What do I mean when I say eSports Entrepreneur?
I think that’s the first question we have to get past before I even begin trying to start the main purpose of the article. What is an eSports Entrepreneur? I’ll give some examples, and I’ll even do my best to use put the different types in different groups. For some groups I may not be able to use specific names, but I will do my best.
The Gamer turned Manager turned Elite Businessman (aka the Millionaire Gamers)
- Reginald, Owner of TSM of League of Legends and now many other games
- Steve Arhancet (Liquid112), Owner and GM of Team Curse (Founder of Curse Academy) of League of Legends
The Streamer turned Businessman
- Ocelete, League of Legends Pro (find out more here)
- SodaPoppin, World of Warcraft Streamer (okay, maybe not “Businessman”, but definitely Entrepreneur)
The LifeTime YouTuber
- PewDiePie, 6.7 Billion YouTube Subscribers
- TheSyndicateProject, 1.44 Billion YouTube Subscribers, and now dominated Twitch.tv as well
There are literally so many more examples I can bring to the table, but writing an article about examples does nothing for you. We already know it’s possible to make money Gaming, that’s not the point. The only reason I even give you these examples is to hopefully give you some clarity as to what I’m really talking about. It’s really important that when you begin your eSports Journey, you start thinking of yourself as an Entrepreneur (in most cases).
If you are a part of a team/organization or going in a route that you will not be your own boss, then it is okay to disregard this article if you choose. If otherwise, which means you’re a team owner, streamer, YouTuber, solo gamer looking to go pro, or even starting your own eSports Business, then this article is to open your eyes. You are an eSports Entrepreneur. It’s time to start thinking and acting like one.
I don’t mean it’s time to start thinking about the money. That’s not all entrepreneurs care about. If you’re a streamer or YouTuber and you’re only worried about the money and how fast you can get your hands on it, you’re most likely going to fizzle out before you ever have a chance. Instead, you need to start realizing what you’re doing right to convert your viewers into followers, and what you’re doing right to even get viewers into your channel, and then use that to your advantage. Same with YouTube. Run some tests on your homepage and begin finding out what trailer video is converting the most people to click that subscriber button. If one trailer video is up for a month and gets 1000+ views but only 5 subscribers, and then you change the video the next month, getting 1000+ views but 250 subscribers, it’s likely you will be able to make proper adjustments.
Create goals for the future and force yourself to hit them
I’ve talked about prioritizing in past articles and explained how important it is, and hopefully you guys have already realized this. Well, another way to make it easier for yourself is to set out a list of goals you have for whatever route you’re taking. Do you want 1000 followers by next month? Maybe 2500 subscribers in 6 months or less? Do you want your team to enter at least 2 high status tournaments this year? How are you going to hit these goals? Make a list and devote yourself and hold yourself accountable. Start making your tasks fit a specific path towards your overall goals.
If you’re going to do something right now, it’s time to make a list. Set out your goals and how you see yourself in the future. Make sure you make short term goals as well as goals a few months in advance, and then also long term goals. Then, if possible, make a list of tasks that you could be doing to get yourself closer to achieving those goals. List those tasks, and do them, even if they are things you wouldn’t normally do. Sometimes those are the things that are missing from earning you the achievements you most want. Good luck!