This article has been taken from issue 107 of the IABM Journal. The full Journal can be accessed here.
Diane Strutner
CEO & Cofounder, Datazoom
We asked Diane Strutner, CEO & Cofounder of Start-Up member, Datazoom, to give us an insight into how this exciting young company has cut through to work with some of the world’s most recognizable brands and technology organisations.
Give us a brief overview of what inspired you to set up your own company – where do you see the opportunity in the market, and why?
Datazoom exists at the intersection of Video Data Control (with raw data capture and ETL capabilities) and Real-time Automation. Our platform captures event, metadata, and heartbeat (a.k.a. FluxData) data generated during playback experiences. Data Pipes is the data capture and routing component of Datazoom, acting as an intelligent intermediary between data generating ‘Collectors’ (like video players and CDNs) and pre-integrated, data-powered, ‘Connectors’ (like general analytics, QoE platforms, ad servers, and CDNs).
Embracing an ‘any-to-any’ mentality, Datazoom provides video content distributors with a flexible, two-way, data-share-and-control mechanism which captures, transforms, and correlates data captured from the video player into a contextualized dataset which is universally accepted by any Connector, thereby allowing video distributors to consolidate what was once excessive player integration code into a single line, promote a self-healing network between themselves and 3rd party vendors, and implement a scalable infrastructure for video system automation.
What are the most rewarding aspects of launching a new company?
What I’m most proud of is the team we’ve built at Datazoom. All of us all are veterans in the streaming media space, and what’s bonded us together is the belief in, and recognition of, the value and impact that our platform poses to bring to our industry. Big ideas like ours require testing boundaries and obtaining support from early adopters to sustain our long-term vision. We’ve approached and thought about how to solve big problems very differently at Datazoom. What has been the most rewarding part of this journey so far is the confirmation and support we’re getting from customers and partners – some of the world’s most recognizable brands and most respected technology organizations among them – for our approach.
What challenges did you face in getting started?
One of the biggest challenges has been the simple fact that we’ve created a new category for ourselves, which means that there’s not really a ‘playbook’ we can follow inspired by someone who has already done this before. And this can be challenging when it comes to assembling the team, securing financing, and even talking to customers about what we do. The human mind approaches understanding new things often by trying to establish associations and placing things into categories. And when you’re building something completely new, not only do you have to figure out how you want to describe and explain your vision, but you must also ensure that you’re not being confused with related products. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve explained that “We’re not an analytics platform”, to an investor, customer, or potential hiree. But thanks to exercises like Category Design which was part of the foundation of BRIIA, an accelerator Datazoom graduated from, when you are able to successfully describe and name your new category, then it can be a very powerful tool for hiring, financing, and selling.
With over 1500 vendors jostling for attention at major shows and in the press, how have you set about getting noticed by potential customers?
We’ve taken a ‘grassroots’ approach to capturing attention from those we want to work with. Lots of our engagement has come from networking – we’ve got a team with longstanding experience and lots of connections in the space. Chances are that we’re only one or two degrees of separation from our target audience. And beyond that, we’re trying to use our efforts to create value by producing articles and white papers that are educational for customers and partners alike, and independent of whether they’re using Datazoom or not. This space tends to move in herds, so our best use of time and resources is in establishing value-added relationships and we’re trying to do that both online and offline. We’re aiming to be a big fish in the small pond of video data and video stack development.
Based on your experience, what key pieces of advice would you give to someone considering starting their own company in the media technology business?
I like to advise entrepreneurs, whether young or young at heart, to have a ‘T-shaped’ education of the industry in which they’d like to create a business. You need to understand how the industry works on an end-to-end basis. But I believe most valuable companies are created by someone with a key insight, which also required very in-depth knowledge and experience in a very specific area within that space. The breadth of knowledge of the space and a deep understanding in a particular area are what create this ‘T-shape.’
Beyond this, it’s absolutely essential to have a broad personal network and be able to sell. You will need to sell your idea to your co-founders and early employees, to investors, and ultimately to your first customers. Sales skills are imperative. And having a network of pre-established relationships means that you can make more progress faster. A big part of an executive’s job is networking and building relationships, so honing soft-skills is very important.
You have taken advantage of IABM’s Start-Up membership package. Which are the most useful services to you, and how have they helped you?
As a small start-up building capital-intensive technology, we need to seek out as much bang-for-our-buck wherever we can. IABM is a great marketing resource, particularly with regard to how our membership lets us maximize our tradeshow presence. In situations where we don’t necessarily need or want a booth, we’re able to leverage IABM’s meeting spaces for appointments, to give demos, and make a splash.
