episode 81 of the dsmsports podcast w/ josh decker of tagboard

Best Of... Josh DeckerEpisode 81 of the Digital and Social Media Sports Podcast

Episode 81 of the Digital and Social Media Sports Podcast featured Josh Decker, CEO at Tagboard.

What follows are some snippets from the episode. Listen to the full podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, or at www.DSMSports.net

@njh287; DSMSports.net

http://www.DSMSports.net/


Josh's career path

“The key in my past is basically just fail forward...I started my first business in high school; I was really into modifying (German) cars...The only reason I started this company was so I could get cheap parts for myself...I literally would show up to these car get-togethers with a trunk full of parts that people had ordered from me...

Josh went to Whitworth for college, smaller college in Spokane, WA, where he studied business management and computer science and graduated in three years (and just one class short of a full double major!)



“I was excited to get out into the real world. I learn so much more by doing than by reading or by hearing about what other people did. I started a web design company in college...I was coding everything myself in Notepad...Right out of college, I got a really good job offer to go work for a startup company...My first job out of college was like any kid's dream...I was hired to be network administrator...”

2 weeks after Josh started, just about the entire company was laid off, except the executive had to remain on for a bit more time. Josh was retained because he was the only cheap option to keep the company's network operating.

“My job for almost nine months...we converted all of the servers in the entire office into CounterStrike servers and we played CounterStrike for ten hours a day for nine months straight. And I got paid for it!...



“I moved around a bit in the industry (and) worked for several different startup companies. I started my first real business in 002. I started selling car parts again and I was working for a startup company, a lead web developer at this point...making really good money for my age. But I got that itch, that entrepreneurial itch. That thing that just says 'I'm not satisfying just sitting at a desk making money, I want to do something special with my life. I want to do something meaningful.' For me, what that meant was I wanted to pursue the things I was passionate about...”

Josh started a company selling car parts for Audi, importing parts from Germany



“I ended up getting to the point, where I was working all day long and I come home at night, kiss my beautiful brand-new wife...By then, I'd spend 4-5-6 or 10 hours at night...packaging up all these products. I was moving $20-$50,000 a month in parts in my garage. On my lunch break, I would drive to UPS and drop off like 25 boxes worth of parts...

'I got to the point where my wife (told me): 'You do realize you're making twice as much money doing this as you are going to your day job and you don't even seem to care (for) or like your day job very much...We made a decision that we were going to start this business. I actually opened a brick-and-mortar shop...I grew it in a little over four years from $20,000 a month in my garage to over $1.6 million a year in sales...



“But here's the problem with it – is when you're selling products other people make, there's very little profit in it...I just couldn't make the numbers work. I ended up selling the company in early 2006. At that point, I had just run out of steam...I considered it a failure. I sol it off, today (it) is alive and well. They're doing way more than I ever could with the business. It's an international brand name now...

“From there...I started realizing that, if you really want to make money in the automotive industry, you need to make your own products. So I started a manufacturing company, manufacturing carbon fiber composite racing seats...We ended up making it...”

They bought a company in Taiwan and moved it to Monroe, WA and started manufacturing seats there.

The company was successful and still succeeds now (Status Racing), but Josh left the business prior to making big $$ → “I'm proud of the fact that I can look at it and still see it succeeding today...”



“I took about two months looking for the right opportunity and I just couldn't find anything that satisfied the desire for me to do something exciting with my life...But I started a website called Quattro World and the premise behind it was it was going to be an Audi website for Audi fans to congregate and get together...There was another website before it called Audi World that had sold off to some conglomerate (which ruined it by changing the software behind it)...



“I set up Quattro World just to keep the community together. Next thing you know, it became an overnight success. We had 65 million page views our first year and grew from there...It was kind of the intersection of all the little bits and pieces of my past (jobs)...This was a community now that I was kind of the steward of...And it was from the ownership o that role and trying ot manage that community was where I got the original idea for Tagboard...



