Today I would like to examine two things, of many, that make an internet startup successful. So, to do that, I am going to take a quick look at a internet company known as “Hudl.”
Hudl is a software company that specializes in connecting coaches with athletes in order to help them be more successful. Hudl allows coaches and athletes to share videos, comments, and tips about a game or practice. This allows athletes to be in contact with their coaches from anywhere in the world, as all these features are internet based.
So, how successful is Hudl? Since 2006 they have gathered over 160,000 teams and 4 million individual users. The site is used everywhere from youth athletics, to professional teams.
So, why is Hudl successful? Hudl is successful, because it solves a problem. What do you do if you have a question after practice? What if the team is too large for a coach to answer individual questions? Hudle provides a space where coaches can easily communicate with all of their athletes while they are anywhere in the world. Furthermore, Hudle saw that the market was moving towards internet-based communication, therefore they made all of their software internet based.
So, what can be learned from this? As an internet entrepreneur you must create something that solves a problem. In addition, you must predict where the market is heading. If you can create something that links people to a desired product or service in a convenient way, you are on your way to becoming a successful internet entrepreneur. So many internet startups are either inconvenient, or try to solve a problem that doesn’t exist. If you can avoid those two mistakes, you can create a successful internet startup, just like Huddl has.
Hudl is a fantastic internet company that connects coaches and players allowing them to share ideas and strategies. Hudl has been successful for a while but we can not forget their basic business model. To take the communication between coaches and players and provide a way for them to communicate effectively away from the field of competition allows for more and better communication to occur. This was a sense of totally new technology but rather a way to use current technology to affect how sports teams communicate information.
Hudl is a great way for coaches to send film to their players and then comment on the film. We use it on the lacrosse all the time and its extremely beneficial. Hudl did a great job of seeing a need and filling that need. Although there are many other companies that offer the same product, they have done a good job of dominating the market for that sort of service.
Wow, Hudl sounds like a great product! However, thinking back to what the CTO of Truefit was explaining yesterday in class about creating software for Diamond Kinetics, I wonder if the technological platform could be used in the sun or would just be limited to videos/communication after practice/games/meets. I’m on the varsity water polo team at Grove City and the idea of this app sounds great, but I just don’t think this would be ideal for interaction around a pool!
I have heard alot about this app and I know that it has helped quite a few people get connected. It’s a fairly simple idea but it has been a lifesaver for many athletes. I love the idea and hope it continues to succeed!