Mar 25, 2021
We often put the tech world in one lump category. But the truth is, there are niches upon niches when it comes to tech. Sports tech is a little-known sector that doesn’t come with a playbook. You have to find your zone as you go.
Welcome to Building While Flying!
This weekly podcast is brought to you by the Sasha Group. We’re the consultancy meets agency arm of the VaynerX family of companies. We help ambitious companies build strong brands that flex with the times through strategy, branding media and marketing.
In ever-changing times, businesses and brands have to shift and adapt. And across all sectors, there is an air of experimentation. Business owners are trying new things out in the wild; building the plane while flying.
Alex Wu is finding his zone within the sports tech world with HomeCourt.
From marketing to startups to presidential campaigns, Alex has had quite the career. Now a Founding Team member of NEX Team, Inc., a mobile AI company, he gets to combine his love of sports and tech. Alex’s small talented team consists of former Apple, Google and Facebook employees navigating the primarily untapped market of sports apps. HomeCourt is the first smartphone app built with NEX Team’s core tech. It allows you to use your phone camera to count, track and chart your basketball shots in real-time. It then provides instant video review and stats analysis to challenge yourself and improve your game.
In this episode, Mickey gets the opportunity to relive his UVA days a bit with his old friend Alex. Besides the basketball talk, they get into the nuts and bolts of what it takes to start a project like HomeCourt. Like everything else, a pivot was required when the pandemic hit, so they dive into the logistics of “building while flying” in the sports tech world. When creating such an innovative product, it’s essential to find your zone and not expect a slam dunk right out of the gate. It’s all about patience, adapting, and serving your community of users.
Other in-flight topics:
- Alex’s diverse career background
- Working on the Obama campaign
- Forcing yourself to learn
- Pivoting in unprecedented times
- Alex’s in-flight checklist
Links:
Connect with Alex on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwuming/