SMP Q&A with Andy Meikle from new sports social network Sportlobster

Profiled interview with Andy Meikle, co-founder and CEO of Sportlobster, the new sports social network for fans and sportspeople

Social Media Portal (SMP): What is your full name and what do you do there at Sportlobster?

Andy Meikle (AM): My name is Andy Meikle and I'm the co-founder and CEO of Sportlobster.  My main role is to ensure everything we do is aligned with our short and long term business objectives. I also spend a lot of time thinking about the ways we can improve the user experience on Sportlobster, paying close attention to the technical side of the project whilst keeping the sports fan in mind.
SMP: Briefly, tell us about Sportlobster (for those that don?t know), what is it and what does it do?

AM: Sportlobster is a social network completely dedicated to sport. It's more than just that though, it?s a one-stop-shop for fans by taking the current online experience and bringing it into one place tailored to each users preferences in sport. Rather than having to visit multiple sites for news, predictions, videos and photos, scheduling of events, results, standings and interactions, Sportlobster consolidates all that and personalises the experience to your passions in sport.  So for example, if you like tennis, Chelsea FC and Lewis Hamilton, your whole experience is based around that.

SMP: What were you doing before you created Sportlobster?

AM: I went to university in America on a football (soccer) scholarship and earned a degree in business management. I pursued a career in professional football in London after I graduated but injured my knee, which put a quick end to that. After that I put my degree to use and ran my own technology company in Dubai for two and a half years before the idea for Sportlobster came around. My business partner, Arron Shepherd and I decided we couldn't sit on the idea. We raised funding, moved to London and here we are just over a year later.

SMP: How did you choose the name for this social network and what is the story behind that (briefly)?

AM: Sportlobster was a suggestion from our investor and it stood out for us. We had a shortlist of about ten names, but everyone we asked could only seem to remember Sportlobster, and it continued to grow on us. I love it, it's memorable.

SMP: Who are your target audience and why?

AM: Quite simply, our target audience is sports fans globally. Sport is a huge part of so many people's lives, whatever your age, nationality, gender, location. Despite the power of that, there isn't a tailored solution that brings together the key elements of a sports fans experience until now.

SMP: How long did you take to create and build the social network?

AM: There was two ways to approach this: build a quick stop gap using what's already out there by aggregating it all, or build a stand alone network. The second choice was a much more complicated and costly process but we wanted to do it right. It's been just over 16 months from having the idea to the site going live. As it's such a massive project, we don't want the user experience to reflect that. The site should be simple and easy to use for all fans and so it took a long time simplifying what is in fact a very complicated site.

Sportlobster - The Sport Social Network - 2013 from Sportlobster

SMP: How many people work at Sportlobster and how is it funded?

AM: We have a total of 23 people working on the project and that includes our in-house team, as well as those we have partnered with in London for the likes of PR, design, digital marketing and development. It's a strong team; everyone has expertise within their specific roles ensuring there are no half measures on what we're doing. To do so, we raised a substantial amount of seed capital to kick-start the project from an Angel investor. We're now in talks about our next round of funding to expand the project.

SMP: Why did you decide to create Sportlobster and why is it different?

AM: The experience for fans before Sportlobster was quite a lengthy and disjointed one as users would have to visit multiple sites that have different functions. For example, you may go to read news on a few sites, check scheduling elsewhere, search for multimedia, look for blogs, and post on several generic social networks. It's a frustrating experience for a fan of sports, and even more so for fans of multiple sports! Sportlobster differentiates itself because for the first time you only need to go to one site to get your sports fix, especially across multiple sports.

SMP: How will you how make Sportlobster work alongside other sports communities, social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and so on?

AM: Sportlobster can be used as a standalone service as it's a very different offering to general social networks, however we've made it possible to link your account to Facebook and Twitter. You can therefore connect to people on Sportlobster that you're already connected to outside of it. Furthermore, your activity on Sportlobster can link to your Twitter account so you aren't deserting your Twitter followers even when you go to fulfil your sporting needs elsewhere.  The great thing is, on Sportlobster you can connect to people who share the same passions as you. You can form communities in Fan Pages (whether they are public or private) and discover what's happening by searching events created or articles written by other users who share the same interests.

SMP: How will you build the Sportlobster fan base and relationships with partners?

AM: The very nature of a social network is that the growth is fairly organic. As users can connect with others in Sportlobster who they're already connected with outside of it, it will make the environment much more familiar and should help build our fan base. Also, as sport is very social we anticipate word of mouth will really work in our favour. We've built Sportlobster for fans, but professional athletes and brands can register in just the same way by creating profiles and this will also help grow our fan base. We've spoken with many athletes and brands in the build up to our launch and the response has been great. Since our launch, it's been even more positive.

SMP: What are the low moments of what you have been doing so far (and in regards to Sportlobster)?

AM: There's not been many low moments so far. We're all big sports fans and because we knew the experience is something that we'd enjoy, it's given us the energy to drive through the ups and downs any start-up would naturally come across.  The build has been a big, complex task and it's amazing how flexible you need to be. What seemed like a great idea yesterday, may seem bad today for whatever obstacle has come your way, and you need to deal with those situations. But I guess that's what makes it exciting. It's the great thing about being involved in something that you're so passionate about.

SMP: What are the high moments of what you have been doing so far (and in regards to Sportlobster)?

