Grow A Small Business Podcast · Troy Trewin

Success in Business: Building a Scalable Sports Tech Company Through Smart Pivots and Data-Driven Growth, Co-Founder of Athlete Agent — Creating the IMDb for Athletes and Turning Vision into a Profitable Platform. (Episode 759 - Ryan Rottman)

·44 min·2 clips

Ryan says business success requires thick skin because every pitch becomes another “no” until one “yes” lands.

Troy Truen opens the show in his usual founder-interview frame. He introduces Ryan Rotman, who is based just outside London in the Cotswolds and is building Athlete Agent. The company is pitched as the IMDB for athletes. It gives people a way to see athlete earnings, stats, and related information. It also connects big and small companies, as well as marketers and advisors, to endorsement opportunities. Ryan says the platform currently lists about 11,000 athletes. The long-term goal is closer to 60,000 as more sports are added. He says the business monetizes through subscriptions. About 70% of the information sits behind a paywall. The team started with one full-time employee four years ago. It now has six. Troy keeps coming back to growth milestones, the shape of the business, and the lessons Ryan has learned along the way. Ryan talks about knowing when to pivot. He says the key is not waiting so long that extra capital and time get wasted on something customers do not really want. One of the hardest moments was the pivot itself. He describes the pressure of a data cost structure that became unsustainable as the company scaled. That led to a sharper focus on where the product could actually work. He also points to underserved sports like paddle, pickleball, fencing, and the WNBA as places with visibility and loyalty. Networking comes up as another major lesson. Ryan treats it as a practical business skill that helps you meet mentors, learn from other people’s failures, and ask better questions.

As heard by us

A practical pivot story about athlete data, tighter focus, and real numbers.

Ryan Rotman's Athlete Agent is framed as a database for athletes, with earnings, stats, and other details wrapped around subscription access for brands, marketers, and advisors chasing endorsement deals.

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Why you'd press play

For founders deciding whether to pivot before the burn gets worse.

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