Welcome to episode 264 of Sports Management Podcast.
The world's biggest sport is still powered by volunteers - but why are they still relying on spreadsheets, WhatsApp groups and endless emails?
In this episode of Sports Management Podcast, Marcus Filipsson sits down with Rohan Anand, Co-Founder and CEO of Center Circle, a technology platform transforming how grassroots football is organized.
After experiencing the challenges firsthand as a player, coach, referee and volunteer, Rohan set out to solve one of football's biggest hidden problems: giving volunteers the tools they need to spend less time on administration and more time developing the next generation of players.
We discuss why grassroots football is still built on outdated systems, how technology can reduce barriers to participation, why Center Circle has chosen a completely different business model than most sports technology companies, and the personal sacrifices required to build a startup from the ground up.
In this episode, we discuss:
- Why grassroots football still relies on WhatsApp and spreadsheets
- The hidden challenges volunteers face every weekend
- How technology can simplify grassroots sports
- Building a sports tech startup with zero marketing budget
- Why Center Circle refuses to charge grassroots football
- Lessons from seven years of entrepreneurship
- Advice for anyone wanting to build a business in sport
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Time stamps:
00:00 Introduction
00:16 What Center Circle Does
01:14 Why Grassroots Football Still Runs on Multiple Platforms
02:11 From Referee to Tech Entrepreneur
03:12 Building Center Circle From Scratch
04:42 Convincing a Non-Football Co-Founder
06:53 Can AI Improve Grassroots Football?
08:17 Building Partnerships With Football Associations
09:47 Why Center Circle Is Completely Free
11:15 Why Grassroots Football Should Never Be Monetized
12:18 What Grassroots Football Needs Next
14:50 Growing 5x Without Marketing
16:14 Building the Team
17:21 Why They Never Spent Money on Advertising
20:42 The Sacrifices of Entrepreneurship
22:29 The Vision for the Future
24:44 Rohan's Journey Into Football
26:39 Studying Business Instead of Sport
28:05 Advice for Future Sports Entrepreneurs
29:28 Where to Find Center Circle
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