“The problem I had – I looked at like a house with a bunch of rooms and you have conversations happening in all these different groups – the Twitter room, (Facebook, Word Press, etc.) – all these different, disconnected conversations...I wanted a way to bring it all together and to combine that community into one large, active community. And that was the whole idea and the basis for the foundation that what is today – Tagboard.”



Going from concept to business for Tagboard

“It took me about a year. I was just playigg around with ideas. The first version of Tagboard...was supposed to the the next generation of forum software. We were going to disrupt the bulletins of the world and come out with a better mousetrap for discussion...The original idea from its inception always was based around the hash tag and based around scial media being the source of content for the new version of the forum software...



“We pivoted a bit to focus solely on the aggregation of social content from the source networks...to bring in content to one place and create kind of a social hub...(Josh notes they have a patent for inventing it)...The heart of it all is community. The heart of it all is building something that brings people together and breaks down the walls that social silos have created; because every person out there has their own unique bag to bring to their communities, and should be up to them to choose what social network, which medium they should use to bring that content to the table...



“For us, it's about creating something that brings people together, breaks down those walls and creates one larger community. We believe, by breaking down those walls and bringing people together, you create this dynamic that has amazing results. The results are...(major increase in engagement at the events Tagboard works within)...



“For us, it's creating something of value. Not just being a place or a sponsor logo. Not just being something to fill the scoreboard up...or fill a blank space...Tagboard is about connecting the community together in a lasting and meaningful way...[Josh notes how Tagboard helps the social networks themselves, too]...We have a thing that we call the 'egg effect,' which is when we put Tagboard onto a public display somewhere, there's a bunch of people signing up for Twitter for the first time or re-activating a dormant account to engage and interact with the community. And then those connection can last beyond that one moment, and people find value in the source networks...in a new way they haven't seen before...”



On sports being a big industry for Tagboard

“We put this thing out on the Internet in August 2012 and we just sat back and watched it to see what people did with it...I remember a Saturday morning – I'm sitting at home on my couch and, next thing you know, massive spike in traffic...It was all going to the hash tag #UDub – which was University of Washington's game day hash tag at the time. What happened was is that head of social media for University of Washington Athletics...found Tagboard (and) changed a link on their website that used to go to the Twitter search results; he changed it to Tagboard. Everyone started going to Tagboard – interacting, connecting their Twitter accounts, talking to each other, posting there. So that was a really cool opportunity for us to say 'Wow, somebody grabbed a hold of it.' So the very first product-market it was in sports...”



Helpful Tool: Trello mobile app, for project and team and schedule organization



Growing with teams and working with them

“When we built this company...we never really gave much thought to putting Tagboard on a big screen somewhere. It was more going to be web-based only...A month after the (U-Dub story), Audi came to me and said (they loved what the product did to bring their content together) 'We want to put this up at a trade show booth fr international trade shows. We want to put stylized social content up above the booth on a forty-foot wide screen...'“

Josh talks about catching wind of the Seattle Mariners installing a new huge screen at their ballpark and getting the idea to get Tagboard on that screen for the Mariners, especially after seeing the massively successful results of Audi and the auto shows



“(The Mariners) saw what we had built for Audi and we said 'We want to build something like this for you here at Safeco Field...' Their response es likr 'Not only do we want this and need this, but we've been trying to find a way to build this ourselves, and we haven't figured it out.' We realized this is smething peple were desiring to have, but no one had figured it out yet...So for the 013 season, we ran Tagboard for the first time at a stadium at Safeco Field for the Mariners...”

Josh notes they've been in over 100 sports venues worldwide and some of the biggest global sports events



“While sports has been a spearhead for us in public display, it's only about 10-15% of our overall market today. We have brands and broadcasts, big television integrations...(Josh notes RNC, DNC, Debates, big sports events, TV shows)...One of the numbers that blows me away...is we do our very best job to conservatively figure out how many impressions we're creating everywhere. That number right now is growing like crazy and it's well over 5 billion impressions of our product every year...



