Three Things I Learned In SaaS, Sports, Tech & Live Events 5.1.23
Midway through Q2 of 2023, three things I learned during our many adventures
Three Things I Learned In SaaS, Sports, Tech & Live Events
It's great to be a vampire in a bloodbath. But you gotta stick to your vampire roots.
Applications at TicketManager are up 10x. Our business is doing great. But it was last year too. The difference? It's a bloodbath out there.
And that means now, as in right now, is the time to hire stars away. Yes, it's scary to swim against the grain, but it is the only time stars will leave. They're stars - they're well taken care of and often difficult to poach. But when their peers are getting cut in droves? They'll take the phone call.
Even the so-called "contrarians" are afraid these days. Talking to investors in venture and PE, they're all trying to win bargains citing "the current landscape." An easy translation of what they're actually saying is they were either: a) stupid and overpaying before or b) actually don't believe in their thesis. There was a lot of whining about dry powder and overpriced deals due to too much competition in the market. Well? Deals are down huge. Those who were whining need to be doing deals.
Be bold and move now. Talent is out there.Deceit always finds a way.
Had drinks with a buddy the other day and his 18 year old daughter. At a bar. Where we were all ID'd. (which btw I'm fine with - drinking age should be 18 anyways but I digress).
Her fake ID was immaculate. The technology states are using to create IDs is a quantum leap from the days where I paraded around as 'Thomas James,' a 26 year old from Virginia.
And yet, here she was. With an ID so good it actually scanned as 21 years old on the card readers.
This is why ticket brokers will always be around. Their incentives are more powerful to them than the incentives of those trying to stop them. Same goes with the bars and fake IDs"Who are we to decide what's best for us in our lives?" Golf's world #2, Scottie Scheffler, remembering the advice his wife gave him as he was heading out to the final round to win the Masters.
We can only do so much. We can prepare for the moment, do the work, put ourselves in position to win, and then know the outcome isn't in our hands - and that's okay.
Nice to know in our 26-27 overtime loss last Thursday =). We'll be back.