MP recently sat down with Connor Dietz, Co-Founder at GMTM.com. He was formerly a Captain in the United States Air Force after graduating from the United States Air Force Academy, where he played starting QB and team captain.
GMTM
What is Gametime, and why is it unique?
GMTM is a social network that connects athletes to opportunities regardless of income, geography, or background. Think of GMTM as an interactive LinkedIn for Sports.
What does GMTM stand for as a business, and why?
As a business, we stand for equality, access, innovation, and opportunity. For athletes, it empowers them to amplify their brand and access more opportunities at every stage in their career. For organizations, brands, and teams, it powers their ability to connect and engage with athletes.
How is GMTM empowering athletes?
For the first time ever, we're leveling the playing field and maximizing access so that no athlete gets left behind. Athletes can own an interactive profile of record where content is their resume; they can connect with other athletes, coaches, and people across sports; they have immediate access to leading resources like training programs, speaker series, and NIL education; and they can interact with leading sports organizations. All in one place. Today.
Where did the name GMTM come from, and why was it chosen?
Sports has been a fragmented and antiquated industry for too long. And athletes are the ones who suffer the most. GMTM is free for athletes and uses technology to reduce costs to increase their access to opportunities dramatically.
How do you plan for GMTM future?
We believe the future of sports will be built around athletes and their stories. Because of that - we plan our future around our vision of building a social network where athletes and organizations can maximize their reach and access to opportunities at every level, regardless of income, geography, or background.
Entrepreneurship
What three characteristics define an effective leader, and why?
1. Authenticity
You can never be (nor should want to be) something or someone you aren’t. People are smart - they can see right through acts. Being authentic builds trust, and trust is vital for any altitude of success.
2. Toughness
Mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically. Reaching both peaks and valleys is a daily occurrence - those who can treat both the same are the people I like to surround myself with.
3. Competitive
You can’t fake motivation. Doing anything at a high level can be very lonely – you must be equally as competitive with yourself as you are the competition.
What are your three greatest fears as an entrepreneur, and how do you manage those fears?
1. Fear of the Unknown
I believe this is not just in entrepreneurship but rather anything in life. You don’t know what you don’t know - and you don’t always know the direction you’re going in is the correct one. You can only control being decisive with the information in front of you, doing your best and trusting your gut along the way. Having incredible intellectual honesty to be flexible and change gears without losing belief is the second part of that.
2. Game Theory
Do you want to be right? Or do you want to win? There is a huge difference and this is a fear to keep me accountable as well as those around me (internally and externally).
3. Legitimacy
I think the fear of going down the wrong path or building something incorrectly during this journey is always a fear. And with that, you are ultimately the one responsible for the outcome. “The man in the arena” by Theodore Roosevelt brings me peace when I have these feelings.
What three questions should would-be entrepreneurs ask themselves before starting a new venture, and why?
Are you comfortable being extremely uncomfortable for extremely long periods of time?
As an operator, what are you the best in the world at?
Do you have a technical co-founder (regardless of the industry you’re embarking in)?
What three obstacles have you faced while growing Gametime, and how have you overcome them?
1. The Unknown
This is for any company really. But our team has done a great job since day 1 trusting our compass more than a map. This has allowed us to be objective and trust what the market is telling us.
2. COVID-19
This was also a shared obstacle for any company across the globe. Our team rooted ourselves in the mission of our company (‘connecting athletes to opportunities’) to create innovative solutions rather than sit on what we had built to that point.
3. Communication
Our company is 90% virtual. As you would imagine, this presents communication challenges but at the same time, opportunities to continue simplifying how we communicate. Simplifying and then re-simplifying is an ongoing practice for our team both internally and externally.
How do you deal with doubt?
I have an unbelievable team around me. My faith, my family, my friends, my GMTM team. Having incredibly talented, experienced, motivated, and empathetic people around you will remove doubt as an enemy but rather a checks and balances system.