“We've powered displays, either on we or in stadiums or wherever...over 3 million hash tags to date...We look at ourselves at a b2b2c company. We don't necessarily design our product for the director of marketing for a sports team. We design our product to reach their community. What I mean by that is one of the differences of Tagboard is...we've designed it with the community at heart...The most important person in the entire equation is the (fan)...that's the person we've designed and built for, first and foremost. Because, if we can take care of that community, then (the business/brand/team) is going to like what we've built for them because it reaches their community, it connects them together, it creates a lasting impact.”



How Tagboard caught attention of social networks

“That has actually been one of the most difficult parts of this role is finding a way to continually drive value to the source networks. I think the biggest thing for us right now is we got in really early. We were meeting with (the source networks) before we even had a product launched...We wanted nothing more than just to be a good partner with them...



“That's a gross oversimplification of the entire process because, when you have multiple conflicting partners and you're trying to provide them all value at the same time, that becomes a difficult process...What has served us and the end user really well is we've haven't played favorites...The best thing for us to be is to be agnostic and to have the best relationship we can have with the source networks...We leave it up to them to create best damn network there is and we want them to create the value...



“We have the most awesome partnerships with the source networks...It's something for us where I am so fortunate for those relationships that have allowed us to build Tagboard in a healthy and sustainable way...For us, it's about really being the platform for display and understanding that the source networks...some of them are going to come and go...there is going to be a new player coming out (Josh mentions Snapchat as an example)...”

[Josh also notes that while Tagboard is agnostic, they will accommodate clients that want to use Tagboard in a specific way]



“We're not trying to be everything to everybody. We want to be the best company Tagboard can be. We look up in the marketplace and we see everybody trying to do every thing, and they end up not doing much of it well. If all you're looking at doing is checking off boxes to see if you have this feature or not compared to another competitor, you're missing the point. You need to focus on building a product that does what it does better than anybody else...”



How Tagboard's clients see the service – a revenue generator or an engagement tool

“We look at it as much more than a public display tool. It's a community engagement tool...We allow you to put Tagboard in front of your fan, no matter where you're at...We have hundreds of different types of displays.,.for us, it's about reaching the fan at every fan touch point...Reaching the consumer no matter where they're at and giving them that opportunity to engage and giving them that call to action to hopefully draw that conversation out of them.”



On sponsorship –> “We've had people tell us that Tagboard is the most valuable real estate in the stadium. When Tagboard goes up, every eyeball goes to look at (and) they can't take their eyes off it. And when you can put a sponsorship logo on there...(it) provides that value. And obviously, in sports, there is a huge opportunity for things to be sponsored (Josh gives many examples)...It's a great opportunity for that brand to be associated with something interactive and engaging.”



How Tagboard has become the general name for EVERY social media aggregation and display tool

“I think our product is the most recognizable on the market and we've have seen so many times...somebody will post...a picture at one of our competitors and say 'Look mom, I'm on the Tagboard.' It's a pretty cool feeling because, even though they tried to copy us, they did a good enough job where somebody thought it was ours. That's about what we're trying to do...We're trying to power the communities. And, at the end of the day, if we can become the default, standard for that, then I think we're doing a really good job of it...



“I also know we have plans to go way beyond that, and there are a lot more things we want to do with this company. We're not just going to stop with stadium screens, for instance...[Josh notes examples besides sports, like charitable organization and global interest and political group]...It's not just about the big, shiny stuff. It's about communities that ties their community together....As long as we can keep from getting too distracted by the big and shiny, then we can succeed long-term.”

[Josh gives many examples, including a Brooklyn school district connecting teachers and schools]



“I really feel like we're doing something special...As a community, no matter what you're passionate about, if you can come together with people that are like-minded, you can connect together and engage on a higher level, you're going to improve your community. And if you can improve your community, you're going to improve the world around yourself. And, I we all do that...if you can affect positive changer in your community, then you're gonna make the world a better place. And if we can empower people all over the world...to improve their communities, maybe we can help make a difference out there...



Management of Tagboard by customers at major events

“We've never removed the human element from it, because no matter how perfect computer learning can be, it's not going to be perfect. The thing that we're trying to not do is replace the human connection with the community. Because if it's all algorithms and data, and it's impersonal, there's no connection there...



