanna. Looks like there 410 00:28:36.279 --> 00:28:41.710 was an example of one of those startups that joined and saw success and has 411 00:28:41.750 --> 00:28:47.589 iterated or pivoted perhaps into a into a junct category perhaps. Oh yes, 412 00:28:47.910 --> 00:28:52.269 sounds super interesting. So let's switch gears a little bit and kind of talk 413 00:28:52.390 --> 00:29:00.019 about current events. Right, covid. So how has the covid nineteen situation 414 00:29:00.180 --> 00:29:07.019 impacted both startups that you've seen and funding as you've seen it? Yeah, 415 00:29:07.140 --> 00:29:11.210 so we referred to it, as you know, BC so before corona and 416 00:29:11.369 --> 00:29:14.809 now eventually we'll get to a d but the fascinating part, I think, 417 00:29:14.970 --> 00:29:18.769 is we have moved. Stadium was always built on this whole you know, 418 00:29:18.130 --> 00:29:22.569 socials, handshakes, relationships, all in a live environment. You know, 419 00:29:22.970 --> 00:29:26.519 that's how we help the startups, that's how we help the network, everything 420 00:29:26.720 --> 00:29:30.599 through. So as soon as you move into a social distancing world and a 421 00:29:30.640 --> 00:29:33.960 virtual world, you know, we have been and it was planned, but 422 00:29:33.960 --> 00:29:37.319 I always end up saying there's always luck involved with it. But we had 423 00:29:37.400 --> 00:29:41.230 contingency plans in place very early so that we could literally flip a switch, 424 00:29:41.670 --> 00:29:45.950 and we did with this spring cohort. And what we said was, you 425 00:29:45.069 --> 00:29:48.869 know, we will provide the Zack same experience that each founder we get live. 426 00:29:49.269 --> 00:29:52.859 The only thing missing, only thing will end up being those late night 427 00:29:53.019 --> 00:29:57.660 interactions that the you know, around the bar or in the hotel lobby or 428 00:29:57.740 --> 00:30:03.420 whatever. And so we are now going into our sixth session, so we 429 00:30:03.500 --> 00:30:04.740 are coming, you know, out of seven. So we're on the back 430 00:30:04.779 --> 00:30:08.569 end of this ten co word and we have not skipped a beat. The 431 00:30:08.730 --> 00:30:15.289 mentors have all been involved from a purely virtual world, gathering in these virtual 432 00:30:15.369 --> 00:30:18.250 meeting rooms, our guest speakers that had already planned on flying in. So 433 00:30:18.569 --> 00:30:22.200 the heads of innovation from partnerships for under armor, and the head of global 434 00:30:22.240 --> 00:30:26.319 partnerships for the NHL and head of innovation for Major League Baseball, all who 435 00:30:26.319 --> 00:30:30.720 would usually fly in just to speak as like a master class with the court, 436 00:30:30.880 --> 00:30:33.799 have all been in a digital realm now and then the sales side is 437 00:30:33.839 --> 00:30:37.789 the same thing. It's the sales opportunities are now on zoom. You know, 438 00:30:37.950 --> 00:30:42.829 with this inner action quality founders, they are tenacious, they are rock 439 00:30:42.950 --> 00:30:47.069 stars. They are going to figure out a way to make all of this 440 00:30:47.309 --> 00:30:51.700 work. That's why I'm always so excited about working with entrepreneurs. Always find 441 00:30:51.740 --> 00:30:53.380 a way. The end of the day, they find a way. Now 442 00:30:53.500 --> 00:30:57.019 moving forward, you know, we've already announced that we will move into our 443 00:30:57.099 --> 00:31:02.500 Global Demo Day, our investor showcase and our next finalist pitch day will all 444 00:31:02.539 --> 00:31:07.170 be virtual and our fall program will be virtual as well. So we want 445 00:31:07.170 --> 00:31:10.569 to wait and to see. Since we have so much international and so much 446 00:31:10.609 --> 00:31:15.329 since the family is geographically limitless, we want to get allowed them to become 447 00:31:15.329 --> 00:31:18.920 more comfortable and traveling rather than trying to force the issue. So for us 448 00:31:18.960 --> 00:31:22.759 we can wait. We can wait until two thousand and twenty one before we 449 00:31:22.880 --> 00:31:26.079 come back into a live environment. If things evolved for the better. You 450 00:31:26.160 --> 00:31:30.160 know, we can again like entrepreneurs, we can take advantage of opportunities and 451 00:31:30.920 --> 00:31:33.950 get this old way of doing it kind of back together. But the last 452 00:31:33.950 --> 00:31:38.670 thing I'll leave with is that this has changed our entire business. You know 453 00:31:40.150 --> 00:31:44.150 what was you have to be here in person and you have to like all 454 00:31:44.230 --> 00:31:48.460 these things that you had to have done. Well, now it's you know, 455 00:31:48.740 --> 00:31:52.819 what was going to take ten years to actually embrace of technology and things, 456 00:31:52.859 --> 00:31:56.619 it's all been done overnight because you have no alternative. So in a 457 00:31:56.700 --> 00:32:01.690 way we are as entrepreneur as our entrepreneurial founders. So what advice would you 458 00:32:01.930 --> 00:32:06.809 give, given the situation and you really you just kind of have to adjust 459 00:32:07.490 --> 00:32:10.130 and and make you plans? What advice would you provide in any of those 460 00:32:10.250 --> 00:32:15.559 out there, those early stage founders that are listening? Yeah, so it's 461 00:32:15.599 --> 00:32:20.160 going to send a counterintuitive now is literally the best time to start a business. 