You're probably familiar with this feeling: you have an amazing business idea or product, and you want the whole world to know about it and help you make it happen. Right? Or even help you build a world-class company that caters to many people globally. If you've ever started a business or a project or were involved in one, you know that at the starting line you see and feel the glory of success; however, the journey to get there is challenging, adventurous and full of obstacles.
It's not easy to harness leaders and decision-makers to support your venture and join forces with you to help your vision fly, especially when you're aiming as high as possible and trying to partner with global movers and shakers like big brands, CEOs, venture capitalists, and others.
In the past 6 months, I've been following my friend Amir Raveh's work as the founder of HYPE Foundation, and prior to that as an investor, serial entrepreneur, and a mentor for startups. In a relatively short time he was able to finalize the establishment of the first Innovation in Sports - Global ecosystem, with over 1,000 major sports and innovation stakeholders, including top sport brands, sport associations, Microsoft, Google, and sports investors, all made to help create real, tangible outcomes for startups and young entrepreneurs.
Amir Raveh (Photo taken by Roberto Bernardinatti for University of Trento)
Amir realized that in the past 17 years or so, there were barely any significant technology breakthroughs across most sports fields. He also saw the start of a trend in which tech companies such as Microsoft, along with sports brands like Adidas and Nike, have been acquiring sports technology companies in order to develop more innovation in sports. When you think about it, technology can do wonders for amateur and professional athletes. Innovation can help athletes get to the next level and increase their performance in a major way, and really push the human body's limits even further! With this vision in mind, he created this contest that will encourage startups that Innovates in sports to participate. The long-term vision is to advance most sports to the next level using innovation.
Having a vision is important before the whistle goes off and the marathon to business creation starts. However, execution while harnessing influencers in your field is another thing - the real thing!
I sat down to talk with Amir and learn what he did, in such a short time, that enabled him to partner with world leaders and make his dream of a sports Innovation contest into a global celebration. This is what he had to share:
Form a winning team - Having a solid foundation and the ability to execute any dream is important for the sole sportsman, just like for a company who wants to reach as high as possible. Amir understands the value that teamwork has in supporting one another and in executing excellent work on a daily basis. Therefore, he chose a team of experts to work for him and with him. Each and every one is a master in their own domain in operations, sales, PR, digital marketing, and other fields in order to get HYPE working in the best way toward their goals. When a big company or leader considers partnering with you, he will most likely check how your company is being managed and who your team members are. A strong foundation is important for success and can also attract top-notch supporters!
Gather people around a meaning - To get the commitment of both your team and global leaders, Amir acknowledged the power of injecting a meaning and a greater cause into their work. "It's not only a sports Olympics, but a movement to further develop the world of sport, push the boundaries of human abilities, and improve people's health as we know it today," he said. Amir made sure to convey how this venture is inspiring in many ways, and let each and every person who's involved understand the impact their work and participation can have. That alone motivates people: his team members can be self-managed and work more effectively and bring amazing results, just like global leaders that support his project.
Photo taken from HYPE Foundations' video- "Rio 2016 - HYPE Top 50 Most Innovative Sports Startups Program")
Reach many leaders in a strategic manner - Amir and his team put together a list of leaders and influencers they want by their side and approached them. Amir indicated that during a period of 6 months, he strategically added 2,000 relevant decision-makers to his LinkedIn account: he approached leaders in companies such as Adidas, Nike, etc., he also harnessed his entire Rolodex for the mission, approaching his connections in the UK, Italy, Israel, and embassies around the world. Amir and his team worked together, strategically to approach those people one by one, and it worked - some did reply and joined them!
Make them "fall for you" from the getgo - Amir knew that the way he was "cold-messaging" those influencers was very important. When you message global brand directors, leading sports coaches, or investors that get tons of emails a day, you need to find a way to stand out. Not only that, but you need to show them the greater meaning and the vision of your project, and make them want to at least hear more about your business. When Amir and the HYPE team approached those influencers, they made sure to be different than the rest of the pack: their wording was exciting, and they used videos, images, and really interesting messages. This method alone helped them get leading figures from sports brands such as Saucony and Adidas, Carlos Nozman from the International Olympic Committee, directors from the Golden State Warriors and the Denver Broncos, tech companies such as Techstars, top-notch sports associations, Olympics organization leaders, private investors, venture capitalists, and others
Getting industry leaders to notice you and want to partner with you is not an easy task. Through Amir's approach, we can learn that a supportive team and the hard work of approaching hundreds of influencers in a certain way will eventually create the right opportunities. Your business or goal, as small or as big as it may be, can definitely be of interest to many influencers in your field. Dream big, believe it can be achieved, work hard, and there is no doubt that you will get to partner with big names that are happy to walk this path with you.