“You don't see stuff that has been put (on display at events) by a computer. You see something that was handpicked by a moderator, that 99% of the time is on the side of the team, the brand...the people who are the closest to the community are selecting that content. And that;s why I think it has such high engagement; is because they understand and they know it and they connect with it...No algorithm can ever replace that. The problem is you have the human factor, as well, when you have times when not the right stuff has come through because somebody missed something in an image or something in a hash tag...



“The human element is so important, so vital to what we've built, I don't think that will ever go away. We provide tools to improve it and to filter out the 90% of the junk and provide them with the bucket of the best stuff we can. But the end result that puts something in front of a community, I think that is always going to be from a human.”



Share-able Stat: The average TV channel reaches 6% of consumers in the 18-34 year old age range, compared to Snapchat, which reaches 41% of the 18-34 demographic



The first and biggest 'wow' moment Josh had as a CEO of Tagboard

“I'm trying to think of the first goosebumps moment. For me, that definitely happened when I was in LA four years ago at the LA Auto Show and I saw this amazing Audi Tagboard above their booth. And I saw social content being posted to it in near real-time through our system. And to see the reaction o the fans that would walk in to get a picture...and then see it posted 30 seconds later; it was something else. It created so much user joy...those people weren't leaving that booth for a half hour or an hour. (taking pictures and videos of their content on the Tagboard screen)...



“After an hour of this thing running, you had dozens of people who were filling this booth...(just) to see their photo filling up the screen. And that, to me, was this aha moment – 'This is not just a gimmick, this is providing true, authentic user joy. It's providing a moment in time that fan will never forget...'”

[Josh talks about an experience at a Mariners game hearing groups of fans scream seeing their content on the video board Tagboard display]

[Josh also explains the concept of 'Tagboard-ception]



The biggest lesson Josh has learned as CEO and entrepreneur at previous stops

“That you gotta keep your pride out of the way. You gotta understand...'I came up with the original idea and that's where my ability stopped.' It's the team that's around me and the team that makes up Tagboard that makes Tagboard a success...(In previous failed stops) I was trying to do everything, I as trying to be the answer to all the problems that we had, and I couldn't physically do that. Now at Tagboard, I have a team of people who are so capable and so skilled...I hire people that are smarter than me and then I get out of their way and I shift into that support mode. How can I help them succeed in their role?...I don't try to do everything myself, it's not all about me...This is no longer my idea, it's our idea. It has shifted and shaped, and it has become much more beautiful complete than it could ever have been on my own.”



Josh's favorite sports and non-sports he has attended where Tagboard has been utilized

Sports event → [related to] Super Bowl 48: “The Seahawks had used us for the whole playoff run. They actually had screens in the locker room area...in their private areas. So we were kind of part of the whole process...So for me to be able to go to the Super Bowl and be there and see the Seahawks get their first Super Bowl victory. That was the most special moment for me, because I felt like we were part of the narrative Even though we weren't being used at the Super Bowl...that was the most special moment to me...”



Non-sports event → Josh's favorite time he has seen Tagboard used in a non-sports fashion:

“I wasn't there, it was an online thing...Chris (Yates) was an early adopter of Tagboard and he started using Tagboard to create awareness for a friend of his that has cancer. And I saw the hash tag SaveDanielle trending on Tagboard...I did some research and I figured it out he was the one who created the Tagboard (to see how Tagboard could help)...(Josh talked to Chris to help him use Tagboard even more)...They used Tagboard to bring together the conversation and they ended up raising awareness...getting to the point where it was on the news. Troy Aikman came out and they raised money and they did a blood (drive)...and they raised money for her and she ended up fighting cancer, beating cancer. And Tagboard played a pretty pivotal role in bringing that community...together to support this lady.



“That, for me, was one of the most meaningful things. Because it had nothing to do with money or public display or the Tagboard brand getting out there at all. It had to do with...(helping) this community come together and help one of their own...”



