What a Crocodile, a Bear, and a High-Agency Founder Have in Common
3 Min Read
Become a High-Agency Leader
Many years ago, I invested in a startup and joined the founder on a trip to meet investors in England.
We walked into a room full of investors who had already spent hours listening to startup after startup.
The energy was dead.
People were tired.
Distracted.
Half asleep.
The founder was young, maybe 30.
We had prepared the “right” pitch deck.
Clean slides.
Strong story.
The standard startup presentation.
But the moment he got on stage, he ignored the deck completely.
Instead, he opened with one question:
“Who’s stronger, the crocodile or the bear?”
Suddenly, the room woke up.
People laughed.
Some said the bear.
Others said the crocodile.
The energy changed instantly.
Then he smiled and said:
“It depends where.
In the water, the crocodile wins.
On land, the bear wins.”
Then he connected it to the company:
“We focus on the football fan outside the stadium. Before the match. After the match. That’s our environment. That’s where we win.”
It was one of the best pitch openings I have ever seen.
Not because it was creative.
Because it showed awareness.
He understood the room.
He understood attention.
He understood that if he delivered the same presentation everyone else gave that day, nobody would remember him.
So he changed the energy first.
At the time, I did not have a name for it.
Today I do.
That founder had high agency.
The founders who win do not wait for perfect conditions
A high-agency founder is not always the smartest person in the room.
They are the person who refuses to let the room define the outcome.
When the market is slow, they adapt.
When buyers hesitate, they simplify.
When attention is low, they earn it.
When doors stay closed, they create another entry point.
They do not confuse friction with failure.
They ask a different question:
“Given the reality in front of me, what is the move?”
That question matters in every industry.
But in SportsTech, it may be the difference between becoming a real company and becoming another forgotten pilot.
SportsTech is not a pure technology market. It is a trust market.
The sports industry loves to talk about innovation.
AI.
Fan engagement.
Smart stadiums.
Data.
Creator economy.
Automation.
The future of sport.
But behind the conferences, panels, decks, and innovation language, the reality is more difficult.
Sports organizations often move slowly.
Budgets are political.
Decision cycles are long.
Internal alignment takes time.
Risk tolerance is limited.
Relationships matter more than founders expect.
This is why many SportsTech startups struggle.
Not because the technology is weak.
Because the founder cannot create momentum inside a slow-moving industry.
That is the real agency test.
Most clubs are not buying innovation
This is where many founders get it wrong.
They believe clubs buy innovation.
Most clubs do not.
They buy:
• reduced risk
• new revenue
• operational efficiency
• sponsorship value
• fan growth
• simplicity
• trust
That changes the job of the founder.
Your job is not to explain how advanced your technology is.
Your job is to make the buyer understand why this matters now.
Not someday.
Not after five internal meetings.
Not after the next budget cycle.
Now.
High-agency founders know how to turn technology into a clear commercial reason to act.
They do not sell “an AI platform.”
They sell:
• faster sponsor reporting
• higher ticket conversion
• lower content production costs
• better fan retention
• improved athlete availability
• measurable operational savings
That is not positioning.
That is survival,
Low agency waits. High agency moves
Low agency says:
“The clubs are slow.”
“The market is not ready.”
“We need a warmer intro.”
“We need more features.”
“We need to perfect the deck.”
“We will push after the next funding round.”
High agency says:
“What is the smallest entry point?”
“What painful problem can we solve first?”
“What can a buyer say yes to this month?”
“What proof can we create now?”
“What needs to change in the offer, not in the market?”
This is the difference.
Low agency waits for permission.
High agency creates movement.
World Cup 2026 will expose the gap
As World Cup 2026 gets closer, sports will face one of the biggest innovation windows it has seen in years.
AI is reshaping content.
The creator economy is changing fan attention.
Automation is entering operations.
Data is becoming central to performance and commercial strategy.
The pressure will increase.
Thousands of startups will try to enter the sports market.
Very few will build real commercial traction.
Not because the opportunity is small.
Because moments like this expose founders.
Some will look innovative on LinkedIn.
Others will solve real problems inside real organizations under real pressure.
Those are not the same thing.
Final Thoughts
The question every founder should ask
The next generation of SportsTech winners will not be defined only by technology.
They will be defined by their ability to move while uncertainty is still high.
Because sport has never rewarded people who wait for perfect conditions.
It rewards those who perform under pressure.
The same is true for founders.
So maybe the real question is not:
“Is the market ready for us?”
The better question is:
“Are we creating enough movement for the market to notice us?”
Because in SportsTech, waiting rarely creates opportunity.
Movement does.
The market may eventually reward innovation.
But first, it rewards movement.
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