462 00:32:20.200 --> 00:32:23.920 It is the best time. You figure most entrepreneurs will start their businesses 463 00:32:24.000 --> 00:32:28.759 because of a life altering change. Could be that they got laid off, 464 00:32:28.920 --> 00:32:32.230 could be a family situation, whatever, and it kind of forces them over 465 00:32:32.269 --> 00:32:36.630 the edge. I will say don't jump off the edge like lemmings just to 466 00:32:36.670 --> 00:32:39.150 jump off the edge. But make sure you have a plan and a path 467 00:32:39.309 --> 00:32:45.259 and have already been able to get certain things in order and understand your customer 468 00:32:45.380 --> 00:32:47.539 and how you're going to be generating revenue at some point. But at this 469 00:32:47.700 --> 00:32:52.299 moment is literally the best time in history to start a business. Second part 470 00:32:52.339 --> 00:32:55.740 is there are so many opportunities. Things have changed so much in just a 471 00:32:55.819 --> 00:33:01.009 couple months to the opportunity driven entrepreneur. They are looking at all these what 472 00:33:01.170 --> 00:33:05.250 is going on to now say, you know, here's another pain and there 473 00:33:05.289 --> 00:33:08.089 needs to be a solution for that pain. So we're excited to see what 474 00:33:08.289 --> 00:33:13.559 is going on and it always comes back to as a venture firm and as 475 00:33:13.559 --> 00:33:15.319 an accelerator, we want to talk with every one of them and involved in 476 00:33:15.359 --> 00:33:19.680 that sports and esports space and and if it's not in our space, we 477 00:33:19.799 --> 00:33:22.759 need to get them to the right ecosystems so that they can kind of, 478 00:33:22.079 --> 00:33:28.390 you know, cultivate that idea and allow that to to grow in this time. 479 00:33:28.390 --> 00:33:32.109 I love that final concept and that mandate. So So, if a 480 00:33:32.190 --> 00:33:37.349 company is a good fit for either the fund or for the accelerator program what's 481 00:33:37.390 --> 00:33:39.829 should they do? Sure, so, so please contact us. I mean 482 00:33:40.390 --> 00:33:44.700 they're welcome to go on our website just contact information. They're they're welcome to 483 00:33:44.819 --> 00:33:47.819 actually email me or any one of our team members. Leave. Our email 484 00:33:47.819 --> 00:33:53.299 addresses are on our website. We are very open for conversations with startups. 485 00:33:53.539 --> 00:34:00.049 If they can't track it down, my email address is t Hayden Hyden at 486 00:34:00.170 --> 00:34:04.809 Stady Adventurescom. Feel free to email us. We you know, will we 487 00:34:04.890 --> 00:34:07.210 won't be all to get together for physical coffee, but we can get together 488 00:34:07.289 --> 00:34:10.599 for a virtual coffee and it doesn't matter where they're located in the world. 489 00:34:10.800 --> 00:34:15.000 The goal is is if they're good entrepreneurs, we would love to see them 490 00:34:15.320 --> 00:34:17.599 move to an area that can help them kind of move to that next level. 491 00:34:19.239 --> 00:34:22.639 Tim, it has been a great peak into your venture world and into 492 00:34:22.639 --> 00:34:28.909 the accelerator program. Thank you so much for attending and participating, John. 493 00:34:28.949 --> 00:34:30.309 I appreciate man, I appreciate all you do for us as well. You're 494 00:34:30.309 --> 00:34:34.469 not awes mentor as well to thank you up full disclosure, I am a 495 00:34:34.550 --> 00:34:39.260 mentor in the program and love participating. So thanks for listening to this episode 496 00:34:39.460 --> 00:34:44.019 of the Revenue Series on be tob growth. I'm your host, John Grispin. 497 00:34:44.139 --> 00:34:47.380 Founder and sales coach at early revenue. Please connect with me online. 498 00:34:47.460 --> 00:34:52.659 I'm happy to answer any questions or provide any recommendations. You can also email 499 00:34:52.699 --> 00:34:57.610 me at John at early REVENUECOM. If you like this episode or have a 500 00:34:57.730 --> 00:35:01.650 question, just go ahead and join the discussion online on Instagram at B to 501 00:35:01.769 --> 00:35:07.480 be growth. Thank you for tuning in and subscribing to be tob growth until 502 00:35:07.559 --> 00:35:15.039 next time. I am out. I hate it when podcasts incessantly ask their 503 00:35:15.119 --> 00:35:17.559 listeners for reviews, but I get why they do it, because reviews are 504 00:35:17.679 --> 00:35:22.309 enormously helpful when you're trying to grow a podcast audience. So here's what we 505 00:35:22.389 --> 00:35:24.550 decided to do. If you leave a review for be tob growth in apple 506 00:35:24.590 --> 00:35:30.590 podcasts and email me a screenshot of the review to James at Sweet Fish Mediacom, 507 00:35:30.909 --> 00:35:34.190 I'll send you a signed copy of my new book, content based networking, 508 00:35:34.469 --> 00:35:37.500 how to instantly connect with anyone you want to know. We get a 509 00:35:37.579 --> 00:35:39.019 review, you get a free book. We both win.