Josh's all-time favorite hash tag and why

#McKaylaIsNotImpressed → “(McKayla Maroney) became kind of this inspirational thing for us...we just really enjoyed seeing Tagboard being used by people all over to share a meme, or fun experience or moment...That was really fun for us...”



The best sports conference Josh has attended or at which he has spoken

“It's a hard one, because I think each of the different conferences...South By Sports, to Leaders conferences around the world, to Hashtag Sports...Spots PR Summit is great...For me, I don't think I could choose a specific one, because they all have their unique value. I prefer the ones that are closer to the ground...the majority if people [sic] not wearing suits...[Josh mentions NACDA as an example]...



“You're immersed into a community. At some of the higher brow ones...everyone is in these suits and stuffy...One of my goals in life is to have everyone untuck their shirts...When your shirt is untucked, you're relaxed. So, the conferences....where you have more everyday people at the event, walking around in Polo shirts – that, for me, is the more comfortable environment...I can just kind of be talking to people and it's fun.”



The sports team[s] that best utilize UGC

“We try to give our clients the opportunity to do something unique...So the experience you see with Tagboard for each (of our) clients is something unique. I will say that the Seahawks have been always on the forefront, as far as I'm concerned...They're always coming to us with new ideas...One of the coolest things we did them recently was we built an interaction tool that allowed them to utilize social content to...[make posts showing apparel clickable to buy]...They were the first NFL team to bring it to training camp, to put it in the livestream (of camp)...It's been really fun to see all the different things that they were the first to try out...

[Josh also calls out Scott Kegley then with the 49ers with beacon-enabled screens, as well as his work with the Vikings at US Bank Stadium]



Josh's #1 piece of advice for a team that wants to drive fans to post to a hash tag + post UGC

“#1 thing I'll tell you is 'be authentic.' The hashtag that is the most successful for you is likely going to be the one your community is already using...Look at what your community is already doing, and connect with that...A great example of that is Audi in 2012 called 'Want an R8...' (#WantAnR8). That was a user-generated hashtag that became the #1 (at the time) Twitter hashtag campaign in the history of Twitter, and it was because it was user-generated. They took it from the heart of the community...

“Don't force it. Don't try to come up with something that is not organic already. You have enough fans out there, that they;re going to tell you which hashtag to use. Keep it authentic, keep it real, and you're going to be surprised at how much better off it works for you than when you try to force something in and it doesn't fit with your community.”



The best food to get in Seattle

Seafood: Josh's go-to restaurant for fresh seafood or steak, dating back to childhood → Anthony's Home Port



Which will happen first – Seattle gets an NHL team or an NBA team?

“True story...One of my personal goals in life and one of my ambitions...I want to be part of the group that brings back the Sonics...One of the driving things behind me is to become successful enough, so I can bring value and give back to my community. And, for me, that means bring the Sonics back. It's not about money, it's not about fame, it's about the fact that it's a hole in our community, it was stolen away from us, ripped out of our hearts...and I want to restore that. So one of my goals, for Tagboard, is for it to be successful enough to contribute to that, in some factor....If I can be part of that, in some way, and help...bring (the Sonics) back sooner, then I'm going to be really excited with that.”



Josh's Social Media All-Star to Follow

Jessica Smith (@WarJessEagle) → “Whenever there is something happening in the world, she can summarize it and post a tweet...She is so eloquent with that. She also posts really good blog posts that give back to the community. And she is continually learning things and sharing those learnings with the SMSports community...”



Where to find Josh and Tagboard on Social Media

Josh is @jdbt on Twitter and @jdbtxyz on Instagram and @jdbt on Snapchat

@Tagboard or Tagboard on all social networks and visit www.tagboard.com


http://www.tagboard.com/


Thanks so much to Josh for sharing his time, knowledge, experience, and expertise with the Digital and Social Media Sports podcast!

Listen to the podcast and find more episodes and content on iTunes and at www.DSMSports.net.

You can also follow me on Twitter @njh287


http://www.DSMSports.net/

https://www.twitter.com/njh287