Vitamins, Painkillers, or Game-Changers?  How to Prioritize Sports Tech solutions 

Vitamins, Painkillers, or Game-Changers?  How to Prioritize Sports Tech solutions 

As a sports executive, you’re constantly bombarded with the latest tech promising to elevate your organization. But with tight budgets and mounting pressure, how do you discern between fleeting trends and innovations that truly drive results?

Here’s a framework that helps top executives cut through the noise: categorize tech as vitamins, painkillers, or game-changers.

1. Vitamins: Nice-to-Haves

Vitamins provide incremental benefits, but they’re dispensable. While they may slightly enhance operations or fan experience, they’re the first to go when budgets tighten.

Example: A mobile app that lets fans order snacks from their seats. Convenient, but not critical.

2. Painkillers: Must-Haves

These are mission-critical tools solving urgent problems, like injury prevention systems that keep your star players healthy. Painkillers address your immediate operational challenges and are essential to sustaining business performance.

Example: AI-driven injury prevention that safeguards athletes from burnout and ensures peak performance.

3. Game-Changers: Transformational Tools

Game-changers go beyond solving problems—they unlock new revenue streams or operational models that give your organization a competitive edge.

Example: A dynamic pricing platform that adjusts ticket costs based on real-time fan behavior, maximizing revenue and filling seats consistently.

How to Apply This Framework

1. Map Technology to Your Challenges: Assess each tool based on its ability to solve your most pressing problems. Don’t chase shiny features—focus on what moves the needle.
2. Balance Investments: Ensure your budget includes painkillers that address today’s needs and game-changers that pave the way for future growth. Only add vitamins when resources allow.
3. Collaborate Cross-Functionally: Bring together teams across operations, marketing, and finance to evaluate tech, ensuring a holistic view of its potential.

The Takeaway

Your role as a sports leader is to make smart, impactful tech investments. By using this framework, you can confidently decide which solutions will help you survive, thrive, or transform – and ensure long-term success.

Want to explore innovations that could be your next game-changer? Join our upcoming AI and Tech Showcase on November 20^th, where industry experts will present validated solutions designed to elevate your sports property.

With Love for sports and innovation,

Amir Raveh,