AM: There's been so many and it seems each step in the journey out does the previous high. Sharing the idea with my family was a great moment because they're sports fans and they thought the concept was great, but when I shared it with Arron and we shook hands that was certainly one of the best. Then there was raising funding; getting our offices; hiring our team; sharing the concept with others in the industry; coming up with an algorithm to get over a technical hurdle we'd been facing for days. There's so many, but most certainly the highest moment so far was going live at Wembley. Releasing something you've worked on for so long and then seeing others using it, more importantly enjoying it is extremely satisfying.

SMP: What do you see as your biggest challenges and opportunities?

AM: The challenge right now of course is to spread the word about Sportlobster and get people using the network. There are huge opportunities to really establish Sportlobster as the sport social network on a global scale, and that is definitely our aim. We want to create the most useful and rewarding online experience for sports fans.

SMP: What?s the next big step for social media / networks and what impact may this have upon what you do at Sportlobster?

AM: Now that social media is a part of consumers daily lives, we truly recognise the power of it. That said, the party has become too big and as is the case with any service in life, users want something tailored to them and personalised to their interests. We've seen this with Pinterest where you aren't just photo sharing; your photo sharing experience revolves around your interests. It's been hugely successful and I understand why ? people seeing things they really want to see, not what brands or businesses think we, as consumers should see.  Secondly, mobile isn't the future, it's already here and so whilst Sportlobster is currently accessible on mobile browsers, building native apps for mobiles is so important especially for sports fans. We're already working on this to enhance the experience for those on the move.

SMP: What will be the most challenging part of building upon the Sportlobster brand presence in digital environments (including social media)?

AM: The Internet is so saturated now that it's increasingly difficult for people to find what they are actually looking for. Whilst I see that as a challenge at first - getting people to come across Sportlobster - I think it serves as our opportunity as well once fans become a part of the Sportlobster community.

SMP: What?s going to be the most interesting aspect regarding social media / technology for the next 12 to 18-months?

AM: Social media is increasingly important on a global scale for communication, be it from person to person, business to consumer or business to business. This upward trajectory shows no signs of waning, so for brands, companies and well known faces it is going to be a case of keeping up-to-date with new trends and technologies. A move toward niche social networks and the importance of mobile accessibility is really what I see the future of social media holds for us. I believe major generic social platforms will continue to transform into an aggregator of niche networks.

SMP: What are your top five predictions for social media for the next 12 to 18-months?

AM replies with:

• Many more niche social media platforms will surface based on specific areas of interest, whether it be finance, fashion, travelling.  Anything really.
  
  
• Major social networks that are generic will serve as an aggregator for these niche social networks. We'll still continue to use the major social platforms, but more and more of the content will be coming in from outside, niche networks.
  
  
• Social media platforms will find much more relevant and consumer friendly ways of monetising; ways that compliment the users experience, rather than distract it.
  
  
• Live will become more important. Whether its online interactions or watching a sports event, the importance of being engaged right now is what users want and platforms will continue to evolve to provide that.
  
  
• Customisation. Users expect a tailored experience and whilst this isn't anything new, the advances in artificial intelligence will mean that social media platforms will evolve to provide you with a much more personalised experience. Let's take a basic example.  On Sportlobster we aim to provide live streaming of sporting events. If you stream Chelsea matches on a regular occasion, being made aware of what time it's showing, by which provider and at what cost before the event starts without you having to go looking for it is a very personal experience. This also touches on my previous point; how platforms will need to monetize through means that compliment the users experience.

SMP: What are your top five social media tips for sports fans and sportspeople?

AM: My only tip really is to get on Sportlobster. It provides fans and sportspeople with everything that makes up their online experience and is tailored to their preferences in sport.

SMP: Is there anything else we should know, or is there anything that you?d like to share?

AM: Sportlobster is completely free for users to sign up. Just go to www.sportlobster.com sign up, set your preferences in sport, start following people and you?re good to go.

SMP: Best way to contact you and Sportlobster?

AM replies with:

Website: www.sportlobster.com
Twitter @sportlobster
Facebook
LinkedIn


SMP: What did you have for breakfast / lunch?

AM: A slice of buttered toast and a glass of milk to start the day and a ham, cheese, tomato baguette for lunch ? my favourite.

SMP: What?s the last good thing that you did for someone?

AM: I sponsor a child in Zambia. Austine is 7 and we send letters to each other, as well as sending money so he gets healthcare and education.

SMP: If you weren?t running or working on Sportlobster what would you be doing?

AM: No clue! Since I started this project I can't even imagine doing anything else. I'm working in sport and technology, two sectors I have experience in and passion for.

SMP: What is your favourite sport and why?

AM: Football. It's a team sport and I'm all about that. It takes skill. It takes tactics. A moment of error or genius can be the difference between winning and losing. Ultimately, it's the roller coaster of emotions that you go through in 90 minutes, in particular that high you feel when the ball hits the back of the net. Still, every time, that feeling surprises me.

SMP: When and where did you go on your last holiday?

AM: Santiago, Chile in December. My mum is from there and I haven't been in 11 years! My sister got married there so it was the perfect excuse for a family catch up, the sunshine and a bit of work on my Spanish.

SMP: What?s the first thing you do when you get into the office of a morning?

AM: Shoot some hoops. We've got a basketball net in the office.

SMP: If you had a superpower what would it be and why?

AM: Teleportation. I've got family and friends all over the world; I'd love to go from one place to another immediately.

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