Hi Brian, and welcome to InspiredStartups.com! Firstly, tell us a bit about yourself and how you ended up becoming an entrepreneur. 

I’ve always been a huge sports fan. I actually used to dream of playing baseball professionally. However, my baseball career ended after I graduated from LSU. After earning a degree in international trade and finance, I went into the financial services industry. I worked there for 18 years, specializing in investment banking. Then, in 2006, I began to notice the emerging power of social media. At that time, there were some big companies around, but it was nowhere near where we are today. I could foresee the impact that social media would have on the world. Shortly after that, I created trueAnthem/Virtual Fan Network, which eventually became Sqor Sports.

You started your career working for someone else. How did you convince yourself to quit the security your job provided and become an entrepreneur? 

When I saw the opportunity to start a business, I believed that I was innovative and unique. I knew that I wanted to take the risk to be successful in a growing market. Even though there are many risks associated with entrepreneurship, you have to be as calculated and smart about it as possible.  

What have you found to be the main differences between working for yourself and someone else? What traits did you display that suggested you could be your own boss?

It’s very different. Being an entrepreneur means dealing with a lot of uncertainty... And sometimes failure. I’ve come to enjoy learning from these experiences and using them to better myself and my decisions in the future. I’m also very passionate about my work, and because of my passion, I feel even more of a drive to continue to grow my business. 

You've founded several startups -- Sqor Sports, trueAnthem, Virtual Fan Network. What are your key learnings from your entrepreneurial journey so far? Have you made any mistakes, and how can other startups avoid repeating them? 

Entrepreneurship requires flexibility. No matter how well you strategize, things will not always go exactly as planned. I like to think of mistakes more as learning opportunities to guide future decisions. When you’re thrown a curve ball, you must allow yourself to take a second to rethink your strategy and adapt. Startups should surely avoid being rigid and inflexible. 

Sqor Sports gradually grew from trueAnthem. What can you say about being open to changing your idea if what you originally planned isn't working?

I’m open to adapting when necessary. The risks you take as an entrepreneur should be well planned and thought out, but you have to be willing to fix what doesn’t seem to work as well. 

Earlier this year you said you were "very good at raising money and getting the business side of things put together". With that in mind, what advice can you give to startups seeking investment?

You need to communicate the problem you solve, and explain your value proposition. Clearly describe how you will make money, how much money you will need, and what you will do with it. Most importantly, never give up. 

Have you had much experience with pitching, and if so, have you picked up on any techniques that have proved successful or unsuccessful?

I’ve learned that you must stay passionate and communicate your vision clearly and concisely. Be confident. Make sure to be specific and don’t waver with your plan. 

You "risked the business" when you decided to work with your CTO, Noah Gift. How important is it to follow your gut do you think, and what can you say about putting the right team of people together?

I think it’s essential to follow your gut --- that’s as long as you have the reasoning to back it up. That being said, having a team of people on the same page, with the same determination and enthusiasm, is truly invaluable. I consider Sqor Sports’ success to be the result of an ongoing team effort. 

You attempted to gamify Sqor Sports with "showdowns". What have you learnt about gamification and do you think it has a sustainable future?  

Users and athletes love gamification; it’s fun. We just released our newest iOS app called Iconify. Iconify gives users the ability to create sports-related images that can be shared with friends on the Sqor Sports platform and other social media platforms. Iconify images are created to show off team spirit or even for specific purposes, like birthday wishes, event invitations, and more.

What's next for Sqor Sports? (I've heard you mention one billion users before!)

For now, we’re aiming to continue what we’re doing. Both our user and athlete bases are growing fast. Our main goal is to connect the athlete with the fan, and we’re now doing that on a larger global scale.

Before we let you go, where can we find you online?

You can find me on Sqor.com and Twitter.

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Mark is a current journalism student in DCU and has covered a range of topics across print and radio. Having taken a class on entrepreneurship, he found startups were the most exciting thing happening in Ireland and developed a keen interest in them. Apart from technology, Mark has a love for biographies and Woody Allen films. You can contact him on Twitter or LinkedIn.

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