How I landed a dream job at cruising altitude on a 747
How the journey to becoming Ocast CEO all began with some transatlantic air travel and wifi
At some point we all get into a rut.
I am an energetic, go-getter, but after exiting my last company, I found myself royally stuck. My brain was on hyperdrive trying to think about what my next project should be.
Having founded successful companies in the past, it felt like some big pressure to come up with the next unicorn. My own expectations pressure me and I felt the stress. The stress of course is just a product of my mentality and for that stress, I take 100% responsibility.
My search for a new adventure started with a friend on Facebook. In the midst of my stress to find a new project, Ocast and I collided through networks and friends at cruising altitude on a Boeing 747.
So why Ocast?
Let’s take a trip down memory lane to take a look at my journey with Ocast.
I’m on a 747 back from New York to Stockholm, ✈️
and the last 4 months have been wild. I’ve been in the big apple helping a retail tech startup gain some ground. There’s only 7 more hours between seeing my girl again and touching down in the city I call home, Stockholm. My brain is running thinking about what my next step in Stockholm will be.
But no worries, I’ve got wifi allllll the way. It’s my favorite thing about an overseas flight. Even wifi can’t distract me from wondering what the hell I’m going to do when I come home. I’m fresh out of miinto and not one to twiddle my thumbs or wait around. There is no stress. But I’m stressing.
Facebook. That always kills some time. I’ve got my chats open with friends and I’m already booked in for 2 dinners right when I get back.
Then I see my friend Eric is online.
👈 That guy.
Eric is a great entrepreneur based out of Stockholm and I’m not sure what he’s trolling around with but I am sure he is doing well. I open a chat to see how he’s been and what he’s up to. I say hello and ask him how he’s doing and in his first reply he has me curious,
“I have something I think you would be the best in the world at but you don’t know it yet. Should we meet up for a coffee?”
Note: This english translation is summarized. 😄
Without expectations, I’m heading towards Eric’s office in central Stockholm. I’m nervous.
Don’t know why — must be my own expectations getting me again. What the hell, right? It’s just another meeting.
Eric greets me at the office with laid-back charm and all my nervous energy is washed away. We’re catching up about life for 20 then it get’s interesting. Eric is ready to blow my mind. He just told me so.
He has a whole other project that is separate from his company he’s been building the last 6 years. Frankly, I’m a bit disappointed and skeptical but his enthusiasm brings my energy up and has me hooked.
30 minutes after our first coffee, we’re shaking hands. I’m onboard. Let’s go buddy!
Eric looked at me and said he wanted e v e r y single publisher out there listed on Ocast — I was sold.
I’m not just sold from his passion for the product but realized that Ocast was 24k gold. We’ve met again after our first meeting and I understand Ocast better — from the simplicity to the product and market potential.
Ocast means publishers can be displaying real-time traffic numbers, clear target groups, visual formats and well-defined prices, ad specs and who to contact. Meaning life simplified and effective for publishers. Brilliant.
I thought, damn, that’s potential.
I’m an experienced, sales entrepreneur that specializes in B2B platforms and marketplaces. Eric had the vision of bringing the media industry closer to simple, not necessarily easy, means.
At first glance, I didn’t understand. But I also didn’t have much existing knowledge of the media industry. Once the bigger picture hit me, I thought “damn, that’s potential.” After many years of hearing pitches, when that feeling comes around it means something.
Ocast is confronting the challenges all media companies are met with in their daily work, Sales.
And I love sales. Plus I’m good at it.
The Aha! moment was when I thought back to miinto and the struggle it was in foreign countries to quickly get an overview of the media landscape. It’s not easy to find what ads to buy and how to buy an ad in foreign markets. Google and/or Facebook? Display? Print? Mobile? You name it, the ads didn’t have a chance abroad when you can’t find where or how to place them.
With Ocast, that struggle could be eliminated.
What Ocast is today versus what it was back 1.5 years ago is hard to compare.
So much feedback has been given to us and the digital media kit has transformed into even more than a platform. We aim to support, invent and revolutionize the media sales sector.
Not to mention the team we have been so fortunate to attract. Young, qualified, fast-thinking and hard-working rising stars. The company isn’t better than it’s employees. The employees ARE THE COMPANY.
We have big plans to launch a more revolutionizing tools for media buyers but also media sales.
What’s next…
In 1.5 years, the platform has grown to 800+ customers from 12 different markets. That is an amazing head start for us. We met huge milestones early on and are still in a very early stage but we have experienced leaders and entrepreneurs steering the company. We cannot wait to release more revoluntionizing tools for media buyers and media sales.
Being a platform means growth is fast and not an easy task to navigate. There are loads of priorities, tasks on the wishlist from our dearest customers and different opinions makes it a challenge but also a much more substantial product. I can’t wait for our next launch that will make the media industry go “WOW”.
Our religion is to be first, best and most widely used. That demands we give 150% everyday. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Thanks for reading, if you made it this far! And stay tuned to catch the news from Ocast, you won’t want to miss it.
